One of the toughest tests of endurance, patience, and faith began today as the first batch of pilgrims started their yatra from Baltal to Holy Amarnath. Hailing Lord Shiva, these yatris must complete almost an impossible trek to reach their destination which holds utmost faith in the Sanatan Dharma.
Though, it is often seen that stories and so-called folklore create a narrative around the Hindu faith to satisfy the need to appropriate Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb. One such story was planted years ago stating that a Muslim shepherd named ‘Buta Malik’ re-discovered the holy shrine of Amarnath in the year 1850. This means we must thank him for guiding us through the toughest test of the Hindu faith. But is this claim true?
Story of ‘Buta Malik’
Once again, the Journalism of Courage was at work and printed a story claiming that the holy shrine of Amarnath where Lord Shiva decided to tell Devi Parvati the secret of immortality, thus Amarnath.
As per the article by The Indian Express, in the year 1850, a Muslim shepherd named Buta Malik was high up in the mountains grazing his herd when a Sufi saint gave him a bag full of coal. When he opened the bag upon returning to his home, Malik found out that the bag was full of gold. Feeling overwhelmed when he ran to thank the Sufi saint, he couldn’t find him, but he found the Amarnath cave and the ice shiv lingam.
As pleasing as the story might be for the ‘secular fabric of our nation’, it isn’t true. Jammu & Kashmir has been home to many holy shrines of Sanatan Dharma which hide among the mountains, sustained attacks by Islamic invaders for hundreds of years, and some are still thriving.
For years, Amarnath Yatra has been the target of terrorists who are painted as militants in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. Innocent lives were claimed based on their religious identity, yet the yatra continues under the safety of the Indian army. One of the hardest attacks on faith is often done by pen and paper when one tries to rewrite the holy history with a version that pleases their narrative. Though let’s find out the truth.
If Amarnath Cave Was Rediscovered In 1850, How Do Texts Before That Period Exists?
Amarnath Shrine and its yatra existed even before some of these monothestic religions came into existence. The Nilmata Purana, which was written in the third century CE talks about Amaresha which indicates that followers of Sanatan i.e. Hindus have been visiting the holy shrine for centuries.
As per Nilmata Purana, ‘By Bathing at Amaresha, a man gets the merit of donation of a thousand cows.’ It further says that this particular ‘Amaresha Teertha’ is the mesmerizing Shesh Naga lake situated near the Amarnath cave.
From the 3rd century to the 12th century, the ideals of the Amarnath Yatra seem to be the same. As per Kashmiri Historian Kalhana, he mentions in Rajatarangini (Book I v.267) ‘the lake of dazzling witnesses (resembles) a sea of milk (Sheshnag) which he created on a far off mountain, is to the present day seen by the people on the pilgrimage to Amareshwara.’
In another verse by Kalhana in the second part of Rajatarangini (Book II v.138), he says that King Samdhimat Aryaraja dated 34 BCE-17CE used to spend the most delightful Kashmir summer in worshipping a linga formed of snow in the regions above the forests. Many interpret this as a reference to Amarnath.
Kalhana has many references to Amarnath in his, one more (Book VII v.183) talks about the wife of King Ananta, Queen Suryamati who granted under her husbands’ name agraharas at Amareshwara, and also arranged for the consecration of trishulas, banalingas, and other holy emblems. It also talks about the matts she built in the region.
Another ancient scripture that mentions the divinity of Amarnath shrine was the 15th century, Rajatarangini written by Jonaraja which identifies Amareshavara as its god and overlord, with the context of Kashmir.
The Issue Of ‘Rediscovering’
Something that once was lost, might be rediscovered, but how can someone rediscover that wasn’t lost to start with? We talked about ancient texts which witness the truth of the existence of Amarnath and the yatra by pilgrims from the 3rd century to the 15 century. But the claim suggests that the Amarnath cave was rediscovered in the year 1850.
During Aurangzeb’s rule in India that is Bharat, a French traveler named Francis Bernier visited Kashmir in the year 1663. His book Travels in Mogul Empire talks about a ‘great festival held in August attended by pilgrims.’
The book mentions, ‘A great festival is held here in August attended by pilgrims from all parts of the adjacent country. The grotto, full of wonderful congelations is probably the Amarnath cave where blocks of ice, stalagmites, formed by the dripped water from the roof, are worshipped, by the many Hindoos who resort here, as images of Shiva. Glaciers surround this place, which is considerable to the south-east of Gungabal.
Jumping to the year 1842, just a few years before the alleged rediscovering of Amarnath, a British traveler named GT Vigne wrote about the Amarnath Yatra.
In his book Travels in Kashmir, Ladak, Iskardo, GT Vigne says, ‘The ceremony at the cave of Umur Nath (Amarnath) takes place on the 15th of Hindu month Sawun (28th of July). Previously to that day not on the hindus of Kashmir, but those from Hindustan, of every rank and caste, may be seen collecting together, and traveling up the valley of the Lidur towards this celebrated cave.’
For centuries, the holy Amarnath cave, the faith of hindus, and the endurance of the yatra have been the same. None of these scriptures even after the year 1850 doesn’t mention anything about a Muslim shepherd named ‘Buta Malik’, nor does any description in the 19th century mention something.
A description of a rank given as ‘Malik’ is given in scripture who helps out the pilgrims, but nothing about a shepherd who ‘rediscovered’ the holy shrine.
The story isn’t even intact as the claims vary in rediscovering from century to century, the name sometimes suggests ‘Buta’, ‘Akram’, or ‘Adam’, and the claim wasn’t even made till the 20th century.
While there is written evidence of the Amarnath Yatra existing from the 3rd Century till today.
Where faith takes over, an impossible path becomes possible. And Amarnath yatra is proof of it. No matter how much such stories try to mislead the story, faith always unveils itself.
Jay Baba Barfani!
