Amarnath Cave Temple is one of the important Shiva temples of India. The pilgrimage starts normally inJuly and concludes in August. Lakhs of pilgrims undertake Amarnath Yatra during Shravani Mela which is held in the month of Shravan between July and August.
It is believed that ice stalagmite at Amarnath cave has been an object of worship since antiquity. There are references to the legendary king Aryaraja who used to worship a lingam formed of ice in Kashmir, circa 300 BC. It is believed that Queen Suryamathi in the 11th century AD gifted Trishul, bananas and other sacred emblems to this shrine. Furthermore, there are further references to this pilgrimage in many other ancient texts.
Many sources claim that Amarnath Mandir and Amarnath Yatra was forgotten for ages and rediscovered. However, there are different claims regarding that.
Although the existence of the Holy Cave has been mentioned in the Puranas, it is believed that the importance of this revered shrine lost its place in the memories of people in the Middle Ages and was completely forgotten.
According to Bhrigu Purana, Amarnath Gufa was first discovered by Maharishi Bhrigu. The Kashmir valley is said to have been submerged underwater for a long time. Kashyap Muni drained the water by channeling it through rivers and rivulets. Maharishi Bhrigu was on his way to the Himalayas when he spotted Amarnath Cave. He was the first person to have darshan of the sacred lingam, Lord Amarnath. Since then, people visit Amarnath Cave to worship Lord Shiva and seek his blessings.
Another version which talks about Amarnath Cave being discovered by a Gujjar shepherd named Buta Malik. According to folklore, Buta Malik rediscovered Amarnath Cave in the 15th century. The legend says that Buta Malik was given a bag of coal by a sage. Upon reaching home, the shepherd opened the bag and to his surprise, it was a bag full of gold coins! Overjoyed, he ran back to meet the sage to thank him. To his utter amazement, the sage had disappeared and instead, he found the holy cave and the ice Shiv Lingam instead. He announced this discovery to the villagers and thus the sacred pilgrimage of Amarnath began once again.
However, many people do not accept this version of the rediscovery as the Bhrigu Purana was written thousands of years back.
These legends of Amarnath Gufa Temple make it a significant structure in Hinduism and one of the most revered shrines of Lord Shiva.