The Hindu : Thousands have darshan at Amarnath cave

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 13, 2003

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Other States - Jammu & Kashmir

Thousands have darshan at Amarnath cave

By Our Staff Reporter

Devotees waiting for their turn at the Amarnath cave shrine on Saturday. — Photo Nissar Ahmad

Jammu July 12. The first batch of 4,103 pilgrims paid obeisance to the ice lingam (Lord Shiva) at the cave shrine of Amarnath this morning and participated in the aarti ceremony.

So far, over 15,000 pilgrims have reached the Pahalgam base camp. According to an estimate, over 35,000 pilgrims have entered the State and more are expected in the coming days.

The entry points such as railway stations and bus stands are crowded with hordes of pilgrims. In Jammu, traffic jams have become the order of the day. Despite the announcement that no unregistered person would be allowed to take part in the pilgrimage, scores of such persons are joining the camps making the authorities' task difficult. For the local people, however, business is booming. The markets are packed and all hotel rooms have been occupied. There have also been complaints of over-charging by hoteliers.

Security is tight at all the accommodation centres, particularly at the MAM stadium — the main camp. The movement of the pilgrims is restricted to those with valid identity cards. The entire yatra has been smooth so far, and the pilgrims have thanked the welcoming spirit of the local people who have a unique attachment to the cave shrine. Even during the trek in the hills, the locals provide ponies and palanquins to the old and the infirm.

A Muslim shepherd, Buta Malik, discovered the Amarnath cave in 1850 AD. Legend has it that Malik was given a sack of coal by a `sadhu'.

Upon reaching home he discovered that the sack, in fact, contained gold. Overjoyed, he went looking for the sadhu to thank him, but instead discovered the cave that eventually became a place of pilgrimage.

The erstwhile ruler of the State, Dogra king Gulab Singh, granted a large estate near Pahalgam to Malik's family and exempted it from paying land revenue. The king also decreed that a representative of the family would be present at the shrine along with the Mahant and Pandits during the pilgrimage.

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