The Amarnath Mahamaya Shaktipeeth and Shiv temple, one of India’s most famous temples, is located in Anantnag district, close to Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir. At an impressive height of 3,888 meters (12,760 feet) Amarnath, or Amarnath Gufa, is one of India’s iconic pilgrimage sites located in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is thought to be more than 5000 years old. The cave itself is 40 m (130 ft.) in height and a shiva lingam formed naturally from ice rests peacefully inside it.

An interesting feature of the ice lingam is that it increases and decreases in size with the waxing and waning of the moon respectively. It attains its full-length form on the night of Shravan Purnima. The cave, located in Sind Valley, is surrounded by glaciers, and snowy mountains and is covered with snow most of the year, except for a short period in the summer, when it is open to pilgrims.

The Amarnath cave, home of the Mahamaya Shaktipeeth, is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, temples on the Indian Subcontinent dedicated to the location of the Hindu deity Sati’s fallen body parts.

Story Behind Amarnath Mahamaya Shaktipeeth

The goddess of Dakshayani, Sati, Parvati, or Durga—Hinduism’s most important woman and most powerful deity—is called Shakti. Durga Devi, Mahakali, and Gowri are the three main manifestations of Shakti, the power goddess. She is Adi Shakti’s avatar.

Sati was the Prajapati Daksha’s daughter, and she married Lord Shiva despite Her father’s wishes. Prajapati Daksha once put together a massive yagya, but he didn’t call his daughter and son-in-law. Sati was very saddened by Her father’s actions. When she got there, her father ignored the Sati and insulted her. She could not bear the insult of his husband (Lord Shiva) and she jumped into the fire of Yagya and committed suicide. She passed away, but her body didn’t burn. Lord Shiva had taken His Virabhadra Rupa out of rage. Daksha’s head was cut off by him, but in the end, He forgave him by bringing him back to life.

Lord Shiva, devastated, had taken Sati’s body and wandered the universe. Finally, Lord Vishnu used His Chakra to break the Sati’s body into pieces. Each body part transformed into Shakti Pitha. The temple had emerged where the body part had fallen to the ground. In order to safeguard the Shakti Pitha, Lord Shiva created 51 Bhairava for each one.

According to legend, Lord Shiva was offering the lesson of immortality to his wife, Parvati, at this place. Shiva Bhairo is worshipped as Trisandhyeshwar, as well as Goddess Parvati is recognized as Mahamaya. The organs of Sati, as well as Jewelry, are worshipped in this temple as her throat falls here.

Mahamaya Shaktipeeth temple is one of the 51 Shaktipeeths of Mother. In this temple, Shakti is worshipped as ‘Mahamaya’ and Bhairav is worshipped as ‘ Trisandhyasvar ‘. According to the Puranas, wherever the pieces of the sati have fallen, wherever Shaktipeeth came into existence.

History of Amarnath Mahamaya Shaktipeeth

Krishaanth or Amarnath are mentioned in Book VII, verse 183 of the book Rajatarangini. It is accepted that in the eleventh century CE, Queen Suryamati gifted tri shuls, banaling and other holy seals to this temple. Rajavalipataka, started by Prajna Bhatta, contains definite references to the journey to Amarnath Cavern Sanctuary. In addition, numerous other ancient texts make additional mentions of this pilgrimage.

The architecture of Amarnath Mahamaya Shaktipeeth

The Shiva Lingam at the shrine is a Swayambhu lingam. The lingam is a natural stalagmite formation in a 40-meter (130-foot)-tall cave on Amarnath Mountain, which has a peak of 5,186 meters (17,014 feet). The stalagmite is shaped because of the freezing of water drops that tumble from the top of the cavern onto the floor, bringing about a vertical development of an ice arrangement. Here, the stalagmites considered as the lingam, an actual sign of Shiva, structure a strong vault shape. Two more modest stalagmites are remembered to address Parvati and Ganesha.

Facts about Amarnath Mahamaya Shaktipeeth

• One of the most famous temples of India, the Amarnath Shakti Peeth is located in India’s Jammu & Kashmir. Situated near Pahalgam in Anantnag district.
• Devotees visit it in large numbers from June to August, with the pilgrimage tour famously known as Amarnath Yatra, which begins from Chandanwari.
• Physical fitness is essential for completing the Amarnath Yatra with ease. We advise you to take morning or evening walks for at least 4-5 km regularly for a month prior to Amarnath Yatra.
• When you are travelling in a group, always ensure that you carry the information of your group with you in case you get separated from the group.
• The weather in summer is ideal between 10°C to 24°C. Winters are quite cold with temperatures averaging between -2°C to 8°C.
• An interesting feature of the Shiv lingam made of ice is that it increases and decreases in size with the waxing and waning of the moon respectively.
• The formation of the ice lingam is miraculous in its own way. Water droplets from the top of the cave trickle down slowly and freeze to form ice. The ice forms a solid base and then starts taking the shape of Shiva Lingam.
  
• Amarnath Yatra is a significant pilgrimage for Hindus as it is believed that it was here, in the secluded location of Amarnath Cave that Lord Shiva explained the creation of the universe and secrets of immortality to Maa Parvati.
• Originally, the Amarnath Yatra was to be undertaken from Srinagar. However, these days it has become more common to begin the journey from Pahalgam and complete the journey in 5 days.
• If you wish to complete Amarnath Yatra in one day, then helicopter services are also available from Pahalgam to Panchtarni.

Festivals In Amarnath Mahamaya Shaktipeeth

Pilgrims visit the holy site during the 45-day season around the festival of Shravani Mela in July–August, coinciding with the Hindu holy month of Shraavana. The Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage occurs when the iced stalagmite Shiva lingam reaches the apex of its waxing phase through the summer months. The period of July–August is a popular time for the pilgrimage.

How to Reach Amarnath Mahamaya Shaktipeeth

The Amarnath Yatra was originally planned to begin in Srinagar. Nonetheless, nowadays it has become more normal to start the excursion from Pahalgam and complete the excursion in 5 days. The route is as follows: Pahalgam – Chandanwari – Pissu Top – Sheshnag –Panchtarni – Amarnath Cave Temple.

By Air: Srinagar is the nearest airport with daily flights from Delhi and Jammu. There are a few connecting flights from Chandigarh and Leh in a week. From Srinagar you can get private and shared taxis, and buses to reach both Pahalgam and Baltal, thus providing you enough scope to choose any route.

By Helicopter: You can also avail of Helicopter services to reach Amarnath Mahamaya Shaktipeeth, which will save a lot of time and energy. As of now, there are only three helicopter operators for the Amarnath Yatra: Pawan Hans, Global Vectra HeliCorp and Himalayan Heli Services. From Pahalgam to Panchtarni, helicopter services are also available if you want to complete the Amarnath Yatra in one day.

By Railway: Jammu is the nearest Railway Station and the last point by train. From Jammu you can easily get Taxis and Bus to reach Srinagar Traditional route: Jammu – Patnitop – Anantnag – Pahalgam – Chandanwari – Amarnath

Nearest Bus Station/Cabs: Jammu to Pahalgam (315 km) – The distance between Jammu to Pahalgam can be covered by taxi/buses which are available at Tourist Reception Centre, J & K Govt. From Jammu, one has to go by road to Srinagar and then reach Baltal via Sonamarg. There are many taxis and buses to reach Srinagar from Jammu.

Also Read – Phullara Shaktipeeth Attahasa