The splendid andholy temple of Baba Buddha Amarnath is located in district Poonch in Jammu andKashmir. This temple is also known as “Chattani Baba Amarnath temple” which stands erect at 290 km in the North-West directionof Poonch. This temple place is blessed with picturesque surroundings, locatedas it is at 4600 ft. above sea level.

Beautiful valleysand hills near Pulasti River add to the beauty this shrine. For centuriespeople from all over India come here for their Amarnath Yatra. It is consideredone of the most important religious visits for Hindus. Tourists come here inhuge numbers during the “saawan mahina” to visitthis temple. It is a popular belief among the Hindu community that withoutvisiting Baba Amarnath shrine, their Amarnath Yatra cannot be completed. Hinducommunity living around the temple is loyal and have undying faith towards thetemple. They have immense faith in the temple and contribute to maintenance ofthe famous shrine of Baba Amarnath.

AboutBuddha Amarnath Shrine

Thousands of touristscome to the holy temple to offer their prayers to Baba Amarnath. Local peoplehere play an important role in organising the Yatra successfully every year. People in the region respectNational Integrity and therefore come forward to organise a Yatra in the most splendid and grandmanner. Tourists usually come for a ten-day Yatra to the shrine that ends onthe event of Purnmashi, which is the day of Raksha Bandhan. A procession iscarried out in festive manner leading the Yatra from Poonch to Baba Amarnath.

This temple isdedicated to Lord Shiva’s shrine located amongst the picturesque surrounding ofPoonch. This temple is located at Rajpura Mandi, which is very close to Mandivillage. The uniqueness of this temple is acknowledged because it is the only Shivatemple that is not located on hilltop but rather at a foothill. Even theShivling found here is not a stalactite. The temple is unique in every way andalso possesses divine powers. Thousands of tourists visit the temple each yearon the occasion of Raksha Bandhan with lot of pomp and show. The beautifulLoran stream that flows beside this temple adds to its neighbouring scenicbeauty.

Historyof Buddha Amarnath Shrine

Since timeimmemorial, pilgrims coming to this region worship the divine temple of BabaAmarnath. The mesmerising beauty of this region attracts thousands of touristseach year. This shrine is regarded as one of the holiest shrines of Hinduism.Therefore, it holds a lot of importance in Hindu mythology. Snow-cloakedmountains surrounding the temple add more elegance to this beautiful shrine. Anice stalagmite inside the cave attracts thousands of pilgrims in themountainous terrain of the region.

Devotees love to gothrough the challenges of this terrain to reach this beautiful cave because oftheir immense faith in Lord Shiva and Baba Amarnath. The stalagmite, which isformed within the cave due to frozen water drops growing up vertically from thefloor of the cave, is worshipped as Shiva Linga. Hindus have a religious beliefthat the Shiva Lingam shrinks andgrows according to different phases of the moon. The lingam reaches itsgreatest height during the summers. However,interestingly there is no scientific evidence to support it.

GettingThere and Around

People have immensefaith in the divine powers of this temple. Therefore, devotees travel fromSrinagar to Pahalgam on foot. The journey usually takes around five days.Transport facility to this region is improving everyday. This has led to a risein the number of tourists coming to visit Baba Amarnath temple each year.

1. By Road- Privately hiredvehicles are available from Jammu and Kashmir for the convenience of tourists.While passing by the Amarnath Valley tourists can enjoy the scenic beauty ofAmarnathy River that originates from Amarnath glacier. Ponies are alsoavailable to get to Amarnath temple.
2. By Air- The flight distancefrom Delhi to Amarnath is around 640 km. Flights are easily available from thecities all over India to Srinagar, Jammu and Ladakh. Pilgrims take hired vehiclesto travel from the airport to Amarnath temple. Even helicopters are availableto reach Amarnath shrine.
3. By Train- Since there is norailway station in Amarnath, Jammu is the nearest station. It is located at adistance of 178 km. The various trains moving to and fro from Amarnath is:

1. Uttar Sampark KrantiExpress
2. Kathgodam –Jammu Garib Rath Express
3. New Delhi- Jammu TawiExpress (Rajdhani)

AnnualFestivals

Tourists coming hereto celebrate Amarnath Yatra regardthis as a memorable journey of their life. Considered the highest holy pilgrimage, Amarnath Yatra attracts pilgrims inhordes between the months of July and August. Devotees come here toworship the ice Lingam trekking fromPahalgam. Of all pilgrimages, Amarnath Yatra is regarded to be the holiest. This holy site is popular among both pilgrimsand tourists.

The people of thisregion celebrate the festival of ShravaniMela with great pomp and show. Visitors from around the globe come here toparticipate in the festival and also complete their Yatra. People come together to worship the naturally formed Shiva Lingam and also pay tribute to LordShiva and Goddess Parvati. The entire region drools in a festive mood whilejoyously celebrating the festival. People complete their Yatra by paying tribute to Amarnath Baba.

Legends

Like all ancienttemples and shrines, Baba Amarnath temple is also enveloped in legends andmyths. A famous legend in Hindu mythology held that Lord Shiva enlightenedGoddess Parvati about the secret of life and eternity in this holy temple. Theother formations of ice found and worshipped in the temple are replica of Shivaand Parvati’s son, Ganesha. People who come to visit thistemple for completing the Yatra actually come here to worship a Lingam made of ice stalagmite. Another legend related to this temple held that KingAryaraja in Kashmir worshipped a Lingam made of ice.

In the bookRajatarangini, it is mentioned that queen Suryamathi had gifted sacred emblemslike banalingas and trishuls to this temple. There are many manuscripts andancient texts found in the temple, which gives references of similarincidents.Another legend which is popular among people of the region is that itwas in Panjtarni when five elements namely – sky, fire, air, water and earth was left by Lord Shiva. Itwas here that Lord Shiva performed Tandava dance, which was a symbol ofsacrificing the earthly pleasures. After that along with Goddess Parvati, LordShiva entered the holy temple of Baba Amarnath. Amarnath region boasts aboutthe legends and myth of Lord Shiva and Parvati.

BestTime to Visit

The attraction ofthis place is such that there is influx of thousands of tourists all yeararound. During winter season this entire region is blanketed with snow. Thetemperature reaches minus degree during winter season. Adventurous touristslove to visit the region during winters to participate in winter sports. Duringsummers climate is cool and pleasant. To enjoy the natural panorama and evenfor pilgrimage, summers are ideal for pilgrimage to Amarnath temple. However,monsoon showers are inviting and pleasant for tourists. The area aroundAmarnath temple is snow-covered through major part of the year. Touristsfrequent Amarnath for pilgrimage both during summers and winters.

Accommodation

Tourists from Indiaand around the globe frequentAmarnath temple in large numbers. Therefore, many hotels and resorts are foundin this region. Some popular hotels located in the district of Poonch are:

1. Haveli Lodge Hotel- This isa very luxurious and comfortable place for tourists to reside. The food of thishotel is a relief for visitors who miles to reach the temple. Rooms here areeconomical and easily available.
2. Anand Hotel- This hotelalso tops the list of oncoming tourists in this region because of its location.It is located close to the temple therefore tourists save transport costs.Moreover, the hotel staff is friendly and helpful towards guests.
3. R.K. Hotel- This hotel isperched among beautiful hills of the region and providesa picturesque landscape to guests. It alsoprovides additional facilities like making arrangement for hired vehicles. Thestaffs at this hotel is polite,a giving you a homely atmosphere.