AMARNATH- land of SHIVA

Har har mahadev, bam bam bhole, jai barfani baba ki, are the shouts one gets to hear on this journey from start at chandanwadi,to end at the holy cave and again back down. This 40k of journey is so aweinspiring and soul scratching(yes not searching*), atleast that’s how I felt the first time I went for amarnath and maybe that’s the single most pulling factor for me as I went again and again 5 times in a row.
*souls are opened up as they get torned and rejoined with raw beauty of this journey

“Jo Bhi Chaho Wo Milega Ek Ishi Tatbir Se, Shart Ye Hai Ishq Karle Pahle Apne Pir Se” 

I had never thought I’d put down in words this wonderful spiritual/adventure filled life period of mine for others but as I write this I am amazed at how much this is for me also as I’m fulfilling my inner desire of writing; along with reliving my traveljourneys.

Amarnath yatra as its called starts at chandanwadi base camp and culminates at its zenith with the cave of lord Shiva in all its glory and wonder. The cave is home to self(swayambhu) created shivalinga(icelingam) formed by icedroplets-drop by drop all in a natural way, worshipped by millions who believe, and still is a form of natural wonderment for those who don’t but know that its a wondrous natural occurrence. The cave itself is situated at height of 13,500 feet above sea level in the Himalayan range at Kashmir surrounded by highest mountain peaks,jungles,rivers,ravines,forests all enroute. People have worshipped mahadevalingam* here as big as 20 feet from its base, covering the whole of wide cave from end to end.
*mahadevalingam or the icelingam as its called is worshipped since ‘adianadi kaal’ here in India. I personally have worshipped lingam at the cave in all its glory at 18 foot mighty high.

Yatra has basically 2 routes-shorter one from sonmarg called Baltal and longer one from Pahalgam called Chandanwadi. In my this many darshans till date i have never attempted the shorter one, as the longer harder spiritual quest is always more fulfilling according to me.

‘Travel is never a matter of money but of courage-paulo coelho’. The 40km longer route is arduous but filled with so many wondrous high points that one with true yearning for the unknown will never feel tired or lost, and for the adventure seeker too the longer route is more fulfilling as for its halts on the way namely pissutop* shesnag* mahagunastop* panchtarni* 
*from chandanwadi as the pilgrimage starts its roughly 3 days from there to back again down; with 2 night halts, elevating gradually from 7500feet to highest point of 14500 feet at mahaguna’s top.

from 7500ft to 14500 and back

Pahalgam is one of the best touristy scenic valley places of Kashmir where most films get shot and people enjoy their love filled honeymoons. From there to chandanwadi buses and cars all controlled in phased manner by army* cover the route in almost 40 mins. Then from chandanwadi which is a huge base camp for the yatra, people start the journey to climb towards the first very steep and dangerous point pissutop* The climb is very steep on rockcut mountains filled with snow, much of which is melting, with chinar trees lined up in huge green valleys and gushing roaring Chenab river on one side, and high mountain passes but extremely narrow gorges on other side. Its much like rock climbing with winding looped roads, but two wayed and so narrow that many a times this point sees extreme worrisome crowd clashing(incoming plus outgoing), with pilgrims on foot, in dolis, and on horses all jostling on almost 2/3 foot of kachha snowy road for ascent and decent.
*pissutop is such a point that many ppl afraid of heights get their worst fears confirmed here as the climb is almost vertical and road very narrow, also this was the same point where one of our beloved known yatri lost his life by falling from a horse: almost immediately got heart attack. RIP his soul, he was co-yatri with us on many amarnath yatras.

From pissutop u ascend forward to one of my most fav serene jawdropping places of the route-shesnag* its a big blue lake of snowmelted water at approx height of 12,500 feet, sheltered with mountains from 3 sides and the big lake cum stream of melted pure icy Himalayan water gurgling from the mountain tops towards its fourth side all forming a serpent like form-famous mythical shesnag, which is always curled around mahadevas neck! The astounding beauty of this sight can’t be justified by my words.
When I beholded the first time this sight I felt a strange utter silence at the bottom pit of my soul and my head was feeling at once so calm that I got strange but strong feelings of descending those snowy mountains towards the bottom of the lake and sitting there quietly for meditation, imagining in my head mahadevas swaroop(form) doing the same for centuries. Imagine a form surrounded by ice covered high Himalayan mountains, and still being at peace with his creator at the point from where the vast blue lake originates in all stillness…..

