how did pasmanda muslim buta malik find amarnath cave and what happens later on

The common legend says Buta Malik, a Gujjar shepherd, was grazing his animals near the mountains when a sadhu gave him a bag of coal; when he got home, it had turned into gold, so he rushed back to thank the sadhu and instead found the Amarnath cave at that spot. After that, the story says the cave’s secret spread locally, and Buta Malik and his descendants were entrusted with helping look after the shrine’s route and access.

Story version

In the popular folklore, the “find” happens in a very simple way: a shepherd meets a saint, receives coal, sees it transform into gold, and returns to the same place out of wonder and gratitude. That return trip is what leads him to the cave itself.

What happens later

The later part of the story is about recognition and caretaking, not a dramatic punishment or reward scene. One version says the news reached rulers in the region, after which responsibility for the shrine’s upkeep was linked to Buta Malik’s family line. Another version frames the tale mainly as local folklore tied to the Amarnath yatra tradition, rather than a fully documented historical record.

Why the story matters

This story is often shared because it is seen as a symbol of Hindu-Muslim local coexistence in Kashmir. At the same time, some writers and commentators note that the historical documentation is thin, so it is safer to treat it as a widely repeated legend rather than a fully verified biography.

In one line

Buta Malik is said to have discovered the cave after following a miraculous clue from a sadhu, and the “later” part of the tale is that his family became associated with protecting or maintaining the shrine’s legacy.

Point| What the sources say
---|---
How he found it| Coal-to-gold miracle leads him back to the same spot, where he finds the cave 86.
What happens later| The story says the news spread and his family was linked to shrine care 83.
Historical certainty| Presented as folklore/legend, not firmly documented history 47.