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The famous Amarnath cave, high in the Himalaya
mountains, about seventy miles from Pahalgam (in Kashmir, India),
is the destination of thousands of pilgrims on the full moon day
(Purnima) in the month of Shravana (July-August). The cave is located
about 13,000 feet above sea level and is considered very sacred
by the devotees of Lord Shiva. The cave is about 150 feet wide at
the entrance, 90 feet high, and can accommodate about six hundred
standing people. There are two holes in the northern wall of the
cave from which water trickles down to form an ice lingam (pillar),
the symbol of Lord Amarnath (Shiva). Although the formation of lingam
is naturally symmetrical, it appears as if it is hand carved. The
size of lingam naturally changes with the waxing and waning of the
moon. The lingam reaches about eight feet in height in July, diminishes
to four feet in August, and drops to about one feet in September.
The Amarnath cave is a sacred place where Lord Shiva taught His
wife Parvati the secrets of the universe. Here in this cave, Lord
Shiva bestows his vision to those who are pure at heart. Swami Vivekananda
had the vision of Lord Shiva in this cave and was blessed the boon
of death-at-will (iccha-mrityu).
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