Bairaj Chawalgami
Jammu and Kashmir and to be specific Kashmir has been a land where Shivism flowed and rituals and traditions of Shivate philosophy thrived. So, there are many Shiv temples and natural shrines and caves found in the length and breadth of Jammu and Kashmir and Shree Budda Amarnath temple in Poonch is one of the famous temples which is frequented by a large number of devotees especially on the auspicious days which are dedicated to Lord Shiva.Buddha Amarnath,also known as Swami Budda Amarnath Ji Mandir, is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva ,located in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.It is situated in village Rajpura,near Mandi ,and is known for its scenic and natural beauty and also for natural white stone Shivlinga and annual Raksha Bandhan Mela [Budda Amarnath ji Mela] .The, temple is considered older than the Amarnath cave shrine in Kashmir.The temple is nestled in the Pir Panchal, mountain range, about 25 Kms northeast of Poonch city.It is located on the banks of sacred river Pulsata and pilgrims often bathe in it before entering the temple.The shrine is important for Hindus, with the legend stating that Lord Shiva narrated the secret of immortality =Amar Katha to Goddess Parvati here.It believed that this temple is older than even the Amarnath cave shrine Kashmir and hence the name”Buddha Amarnath.”The main attraction is the natural shivling of white stone inside the temple.A major festival, the Buddha Amarnath mela is held during Raksha Bandhan attracting thousands of devotees.The temple is known for communal harmony it fosters, with members of all communities participating in the arrangements for the yatra.The temple has four doors meaning that the temple is open for the people of all faiths and backgrounds.Poonch is the nearest major city,located 20kms from the temple.Many devotees undertake the yatra on foot, following a route that passes through picturesque landscapes. In essence, ,Buddha Amarnath is a significant pilgrimage site for Hindus, known for its natural beauty ,religious importance, and the communal harmony surrounding the annual yatra.This holy place [Buddha Amarnath] has a great religious and spiritual importance for Hindus.As per Hindu mythology, at this very place,the Lord Shiva had started narrating the Amar Katha to Mata Parvati ji which ended at Swami Amarnath cave located near Pahalgam Kashmir.This temple is considered older than the Sawami Amarnathji of Kashmir.That is why the shrine is known as Swami Buddha Amarnath.As per Hindu mythology, one must visit this sacred place before performing the yatra of Amarnath in Kashmir.A number of legends are famous in and around Poonch city regarding the eruption of this ancient templeAs per one legend,Mahatma Pulsat -the grandfather of king Ravana of Shri Lanka mediated at this place for a pretty long time.He was a devotee of Lord Shiva.There are a number of references in Neel Mat Puran about Pulsat Rishi.As per these references, ,Pulsat was also an artist and sculptor.He carved a number of images of God.One of the references in Neel Mat Puran says,”By seeing the Goddess erected by Pulsat, one is free from all sins and gets highest knowledge and the temple erected by him gives one’s merit of the gift of cows and also releases from the diseases.” Since the Pulsat was a great Rishi ,a sculptor and very popular among the inhabitants of this area ,therefore ,after his death the people converted this small temple into a shrine .Later on ,this shrine was named as Swami Buddha Amarnath.Even now a number of idols of ancient times are available in this area.It is possible that these idols may have been installed by Pulsat Rishi.Swami Buddha Amarnath Yatra is a centuries old yatra. .However,it was regularized during Dogra rule of Raja Moti Singh and Jagat Dev Singh in between 1852 to 1939.Swami Buddha Amarnath temple is situated in between the main belt of Pir Panchal range in Rajpura Mandi which is 23 kms on the North East of Poonch town. The sacred place is located on the confluence of two gushing streams namely Nallah Gagri and Pulsat Nadi .This place is surrounded by snow bound lofty mountains ,thick belt of forests in the eastern side, lush green pastures and crystal, clear streams and nallahs.The climate of this attractive and charming spot is very pleasant and cool. At present Swami Buddha Amarnath temple is connected with a motorable road and it is 244 kms away from JammuThe original temple has been constructed with one big stone. There are four doors in the temple on northern ,southern,eastern and western side which indicates that the doors of this shrine are open for all four varnas.There is a natural Shivling of white stone -chakmak inside the temple. A number of ancient idols collected from nearby villages are also installed in the premises of the temple where there used to be four holy springs near the temple in past.At present, the water of three springs has been diverted to fourth one which is on the southern side of the temple.T he water of these springs is considered as holy from the religious point of view. The pilgrims first take bath in this spring and then enter in the temple for darshan and prayers. The procession of Chari Mubarak starts from Dashnami Akhara Poonch amid chanting of bhajans and religious slogans. A guard of honour from police contingent is also paid to Chari Mubarak at the gate of akhara. The Swami ji is carried in a palki by the devotees, along with sacred mace. Thousands of devotees and hundreds of Sadhus accompanying the procession which leads towards Swami Buddha Amarnath on foot. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Buddha Amarnath temple in Rajpura village in Mandi Tehsil of Poonch district is one of the oldest shrines of Jammu region and has been attracting devotees in large numbers during Buddha Amarnath Yatra every year.May Lord Shiva shower his blessings upon the people of Jammu and Kashmir so that militancy is eliminated forever and people of various faiths live in harmony and brotherhood. We hope so and in near future peace and normalcy will prevail in J&K and people will live like brothers.