North India · Jammu & Kashmir
Amarnath, Jammu & Kashmir
Before you go
A strictly seasonal, permit-only yatra (roughly July-August, Shravan); mandatory health certificate and registration.
About Amarnath
- Mountains
Where it is
Amarnath is a cave shrine at about 3,900 m in the Kashmir Himalaya of Jammu and Kashmir, reached on foot from Pahalgam via Chandanwari and Sheshnag lake, or by a shorter, steeper path from Baltal near Sonamarg.
History
In the cave, water dripping from the roof freezes into a stalagmite worshipped as an ice lingam of Shiva, which waxes and wanes with the seasons. The shrine is mentioned in old Kashmiri texts, and the yatra, held around the month of Shravan, is now organised with the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board and closes when the Chhari Mubarak, Shiva's holy mace, is carried to the cave.
People
The yatra depends on local Kashmiri villagers, who work as pony-handlers, porters and tent-keepers along the route. Kashmiri and Hindi are heard on the trail, and langars run by volunteer groups feed pilgrims on the way.
Known for
- The ice lingam in the cave
- The Pahalgam route via Sheshnag and Panchtarni
- The shorter Baltal route
- The Chhari Mubarak procession
Did you know?
Tradition holds that in this cave Shiva revealed the secret of immortality, the Amar Katha, to Parvati, and pilgrims look for the pair of doves said to have overheard it.
Shrines and sites
- Amarnath Cave
- Pahalgam route via Chandanwari and Sheshnag
- Baltal route
Traditions
- Hindu
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