shesnag stream surrounded by mountains

Sheshnag in all its splendour

all snow water forming the grand sheshnag

From shesnag, travel towards highest and roughest unpredictable point of the journey mahagunastop* at 14,500 feet. Its sheer snow on the route and this is the point where I faced snowblizzard during one yatra of mine. The weather here is so unpredictable that during one yatra of mine, we could literally see and experience stepping from blazing sunshine into dusky snowfall in a distance of few feet’s. Snow fell very hard in few short moments, and visibility turned into almost only 2 to 3 feet ahead of us giving us no time to be prepared for this sudden change. Army* literally stopped yatris behind us, we being last ones getting go ahead as we were already into the storm and couldn’t turn back now. The Storm turned into a blizzard with icy winds hitting our whole bodies but luckily lasted only for 12 to 15 mins. But those 15 mins were sheer life hanging. At the end of storm ending when we again stepped into clear sunshine weather we had again recovered our energies and peppiness, to a extent that few elders, and adolescent yatris and my brother rolled on their backs and bums on freshly formed snowy  mountain peaks, rolling down all to amazement of alert gazes of army jawans, other pithus* and horsewalas*
*pithus are load carrier men or boys, wherein you don’t carry your 3 day luggage all along but they tug it on their backs for yatris all along the arduous route, plus the godawalas(horse owner) who never leaves your sight,always in 100% command and sync with the horse.

Icy Mahagunastop

Devotees in line crossing a grand glacier

From mahagunastop travel towards another amazing point called panchtarni* also called as panjtarni. If shesnag gave me a sense of oneness, stillness, closeness then panchtarni was totally in opposition to that.
The vastness of this place is too much to describe, as there are tens of mountain peaks on both sides divided by kilometres long vast rocky plains. Various peaks behold various colours here, and the vast plains stir your soul into thinking of how huge creation is. Eyes can’t get hold of the plains-start to end points. Various small big streams also keep passing intermediately all through panchtarni plains, but many times its completely frozen or barren also depending upon the season and nature’s moods. The air blows too powerful on such empty plains, and this stretch is simply by all means very very vast. Biggest camps for yatris stay is at this spot on whole route to holy cave. At one such campsite we encountered rainfall and got completely drenched by icy waters as our pitthu had wandered far ahead of us to the tents. And by the time as we reached the tents many from our group were in grip of extreme chills and shiverings, to the extent that we had to wear 3 to 4 layers of thick mattresses and also rub Dr.brandy on our bodies and feet(we had smuggled that precisely for such emergencies). Plus the hot piping khichdis and rajmas with milk and ghee at the tents helped us in regaining our bodytemps back. Inspite of such a freezing bad experience some of us were brave enough to have a quick bath into the icy rivers flowing right along our tents for its said to be purifying of soul as many other devotees do the same in reverence to Shiva.

Also lil ahead from panchtarni the crowded sangam* point comes where both the baltal and pahalgam route merge to form a one single river of devotees. Worst crowding, shoving, endlessquees, along the years takes place here as the dirtroads are narrowest here and crowds ever increasing. Instances of stampedes have happend here which are deathlyscary. But as the saying goes ‘boat is safe in a harbour but then boats are not made to be that-paulo coelho’

Biggest tent density at panchtarni, camps by riverside itself

Finally after 2 arduous but spiritually rich days of travelling I arrive near the steps of holygufa* cave of shivlingam. The mouth of the cave itself is as wide as a big skyscraper. One gets a sense of awe as one enters it feeling so miniscule. Climbing the roughly 250/300 steps towards the cave and finally devotees get the first glimpse of the icelingam. Devotion rides at its highest peak inside the cave as pilgrims are in ecstatic fervour on Darshan of mahadev. The icy white lingam in its grand natural form is a wonderous image of divinity,wonderment,peace,stillness. As one bows the head in symbolic gesture, the feeling of achievement and closure with the lord himself fills the whole soul: mind can be both, either bubbling like a volcano all ready for new creation or complete stillness like a peaceful lake.

