Destinations
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Jammu Shahdara Sharief Ranbireshwar Temple Raghunath Temple Peer Khoh Circular Road, Jammu (3.5 km) |
More on Kashmir Overview History People Economy Festivals Wildlife Adventure Tourist Information Climate Places to Visit Drass Gulmarg Jammu Pahalgam Sonamarg Srinagar Ladakh More on Ladakh Pilgrim Places Amarnath Yatra Vaishno Devi Travelogues Kashmir Journey to Ladakh |
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Peer Baba
At the rear end of the civil airport is the famous dargah of the Muslim saint, Peer Budhan Ali Shah. On Thrusdays, Hindu and Sikh devotees vastly outnumber their Muslim brethren at the shrine.
Idgah (8 km)
Gurudwaras Churches Buddha Amarnath Kashmir
How to get There Hazratbal Shrine Emperor Shah Jahan's subedar, Sadiq Khan, laid out a garden and constructed a palatial building, Ishrat Mahal or 'pleasure house' in 1623. However, the Emperor, during his visit in 1634, ordered that the building be converted into a prayer house. Moi-e-Muqqadus was brought to Kashmir in 1699, during the reign of Aurangzeb and was first kept in the shrine of Naqashbad Sahib in the heart of the city. Later it was shifted to Hazratbal in view of the unprecedented rush of people who came here for a glimpse of the Moi-e-Muqqadus. The construction of the present marble structure was started by the Muslim Auqaf Trust in 1968 and completed in 1979. The Moi-e-Muqqadas is displayed on various occasions related to the life of the prophet and his four holy companions. How to get There Khir Bhawani Temple (Tullamula)
Khanqah-e-Moula In 1480, the shrine was gutted in a devastating fire and reconstructed on an old edifice in a larger area and later changed to a two-storey shrine in 1493 AD. In 1731 AD, the shrine was destroyed again in a fire and rebuilt by Abul Barkat Khan. People come to observe the death anniversary of Mir Syed Ali Hamdani, falling on the 6th day of Zilhaj, the last month of the Muslim calendar. How to get There Chhatti Padshahi Awantipura (29 km) Amarnath Yatra Overview Pilgrimage is an important part of the Indian tradition. This soul-stirring journey is undertaken to have a face-to-face communion with the gods and experience a higher state of spirituality. Of all the pilgrimages, the one to Amarnath is considered as one of the most sacred. It is an event that tends to awaken the divinity embedded in the deep recesses of man's mind and to feel the serene impact of the Great Spirit. The cave is accessible only during a brief period during the months of July and August. The yatris encounter a charming environment of thick green forests, crystal clear waters of mountain streams and an exhilarating air. The spell that nature casts on the yatri's mind brings peace and creates within him a new rhythm, a new spirit. The enchanting route is traversed on foot or horse. The yatris feel a tremendous sense of fulfilment and all fatigue is forgotten. Even when the temperature touches zero degrees Celsius, the yatris are driven by their faith to take a dip in the almost freezing rivulet of Amravati. At the time of the yatra, inside the cave, a pure white ice-lingam comes into being. Water trickles, somewhat mysteriously, in slow rhythm, from the top of the cave and freezes into ice. It first forms a solid base and then on it a lingam begins to rise, almost imperceptibly, and acquires full form on Purnima. It is believed that on that day, Lord Shiva revealed the secrets of life to his consort Parvati, the beautiful daughter of the Himalayas. It is a mystery how the ice-lingam is formed on the ice-base, how it attains its full form and height on the night of the full moon, and how a pair of pigeons appears on the scene. Even the most sceptic mind is persuaded to believe that all these occurrences could not be a mere coincidence. In a state of heightened sublimity, the yatri experiences the impact of an invisible yet all-pervading, incomprehensible but all-conveying force. Lord Shiva, sitting calmly beneath an imperishable canopy, provided by the "mount of immortality" seems to convey in hushed silence the message of inseparability of the processes of creation and destruction. Swami Vivekananda's experience at the holy cave was so spiritual and saturating that for days after he could speak of nothing else but Shiva all in all; the eternal one, the great monk, rapt in meditation and aloof from the world. Such is the impression that the Amarnath Yatra leaves on the minds of most of the yatris. But the significance of the yatra does not end at the personal level. It extends to the much larger issue of cultural unity and vision of