Thrisoola chakra hidare maha vrishaba vahini |
Mahamaya swaroopena Maheswari namosthude ||
Maha-Maya
temple in the Himalayas is a sacred devi-sthal.The Devi's consort Siva is here
as 'Trisandhyasvar'.
According to the legend the neck of the dismembered burnt body of Dakshayani fell at this place and so it became one of the sacred 51 Devi-sthals. (refer to 'Yoga-agni' in 'Abodes of devi' for background story) This is called 'Mahamaya-peetam'. Besides being a 'Devi-sthal' Amarnath is also one of the sacred and important abodes of one of the trinity of gods - Lord Shiva. This temple is in a cave atop a mountain at a height of about 4000M. The Linga here is 'swayambu' which means 'self-incarnated'. It is a stalagmite like formation in the shape of a Shiva-Linga. This 'Suyambu linga' changes with the moon light. This cave located is in the Lidder Valley.
The legend of Amarnath: At the end of the seventeenth century a Shepherd of Muslim origin from Batakot called Buta Malik discovered this cave. The legend goes that one day a sage gave a bag full of coal to Buta Mallik. When he reached home Malik found that bag contained gold coins. He was very happy and rushed back to see that sage who had given the bag of gold to express his gratitude. But he could not find the sage anywhere. However in his search for the sage he came accross the cave housing the 'swayambu linga'.
The Dogra king Maharaja Gulab singh came to know of this eventful discovery. So pleased was the Dogra that he ordered Buta Mallik and his family to always be present at the holy shrine along with the priest and Pundits of Ganeshpora, during the period of the pilgrimage to the cave every year. The king also granted the family of the Muslim shepherd a large estate near Pahalgam and exempted them from paying land revenue to the state.
By and by this shrine became a very important pilgrimage centre for Hindus attracting thousands of devotees every year even though the route is an arduous one negotiate.
Another legend recounted in this place:
Shiva was recounting to Parvati the secret of creation in a cave in Amarnath. Unknown to them a pair of doves eaves-dropped on this conversation. Having learned the secret of creation , it is said that the two doves are reborn again and again in that cave. Some pilgrims report seeing the pair of doves en route when they trek the mountain to pray before the Lord in the shape of ice-lingam
According to the legend the neck of the dismembered burnt body of Dakshayani fell at this place and so it became one of the sacred 51 Devi-sthals. (refer to 'Yoga-agni' in 'Abodes of devi' for background story) This is called 'Mahamaya-peetam'. Besides being a 'Devi-sthal' Amarnath is also one of the sacred and important abodes of one of the trinity of gods - Lord Shiva. This temple is in a cave atop a mountain at a height of about 4000M. The Linga here is 'swayambu' which means 'self-incarnated'. It is a stalagmite like formation in the shape of a Shiva-Linga. This 'Suyambu linga' changes with the moon light. This cave located is in the Lidder Valley.
The legend of Amarnath: At the end of the seventeenth century a Shepherd of Muslim origin from Batakot called Buta Malik discovered this cave. The legend goes that one day a sage gave a bag full of coal to Buta Mallik. When he reached home Malik found that bag contained gold coins. He was very happy and rushed back to see that sage who had given the bag of gold to express his gratitude. But he could not find the sage anywhere. However in his search for the sage he came accross the cave housing the 'swayambu linga'.
The Dogra king Maharaja Gulab singh came to know of this eventful discovery. So pleased was the Dogra that he ordered Buta Mallik and his family to always be present at the holy shrine along with the priest and Pundits of Ganeshpora, during the period of the pilgrimage to the cave every year. The king also granted the family of the Muslim shepherd a large estate near Pahalgam and exempted them from paying land revenue to the state.
By and by this shrine became a very important pilgrimage centre for Hindus attracting thousands of devotees every year even though the route is an arduous one negotiate.
Another legend recounted in this place:
Shiva was recounting to Parvati the secret of creation in a cave in Amarnath. Unknown to them a pair of doves eaves-dropped on this conversation. Having learned the secret of creation , it is said that the two doves are reborn again and again in that cave. Some pilgrims report seeing the pair of doves en route when they trek the mountain to pray before the Lord in the shape of ice-lingam
Om Sakthi
This cave is located at the
Lidder Valley in Kashmir.
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