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It
is at Amarnath that Lord Shiva
revealed the secrets of immortality
to his wife Parvati. Situated
in a narrow gorge at the farther
end of the Lidder Valley, the
Amarnath Cave stands at a height
of 12,755 ft. Legend has it that
in every lunar month, the icy
Shivalinga in the Cave begins
to take its shape on the first
day of the bright half of the
month. It reaches its full size
on the full moon day and after
getting its fullest shape, begins
to wane and disappear on the new
moon day. This process repeats
itself each month. The Amarnath
Cave was where Lord Shiva narrated
the secret of immortality, the
Amar Katha to his wife Parvati.
Shiva hesitated at first but finally
gave in. He wanted to reveal the
secret in an isolated place far
from any living being and thus
chose the Amarnath Cave. In preparation,
Shiva left his Nandi (the Bull),
which he rode at Pahalgam. At
Chandanwari, he released the moon
from his hair and on the banks
of Lake Sheshnag, he released
the snakes. Son Ganesha was left
at Mahagunas Parvat and at Panjtarni,
Shiva left the Five Elements behind
- earth, water, air, fire and
sky - that make life possible.
As a final precaution, Shiva created
Rudra named Kalagni and ordered
him to set afire and eliminate
every living thing in and around
the Holy Cave. Finally, Shiva
and Parvati entered the Amarnath
Cave where he began meditating
on a deerskin. He then narrated
the Amar Katha to Parvati. Unknown
to them, a pair of mating doves
eavesdropped on this conversation
and learned the secret. Reborn
again and again, they have made
the cave their eternal abode.
Today, pilgrims claim seeing the
pair of doves when they trek the
arduous route to pay their obeisance
at Shivalinga formed naturally
of an ice stalagmite
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