Devotees in the age group of 13 to 75 years and women with less than 6 weeks of pregnancy can register themselves for Shri Amarnath Yatra 2022. Registration process for this yatra has started from 11th April. This journey will be a full 43 days. During this, devotees will have to follow the corona protocol.Amarnath Cave – A Detailed Explanation
Amarnathji is considered to be one of the major Hindu shrines. The holy cave is the abode of Lord Shiva. The protector of the Supreme, Lord Shiva, the Destroyer, is seated in this cave as an ice-lingam. This lingam is formed naturally, which is believed to wax and fade with the moon.Although the original shrines believe that the yatra (yatra) should be done from Srinagar, it is more common to start the yatra at Chandanwadi and cover the distance to Amarnathji in five days. Pahalgam is 96 kilometres from Srinagar.
Amarnath shrine is situated at an altitude of 3,888 metres above sea level.
It is located 46 km from Pahalgam and 14 km from Baltal in a narrow valley at the far end of the Lidder valley.
The more common practice is to start the yatra at Chandanwadi and cover the distance to Amarnathji in five days and back.
Story behind the discovery of the holy Cave
But the popular or well-known story about the rediscovery of this sacred cave is narrated by Buta Malik, a herdsman.
The most interesting developments are described as follows:
A saint gave a bag full of coal to Buta Malik. When he opened the bag on arrival at his house, he was surprised that the bag was full of gold coins. With this he swayed happily. He ran to thank the saint. But the saints had disappeared. Instead, they found the sacred cave and ice Shiva Lingam there. He announced this discovery to the villagers. After this it became a holy place of pilgrimage.
Mystical explanation in Hindu Scriptures
Maa Parvati asked Shiva to explain why and when she started wearing head beadsto which Bhole Shankar replied, "Whenever you are born, I add more heads to my bead ". Parvati said, "I die again and again, but you are immortal. Please tell me the reason behind this." "Bhole Shankar replied that for this you have to listen to the immortal story". Shiva agreed to narrate the detailed story to Mother Parvati. He started for a secluded place where no living being could hear the immortal mystery and eventually chose the Amarnath cave. Quietly, he left his Nandi (the bull he used to ride) at Pahalgam. In Chandanwadi, he freed the moon (chanda) from his hair (jatas). He released the snakes on the banks of Sheshnag lake.
He decided to leave his son Ganesha at Mahaguna Parvat. In Panjtarni, Shiva left behind the five elements (earth, water, air, fire and sky), which give birth to life and of which he is the Lord. Leaving all these behind, Bhole Shankar entered the holy Amarnath cave with mother Parvati and took her samadhi. To ensure that no living being is able to hear the immortal story, he created Kalagni and ordered him to spread fire to destroy all living things in and around the holy cave. After this he started telling the secret of immortality to Mother Parvati. But by chance a pair of pigeons climbed to the top of the story and became immortal.
Pair of Pigeons Story
Many pilgrims even today report seeing pairs of pigeons in the holy shrine and wonder how these birds survive in such a cold and high-altitude region.
Road:
Jammu and Srinagar are also connected through roads. Buses and Taxis are available for this part of the journey. These can be hired on daily as well as on full tour basis.
Rail:
Jammu is the nearest Railway Station. Jammu is the winter Capital of Jammu & Kashmir. Railway stations are very well connected and there are lots of express trains to various towns in India.
Air:
Srinagar, the nearest aerodrome, has world famous sights to see, such as Dal Lake, Nagin Lake, Shankaracharya Temple and Mughal gardens like Shalimar, Nishat and Cheshma-shahi. City is well connected by air and road. There are daily flights to Srinagar from Delhi and Jammu. On certain weekdays flights also pick up passengers from Chandi
Helicopter Services :
Heli services are also being provided by private operators on both the routes to Holy Cave at the rates approved by Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board ( SASB). The booking of the tickets can be done online or through authorised agents.garh and Leh.
Route Plan for Amarnath-Yatra 2022
JAMMU – PAHALGAM – HOLY CAVE
Jammu – Pahalga, - Chandanwari – Pissu Top – Sheshnag - Panjtarni – Holy Cave Amarnath Ji
JAMMU - BALTAL - HOLY CAVE
Jammu – Baltal – Domail – Barari - Holy Cave Amarnath Ji
Timings for Yatra:
S. No. | Camp Location | Departure |
From | To |
1 | Domel Access Control Gate (Baltal) | 5.00 A.M. | 11.00 A.M. |
2 | Nunwan (Pahalgam) | 5.30 A.M. | 10.00 A.M. |
3 | Chandanwari Access Control Gate | 6.00 A.M. | 11.00 A.M. |
4 | Sheshnag | 6.00 A.M. | 2.00 P.M. |
5 | Panjtarni | 5.00 A.M. | 3.00 P.M. |
6 | Holy Cave (Darshan) | 6.00 A.M. | 7.00 P.M. |
Avoidable things at Yatra:
Follow the marked guidelines or notices.