India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Kathiawar to Kamrup. Its great and historic importance as an underlying integrating force needs to be recognized. Legend On Parvati's insistence, Shiva agreed to reveal the secret of creation to her. Shiva found a secluded cave in the Himalayan range where he decided to impart the secret of creation. While he was revealing the absolute truth of immortality and eternal truth, Parvati dozed off. The cave in which Shiva had divulged the secret is now called Amarnath, meaning the Immortal God. It is believed that while Lord Shiva was speaking to Parvati, a pair of pigeons appeared and overheard the discourse. It is believed that every year, these doves come to Amarnath at the time of the yatra as an incarnation of Shiva and Parvati. Many pilgrims claim to spot these doves though there is no presence of any other birds in the area. During the period when the saint, Kashyap is believed to have drained the Kashmir valley, another saint travelling in the Himalayas discovered this cave and the lingams. When people heard about the discovery they came and called the cave Amarnath or the abode of Shiva. Later, a folk tale was attached to the legends, which claims that a Muslim shepherd, Buta Malik was given a sack of coal by a saint while he was in the mountains. When he returned home, Malik found that the coal had turned into gold. Malik rushed back to thank the saint but instead he found a cave and the lingams. This became a place of pilgrimage and till date, Muslim shepherds show the way to pilgrims. Part of the donations received in the cave is given to the descendants of Malik while the rest is directed towards the trust managing the shrine. Trek to Amarnath The yatra, in its present religious form, commences with the ceremony of "Chari Mubarak," at the Dashnami temple, Akhara, Srinagar. After the prayers, the yatri acquires a sort of walking stick. It has both physical and religious significance: physically, it helps the yatri in steadying himself on a snow covered slippery path; spiritually it reminds him of his resolve at the temple at times when his faith begins to waver in the face of a long and arduous journey. Nowadays people travel to Pahalgam first and then undertake the onward journey of 45 km on foot, in batches. Overnight halts are in encampments that are set up at fixed distances and give the appearance of a military site. The return trek has to be covered in five days with night halts at Chandanwari, Wawjan and Panchtarni. The distance of 12.8 km from Pahalgam to Chandanwari is completed in five to six hours with the first night halt at Chandanwari. The trail is along thick and green woodlands of breathtaking beauty. The playful stream of Lidder meanders and dances alongside, showing its sparkling white foam with the pride and purity of a maiden descending directly from the lap of the perennial Himalayas. One main attraction of this trail is the bridge on the river Lidder, which is covered with snow even when the surroundings are bereft of snow. From Chandanwari, there begins a steep ascent to Pishu Ghati (3,171 meters), reminding the yatris that the path to salvation involves superhuman struggle and stamina. A feeling of having reached an ethereal destination overwhelms yatris when they reach Seshnag (3,570 meters) so striking is the beauty, the ambience and the very colour of this great lake. Seshnag symbolizes the cosmic ocean in which Lord Vishnu, the preserver of this universe, moves, reclining on a seven-headed mythical snake. The second night halt is at Wawjan overlooking the deep waters of Sheshnag Lake and the glaciers beyond it. The third and the last camp en route to the cave is at Panchtarni. This 13 km trek gains height at 4,600 m and then descends to the green meadows of Panchtarni. The cave is 6 km from here. There are long queues waiting to enter the cave for a darshan before returning to Panchtarni. The return journey takes two more days. There are few precautions which have to be taken on this yatra. Children below 12 years and infirms are not allowed. It is imperative that one is adequately equipped against the cold in the high altitude. It is important to be aware of high altitude sickness and take basic precautions to prevent it. There are ponies available to carry provisions and personal belongings. Managing this yatra is a mammoth task and requires planning and coordination. The committee managing the shrine keeps maintains the route, ensuring that it is free of boulders and snow, in co-operation with military and civil authorities. More recently, there have been incidents of terrorists having tried to disrupt the yatra, and there is heavy armed protection