Jai Bhole..Shri Amarnath Ji Darshan
31.07. 2025
The bhandara management started vacating the inmates as early as 5 am. We were yet to know the weather condition outside. It appeared to be pretty cold. Many people have already started towards the holy cave. I saw Sanghamitra is getting ready. I too started packing the bag and got ready. People who slept nearby my side had already left.
We came outside of the tent. Sanghamitra then told me that she took the medical help last evening, as her blood oxygen levels were low. She had a bad headache and gastric problems.
Although I was not very confident that we could reach up to the holy cave, my actual plan was to stay at Panchatarmi and have Darshan the next day.
Fortunately, Sanghamitra’s health was better that morning, as she wanted to have darshan. We tried to hire horses but only found one horseman, and already he has committed to some other yatris. At last we found a horseman who agreed to drop us in Holy Cave for Rs 2500 per person.
The route was slushy, and it was pretty cold too. We started at 6.30 am, and we found several yatris already far ahead. Slowly, our horses got the momentum. The routes marked for horses and pedestrians were different. Almost 80 percent of the yatris were already started towards the Holy Cave.
Slowly, sun rays mirrored the peaks with golden yellow. The sunlight gave us hope, and I was so happy that it gave me inner strength to motivate myself towards the goal of the trip.
There was a gradual slope so that the horses moved in a pretty balanced manner.
Far ahead, we could find the meadow. There were two small bhandaras in between.
The scenic beauty of the Himalayas is amazing. It is a pleasant feeling for anyone who loves nature. The bareheaded peaks reflect the golden sun rays of the morning. No words can compare to this experience. I found the best mornings I ever had on this journey.
We reached Panchtarni base camp around 7.30 am.
We had to undergo the routine security check and walk almost a kilometre before catching the horseman at the exit of Panchtarni. We found a new horseman in place of the earlier one. It seems the stretch of the next 6 km to the holy cave will be taken up by the new fellow. We left Panchtarni with new enthusiasm. The next point is Sangam, which is just 2 km before the holy cave. The route from Pahalgam meets here. On the final lap, we can have the first glimpse of Holy Cave from a distance.
The last lap towards the cave was descending. Finally, by 9.30 we reached the point where the horses leave us. Wasim, a young boy, left us here with horses after collecting his augment and the tip.
We left our bags at the cloak room, then took some light food.
We found the cave is a little far. Meantime, Sanghamitra located a medical aid centre. It was run by army. She checked oxygen levels, and it was found to be 86. She also took some medicine for digestion and gas. Then we walked towards the Holy Cave. We found that the steep steps towards the shrine test the real endurance. After reaching a certain point, we found four men offering to help take us to near by the shrine, bypassing the steep steps. In return they charged Rs 500. Both of us used their services to reach the point where we need to walk a few steps. The crowd ahead was lean. We moved ahead with the totally immersed devotion and highest level of excitement.
We could spend two to three minutes near the platform. The Shivling had already disappeared. We offered our prayers, collected Prasad and moved down. We could sight a white pegion, which frequently flew across the cave.
We reached the place where we kept the mobile phones. After taking the pictures and videos, we came out around 11.45 am.