Story of Amarnaath

1-Story of Amarnaath Jee

Centuries ago, Maa Paarvatee asked Shiv Jee to tell her why and when he started wearing the garland of heads (Mund Maal). Bholey Naath said - "Whenever you were born, I added one more head in my heads' garland."

Paarvatee Jee again asked - "My Swaamee, My body is destroyed every time I take birth, and I die again and again, but you are immortal, what is the secret of this?" Shiv Jee replied - "It is due to Amar Kathaa." Maataa Paarvatee insisted him to tell her that Amar Kathaa. Shiv Jee postponed her request several times but on continuous demand of Paarvatee Jee, Shiv Jee said - "OK, Now I will tell you that secret of being immortal." So he started to look for a lonely place where he could tell the secret of being immortal, so that nobody could listen it. He chose Amarnaath Cave.

At Pahalgaam, he left his Bull (Nandee); at Chandan Baadee, he left his Moon from his head; at the shore of Sheshnaag Lake he released the Naag from his neck, at Mahaaganesh Hills he left his son Ganesh; and at Panjtaranee he left his Panch Mahaabhoot Tattwa (five basic elements - Earth, Air, Water, Fire, Sky - he is the Swaamee of these elements). Then he performed the Taandav Dance (specific dance of Shiv Jee).

After leaving all these things belonging to human life Shankar Jee entered the cave along with Maataa Paarvatee. Shiv Jee took Samaadhi on a deer skin. To make sure that nobody listened to the secret, he created a Rudra named Kaalaagni and ordered him to spread fire all around the cave.

After this he started narrating the secret of immortality, but by chance there was an egg which remained protected, beneath the deer skin . It was believed to be non-productive and left unattended; moreover it was safe under the Aasan of Shiv-Paarvatee. Later a pair of pigeons were born out of that egg and became immortal after hearing that secret of immortality (Amar Kathaa).

Pilgrims who go there to have Darshan of the ice lingam (phallic symbol of Shiv Jee) have seen that pair there.

How Did People Come to Know About It?
Now how did people come to know about this cave (Amarnaath Cave)? There are several stories about it. One of them is that Bootaa Malik Gujjar (shepherd) discovered this cave. Story goes like this that a saint gave a bag-full of coal to Bootaa Malik. When he arrived home he found the bag full of gold coins instead of coal. He overwhelmed with joy and went to thank that saint, but he couldn't find him there. He had disappeared. Instead he found this cave and a Shiv Lingam inside the cave. He announced his discovery of the cave and since then it became a worshipping place.

Its another story goes like this :-
Long ago there was a big lake in the valley of Kashmeer. Kashyap Rishi drained its water though rivers and rivulets. During those days Bhrigu Rishi came to visit Himaalaya Parvat. He was the first one to visit this cave. When people heard about the Lingam, this place became a pilgrimage for them.

Pilgrimage to this place takes place in the months of July-August when the Lingam is formed naturally of ice Stalagmite which waxes and wanes with the Moon's cycle. By the side of this Lingam, there are two more Lingam which are of Maataa Paarvatee and Ganesh Jee.