‘Raaste main tera
Qaffila tu mera
Dhoondte tera pata
Mujhse main mila’                                        

 -u find ourselves thru such soul stirring journeys and if you find yourself, I’m of opinion UV found your god

#over the years with the swelling crowds and utter mismanagements by amarnath shrine board, the lingam itself dosent form to its full glory and also rapidly melts away not giving extended darshans like in its previous pristine years.

Bam bhole

Har har mahadev

I have been lucky to also spot here on some of my yatras the famed ‘kabootarjoda’ white pigeon pair. Folklore plus mythology says this pristine white pair of doves is shiv-parvati themselves, residing here since Shiva narrated the tale of life immortality to parvati inside the cave. At this heights one dosent see a single bird anywhere on the horizon and for that matter weather one believes or not in myths but upon being lucky enough in spotting the dove pair, one is wonderfully amazed at how, when and what they appeared from.

On the whole yatra there are 3 crucial pillars without which the success of yatra is impossible.                                   First round of big shout and salute is to the Indian army. No peak, ravine, icyroad, crevice, valley, or corner is without the brave gaze of jawans. Be it the highest or lowest or coldest or windiest point, they are always there for smooth safe journey of the yatris. Hats off to them and to their hospitality. I remember interacting with many soldiers from rank of jawan to right up the majors post, and none shows his tiredness or weariness performing such a hard duty for not only 2 months of the yatra but from much before in its preparedness. Just few shouts of jaibarfaani or bambhole to them gets them talking with you, and they love interacting with you as most of them miss the human touch as cause of their long isolated duty periods.

‘खून जमाती ठण्ड में भी, सीना ताने खड़े हुए

बदन जलाती गर्मी में भी सीमाओं पर अड़े हुए

बाँध शहादत का सहरा, मृत्यु से ब्याह रचाते हैं

देश के वीर सिपाही देखो ! माँ का कर्ज चुकाते हैं’

Jai HIND Jai Jawan Vande Materam

Indian army guarding in solitarity

Second big shout and salute is for all the dhabawallas along the 40km route, called as langars as food is totally free for all along the whole route. Not a paisa is charged and many times even donations are declined upfront as they honestly tell u ‘bhole ka darbaar bhara hain- zarurat nai’. Piping hot food is the primary energy source at this dizzing heights, and menu ranges from all what u can imagine. Dosas, idlis, upmas, cholepuris, golgappas and all other chat items, pulao, sweets of all kinds, even some langar Walla’s have pizzas burgers and Sandwhiches. But my fav item all along the route has to be hot simple and energetic khichdi filled with flowing ghee. Nothing beats this at such frezzing heights. Also other staple food item here to b savoured is rajmachawal again with lots of ghee. Lassis, buttermilk, tea, coffee, hot badam milk are all served with open hearts at all langars. Everything irrespective of who you are, free of any monetary benefit be it day or night.

Third big shout and salute if of course for the completely Muslim local population over there, as it serves all the yatris. Be it  pithu, horseriders, taxidrivers, coolies,etc all forms. Till date I haven’t seen any religious animosity along whole yatra between the two communities and without this involvement of the local population the yatris will be in deep difficulty to complete their yatra. They to respect and worship barfaani baba as they call the amarnath deity. Also all the langar food, and tent equipments is all thanks to this people prior to commencement of yatra season.

with narrowest mud roads and steepest valleys, your life is in hands of the horseguy and on wisdom of horse

I call the army, langars, and local populace as the 3 pillars on whom the amarnath yatras success and its smoothness depends upon. If any of these 3 is out of sync then surely that year the yatra and yatris are to face deep trouble.
Would like to thank big time my dear friend Amrish Kumar who repeatedly coaxed me into writing my account of experiences of Amarnath and without whom I wouldn’t have been able to pen so many rough unpolished long words about my experiences. Also reading his Kailash mansarovar blog was a hitting factor for me, for longest time I wished to journey there after amarnath but as the saying goes ‘bulava nahi aaya’. He being lucky to have  done the Kailash yatra successfully as during that time I was wandering leh-ladakh region but those are tales for another times. Now we have bonded a promise between us to journey kailashmansarovar again but together. Cross my fingers, hearts and everything for that journey to commence soon……………

compulsory preregistration gov document, must also for army. started during my later journeys