Omkar Dattatray
Shiv Khori has an important place in the pilgrim tourist map of Jammu and Kashmir and this pilgrim spot is famous in the whole of north India .The people of not only Jammu and Kashmir visit this place but the pilgrim tourists of north India also visit this place ,pay obeisance to Lord Shiva and get His blessings. Shiv Khori ,is a famous cave shrine of Hindus devoted to lord Shiva ,situated in the Sangar village ,Pouni ,near Reasi town in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir .Shiv Khori is situated in between the hillocks about 140 Km north of Jammu ,120 Km from Udhampur and 80 Km from Katra and light vehicles go up to Ransoo ,the base camp of the pilgrimage .Devotees have to traverse about 3Kms on foot on a track recently constructed by the Shiv Khori Shrine Board ,Ransoo duly headed by the Divisional Commissioner Jammu as Chairman and DC ,Reasi as vice -chairman.Khori mean cave (Guffa) and shiv Khori thus denotes Shiva,s cave.This natural cave is about 200 metres long ,one metre wide and two to three metres high and has a self made lingam ,which according to people is unending .The first entrance of the cave is so wide that 300 devotees can be accommodated at a time .Its cavern is spacious to accommodate large number of people .The inner chamber of the cave is smaller .The passage from outer to inner chamber is low and small ,at one spot it divides itself into two parts .One of these is believed to have led to Kashmir where Swami Amarnath cave is located .It is now closed as some sadhus who dared to go ahead never returned .To reach the sanctum sanctorum ,one has to stoop low ,crawl or adjust his body sideward .Inside a naturally created image of Lord Shiva ,about 4 metres high is visible .The cave abounds with a number of other natural objects having resemblance with Goddesses Parvati ,Ganesha and Nandigan .The cave roof is etched with snake formations ,water trickles through these on Shiva Lingam .Pigeons are also seen here like Swami Amarnath cave which presents good omen for pilgrimages .About 40 to 50 years ago ,only few people knew about the Shiv Khori shrine but it has gained much popularity during recent decades .In earlier times the number of yatries was just in thousands but after the constitution of Shiv Khori Shrine Board during December 2023 ,the number of devotees has superseded previous records as number of devotees in year 2005 crossed 3,00000 .In the year 2016 ,it reached to 20,00000.Some 30% of the devotees reach the shrine from within the J&K and 70% from different states of the country .There is rush of pilgrims on Shivratri festival every year .But the devotees throng this shrine on the Purnimashis and on Mondays throughout the year .
A 3-day Shiv Khori mela takes place annually on Maha Shivratri and thousands of pilgrims from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir and outside visit this cave shrine to pay obeisance and seek blessings from Lord Shiva .Keeping in view the increasing rush of pilgrims to the holy cave during Shiv Ratri mela ,the Shiv Khori Shrine Board has taken a number of steps to develop the spot in a bid to provide more and more facilities to the devotees ,like the construction of Shrine Guest House at a cost of Rs 1.9 million at village Ransoo the base camp of yatra ,Reception Centre and Pony shed at an estimated cost of Rs 8 million ,tile work of entire 3Km long track has been completed. Besides plantation of ornamental and medicinal plants on the track is also complete as well as the development park .Other arrangements like electrification of the cave with modern techniques ,provision of oxygen and electric generators ,exhaust fans ,construction of shelter sheds for yatris with toilet facilities near the cave site ,15 shelter sheds en route Ransoo to the cave shrine .
SKSB has made various facilities for the convenience of the yatries and with these facilities ,the number of devotees visiting the cave shrine has increased manifold.To meet the ever growing rush of devotees in having smooth glimpses of Lord Shiva,an exit tunnel has been constructed by Shri Shivkhori Shrine Board in the month of February 2016.During the covid -19 period several restrictions were imposed on Yatra and the daily timings were also changed and the yatries were instructed to observe standard operating procedures .Some decades past the yatra was limited as the yatries in thousands proceeded on this yatra but with the establishment of Shiv Khori Board ,many facilities were made available to the yatries and this led to the phenomenal increase and rush of the devotees and thus this pilgrimage is frequently visited by a very large number of devotees .The rush of the devotees adds to the local economy of the area as it has very favorable impact on the incomes of the local people and thus these people are in favor of increasing the footfall of the devotees .Those people who far any reason cannot undertake the ardous Amarnath ji yatra ,undertake the pilgrimage of Cave shrine of Shiv Khori and seek the blessings of Lord Shiva .SKSB deserves to be complemented for making this cave shrine pilgrimage easy as it has added many facilities at Ransoo and en route Yatra .This yatra has now become hassle free thanks to the sincere efforts of the shrine Board .The management of this important shrine has since been entrusted to the SKSB and with their efforts the Shiv Khori yatra has become easy and it has become possible for the children and senior citizens to undertake this yatra and seek the blessings of Lord Shiva who is believed to reside in the cave .It is believed that demon Bhashmasura has been successful in extracting a blessing from Lord Shiva that he be given power to end the life of anyone by keeping his hand on the person’s head .It is said that Lord Shiva made this cave from his trishul-trident in order to avoid demon Bhasmasura when he was chasing Shiva .As per oral tradition popular among local population ,the Shiv Khori cave is believed to had been discovered by a Muslim shepherd who in search of his missing goat by chance went inside the cave .However he was startled to see a number of saints inside the cave .In brief the spiritual sojourn of the Shiv Khori should be undertaken by all the devotees as its pilgrimage is believed to be equal in importance and spirituality to the pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath cave of south Kashmir Himalayas .Let Lord Shiva who is called Ashotosh be pleased with all those who undertake the Yatra of cave shrine of Shiv Khori.
(The author is a columnist, social and KP activist).