Avoid slippers because there are steep rises and falls on the route to the Holy Cave. Only wear trekking shoes with laces.
It could be dangerous to opt for short cuts. 4. Avoid usage of plastic material to maintain the environmental standards.
Accommodation Details Amarnath Yatra 2022
Prefabricated Huts for staying overnight are available at the Camps mentioned below. These Huts are outsourced to private contractors by the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. The availability of these is on a first come first serve basis. The detail of Tariff for one night in these Camps are given as under: -
# | Name of the Camp | Tariff per bed per night |
1 | Baltal | INR 375/- |
2 | Nunwan | INR 300/- |
3 | Sheshnag | INR 375/- |
4 | Panjtarni | INR 375/- |
In addition to these Huts, Tents for staying overnight are also made available en route to Holy Cave by private persons. The number of tents in each Camp along with charges per night are given as under
Baltal
# | Camp Name | Tarrif per night per head on Floor | Tarrif per night per head on Cot |
1 | Manigam | 350 | 480 |
2 | Baltal Camp | 530 | 700 |
3 | Holy Cave | 750 | 1000 |
Pahalgam:
# | Camp Name | Tariff per night per head on Floor | Tariff per night per head on Cot |
1 | Nunwan | 250 | 325 |
2 | Chandanwari | 275 | 375 |
3 | Sheshnag | 400 | 450 |
4 | Panjtarni | 500 | 550 |
Registration Details for Amarnath Yatra 2022:
The individual members of the Group can together apply by registered post to the Chief Executive Officer, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, Chaitanya Ashram, Talab Tillo, Jammu (from 11th April to 30th April 2022) and 2nd Floor, Block-III, Engineering Complex, Raj Bagh, Srinagar- 190008, (from 1 st May to 31st May 2022) to secure registration for the Yatra. 1. The Group Registration will commence from 11th April, 2022 and conclude on 31st May 2022. 2. 31st May, 2022 will be the last day of receipt of Application Forms.Group Registration shall be done on a first-come-first-serve basis, subject to the date-wise and route-wise vacancies (registration quota/ slots) available for a particular day/ particular route, subject to maximum 50 registrations per group per day per route.
Online Registration Link:
The Group Leader (one of the intending pilgrims of the group) will have to send the following documents in respect of each member of the Group by registered post at the address indicated above: a. filled-in prescribed Application Forms; b. original copies of the prescribed Compulsory Health Certificates (CHCs) issued by the Authorised Doctor/ Medical Institutions (the formats of the Application Form and CHC and the list of Doctors/ Institutes authorised to issue the CHC are available at Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board’s website:
www.shriamarnathjishrine.com.
Also, four passport sized photographs of each applicant, one of which is to be signed on the front side of the photograph. d. Yatra Registration Fee @ Rs 220/- per Yatri. e. Mailing Address of the Group Leader, along with mobile number, and e-mail ID.
Rules to follow for the Prevention of High-Altitude Sickness
prepare for the Yatra by achieving Physical Fitness – it is advisable to start a preparatory Morning/ Evening walk, about 4-5 km per day, at least a month prior to the Yatra.
Start deep breathing exercise and Yoga, particularly pranayama for improving oxygen efficiency of the body.
Do check with your physician prior to travelling to higher elevations, if you have any existing pre-existing medical conditions.
Do walk slowly while ascending and take time to acclimatise-relax for a short while on steep inclines.
Do avoid exerting beyond your normal capacity.
Do take compulsory rest at various locations and ensure time logging and take ideal walking time mentioned on the display boards while moving towards the next location.
Do check with your physician prior to taking any medications.
Do drink lots of water to combat dehydration and headaches–about 5 litres of fluid per day.
Do descend immediately to a lower elevation, if you start having altitude illness symptoms.
In case there is any change in the status of your health after having obtained a Compulsory Health Certificate some weeks earlier, do consult your doctor before embarking on the pilgrimage.
In case of any signs of High-Altitude Sickness or any other discomfort, immediately contact the nearest medical facility located every 2 kms.
Rules to avoid for the prevention of high-altitude sickness
Don’t ignore the symptoms of high-altitude illness.
Don’t drink alcohol, caffeinated drinks, or smoke.
Don’t ascend any further if you have altitude sickness. Instead, descend immediately to an elevation where you can acclimatise.