Cultural Significance of Amarnath Yatra

Context – After being suspended for two years due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the 43-day Amarnath pilgrimage in the Himalayas of South Kashmir will begin on June 30 this year.

The  Amarnath Yatra to the cave shrine of Lord Shiva high up in the Himalayas is among the country’s most leveraged pilgrimages.

About the Yatra and the Significance

• According to legends, when Lord Shiva decided to tell Parvati the secret of his immortality (Amar Katha), he chose the Amarnath cave deep in the Himalayas in South Kashmir.
• The cave is situated at 3888km meters above sea level and was discovered by a shepherd named Buta Malik in 1850.
• Malik was given a bagful of coal by a Sufi saint high up in the Mountains. Malik opened the bag and found it to be full of gold.
• The shepherd ran towards the mountain to thank the saint, but he could not find him and he found the cave and famous ice lingam
• The ice lingam Is formed by water from a cleft in the roof of the cave. The Shiva Lingam gets its full shape in May every year after which it begins to melt.
• On the left of the Shiva Lingam are two smaller ice stalagmites representing Parvati and Lord Ganesh.
• The unique ensemble of faiths turned Amarnath into a symbol of Kashmir’s centuries-old communal harmony and composite culture.

Security Issues

• Between 1990 and 2017, a total of 36 attacks were carried out on the Yatra in which 53 pilgrims died and 167 were injured.
• Due to the terror threats, the Amarnath yatra was not held in between 1990-1995.
• In 2017, a terror attack in Botengro, Anantnag led to the deaths of 8 pilgrims and left 19 injured.
• Over 40,000 security forces have been deployed exclusively to ensure the protection of pilgrims going on the yatra.

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