provided to the yatris. A yatra-officer is appointed to conduct the pilgrimage. General Information Vaishno Devi Every day of the year scores of devotees ascend steep pathways that cut across the hillside. A common faith among people is that goddess Vaishno Devi sends a 'call' to her devotees; and once heralded, the pilgrim finds himself compelled to march towards the holy shrine of the great goddess. It is believed that a supernatural power seems to draw pilgrims across the mountains, so they climb those great heights, step by step, chanting "prem se bolo, Jai Mata di". Even those who are unused to walking the slightest distances, accomplish the difficult ascent of innumerable stairs. Popular belief holds that anybody who walks the Himalayan trail to Mata Vaishno Devi's abode to ask for a boon does not return disappointed. There are many who journey here year after year to pay obeisance regardless of their faith, creed or class, caste or religion, because Mata Vaishno Devi transcends all such artificial barriers. Legend Thereafter Devi took the form of goddess 'Chandi and beheaded Bhairon Nath, whose skull was flung up the mountain by the force of the blow and fell at a place now known as Bhairon Ghati. Beheaded Bhairon now prayed to Mata for mercy and was granted a boon of liberation. She said, "My devotees will visit your place after they have come to me for 'darshan'." The desires of devotees will be fulfilled, if they visit your place. A temple has been constructed at the spot where Bhairon's head fell. Accordingly, the pilgrims visit Bhairon temple after offering prayers at Mata's cave. The Yatra At the Bhavan there is provision for bathing, and for keeping your belongings in safe custody, as leather items are not permitted. Blankets are also available at a refundable deposit. Prasad, "chunari" and coconuts can be bought from shops situated at the entrance of the Bhawan. In case of overcrowding, you might have to wait patiently in a queue according to your batch number. Before entering the cave, the coconut has to be deposited against a token. The whole valley reverberates with the chanting of "Jai Mata di". According to legend, the boulder at the mouth of the holy cave is the petrified torso of Bhairon who was granted divine forgiveness by the benevolent Mata in his dying moments. Inside the cave, there are three natrual pindis of Maha Saraswati, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Kali which represent the creative, preservative and destructive aspects of the divine energy images of three deities - Mahakali, Maa Saraswati and Maa Lakshmi. The holy Ganga's cold and crystal clear water washes the lotus feet of the Mata's 'Pindian'. Previously the shrine had only one natural entry cave, but now two more exit caves have been constructed. Remember to collect your coconut here. Bhairon Mandir Do's and Don'ts Missing persons can be located through the public address systems from the counters at Katra, Banganga, Adhkawari and Darbar. The entire 13 km route is quite wide and tiled. Besides, the whole path is lit up every night by powerful sodium vapour lamps. Avoid overstraining on the climb. The track is preferable to the stairs. Receipts for all payments made to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board as well as private vendors are available and should be insisted on. Official rate lists for all services are available. Use only the donation boxes provided at various places by Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. In case of donations at the donation counters of the Board at Katra (Central Office/ Vishram Ghar), Adhkawari, Sanji Chatt and various points at the Bhawan obtain a formal receipt. Note that donations to the Shrine are exempt from Income Tax under the Income Tax Act. Luggage and belongings should not be deposited with unauthorised persons or left unguarded at the bathing ghats. To maintain the sanctity of the place, please refrain fromn gambling, playing cards, smoking or chewing betel (Paan) at the Bhawan or en route. Do not stick posters or disfigure signboards, or litter anwhere. Containers have been provided for throwing rubbish and other waste. Please show all possible consideration to fellow pilgrims. Avoid playing transistors/tape recorders, or creating hindrance in movement along passage ways. Amenities Offered General Information Jammu Katra How to Get There Rail Road Tourist Reception Centre at Jammu. Best Season Clothing Tourist Offices Jammu For any suggestions/complaints, you can write to : Compiled by Puneet Sachdeva |
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Editor: Romola Butalia   (c) India Travelogue. All rights reserved. |