Amarnath yatra, 2022

About Amarnath yatra-

• Amarnath is one of the most famous pilgrimage destinations among Hindu devotees and is organized every year by the government of Jammu and Kashmir.
• As per Hindu mythology, the Amarnath Cave is where God Shiva was narrating Amar Katha (the story of becoming immortal) to Goddess Parvati and wanted to keep it a secret. 
• The Yatra trek through the mountains of south Kashmir Himalayas to the Holy Cave Shrine of Shri Amarnathji is made available only in the months of summer to pay obeisance.
• Here, the image of Lord Shiva is in the form of a Lingam, is formed naturally of ice – stalagmite, and which waxes and wanes with the moon.
• The main cave, which is situated at a height of about 12,756 feet remains covered with snow most of the year except for a short time in summer. 
• Situated in a narrow gorge at the farther end of Lidder Valley, Amarnath Shrine is 46 Km from Pahalgam and 14 Kms from Baltal. 
• It usually commences on the auspicious day of Skanda Shasti as per Hindu Calendar, and shall conclude on Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandan).
• Every year ‘Amarnath Yatra’ is marked by ‘Pratham Puja’ which is said to summon the blessings of Baba Amarnath, which draws a large number of Shiva’s Bhakts from every corner of the world.
• The Holy Cave Shrine of Shri Amarnathji is managed by Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), which was constituted by an Act of the Jammu & Kashmir State Legislature in 2000 with the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir as its ex-officio Chairman.
• The Amarnath yatra was cancelled midway in 2019 before the abrogation of Article 370 in August that year. For the last two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, a symbolic yatra was observed.