Kashmir

The etymology of Kashmir is traced to Rishi Kashyap, a manasa putra of Lord Brahma the creator of the universe. It was Rishi Kashyap who first drained the valley, till then a huge lake, called the Satisaras, after Sati, the consort of Lord Shiva. It was carried out by opening a gap in the hills at a place called Varahmula. There are many important worship places in Kashmir for Hindus. The holy cave of Amarnath and Maa Vaishno Devi temple are the two most famous places among these. The Shiva Lingam at the shrine of Amarnath is a Swayambhu lingam, a natural stalagmite formation located at Amarnath Mountain. Amarnath yatra is a spiritual yatra of India and every year lacs of pilgrims come here for darshan The Vaishno Devi Temple is an important Hindu temple dedicated to Vaishno Devi located in Katra at the Trikuta Mountains. The temple is one of the 108 Shakti Peethas dedicated to Durga, who is worshipped as Vaishno Devi. Vaishno Devi, also known as Mata Rani, Trikuta, Ambe, and Vaishnavi is a manifestation of the Hindu Mother Goddess, Durga or Adi Shakti. It is one of the most visited pilgrimage centers in India. Every year millions of visitors visit the temple. The Kheer Bhawani Temple, Shankaracharya Temple, Raghunath Temple, Sharika Devi Temple, Lord Surya, and Martand Temple are some of the famous temples in Kashmir.