FACTS & FIGURES

Altitude: 4,175 m
Languages: Hindi, Urdu, & English
Best time to visit: July–August

LOCATION
The holy shrine of Amarnath is situated 145 km off Srinagar in the North Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir at an altitude of 4,175 m above sea level.

CLIMATE
As the cave of Amarnath is in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, the temperature remains cool throughout the year. From September to June, the glacial valley is covered by snow. The difficult weather condition makes it accessible only during the monsoon, i.e., from July to August.

LEGEND & HISTORY
Legend has it that Shiva made the gods immortal by providing them with the celestial nectar, and resided here upon their request. This boon of immortality lent the name Amarnath. Not much of the history can be traced for this ancient shrine except a mention in the first historical treatise on India, Rajtarangini by Kalhana.

SITES TO VISIT
Legend has it that in every lunar month, the icy Shivalinga in the cave of Amarnath begins to take its shape on the first day of the bright half of the month. The linga reaches its full size on the full moon day (Poornima). After getting its fullest shape, it begins to wane and disappear on the new moon day. This process repeats itself each month. Since it is believed that Shiva manifested himself first on the full moon day in the month of Shravan (July/August), the only time of the year when a journey is possible to this mountainous area, it is considered special to go on a pilgrimage to Amarnath during this time.

The Amarnath cave is about 45 m (150 feet) high, 27 m (90 feet) long and faces south. Inside the cave, there are four to five ice formations resembling figures of various gods. According to the tradition, the largest one is accepted as Amarnath, one on the left side of the linga is an ice formation accepted as Ganesha, and on the right are formations of Parvati and Bhairava.

Inside the Amarnath cave is another small cave to the left of the image, from which a chalk-like substance is given out to pilgrims as Vibhuti.

TREKKING
The 145-km trek from Srinagar to Amarnath cave is full of adventures, beautiful landscapes, and pilgrimage sites. The trek begins on the fifth day (Panchami) of the bright half of the lunar calendar from Dashnami Akhada in Srinagar. The first important pilgrimage site en route to Amarnath is Martand, known for its ancient temple dedicated to the Sun God. According to historians, this temple dates back to the times of King Lalitaditya who ruled Kashmir in the 8th century.

The next stopover at Aishmuqam has the famous shrines of Bab-zain-ud-din Wali.

Pahalgam, the next important stopover is the confluence of the rivers Sheshnag and Liddar. The city has many shrines of Muslim saints.

There are famous temples at Anantnag, Deviangan, Bijbehara, Akingam, Lukbhavan, and Nagdandi Ashram. The shrine of Baba Hyder Rishi is located at Anantnag.

Chandanwadi, the next stop after Pahalgam, is at the confluence of the rivers Asthan Marg and Sheshnag. Further up is the Pishu Ghati, believed to be the site where the Gods crushed the demons. Further up is the Sheshnag Lake at a height of about 12,000 feet above sea level. The Sheshnag River flows out of this lake. The next halt is at Wavjan before the steep climb to the Mahagunus Pass at a height of 14,000 feet. This marks the last climb in the trek to Amarnath, after which there is a downy slope leading to Panchatarni. From here, the Amarnath cave is reached on the full moon day.

FAIRS AND FESTIVALS
Amarnath is mostly crowded during the Shravan festival (July/August) when a procession starts form Srinagar to Amarnath led by Chari Saheb, the holy scepter. The festival is held to celebrate the formation of ice Shivalinga on the full moon day.

WHERE TO STAY
There is no place to stay in Amarnath. The nearest city is Pahalgam, around 45 km away, where one can find some decent accommodation. Tented accommodation is provided during the Amarnath Yatra by the state government.

HOW TO REACH
There is no direct air or rail link to Amarnath. The nearest airport is at Srinagar (145 km), from where one can take flights to Delhi and other important Indian cities. Reaching Amarnath is very difficult due to bad weather conditions and steep climb up in the Himalayas. From Pahalgam, the nearest road head, it is a five-day trek to Amarnath.