Amarnath Temple

Amarnath Cave Temple in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir is one of the holiest shrines in Hinduism, situated at an altitude of 3,888 metres in the Himalayan mountains. The cave houses a naturally occurring Shiva lingam formed each year from ice, which waxes and wanes with the lunar cycle, reaching its full size around the Shravan Purnima full moon in July or August. According to Hindu tradition, this is where Shiva revealed the secret of immortality (Amar Katha) to Goddess Parvati. The annual Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage, conducted over a period of roughly 45 days during summer, draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who trek through difficult high-altitude terrain via two routes: the longer traditional Pahalgam route and the shorter but steeper Baltal route. The pilgrimage is closely managed by the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board and requires advance registration. The combination of extreme natural beauty, high altitude, and religious significance makes the Amarnath Yatra one of the most physically demanding and spiritually intense pilgrimages in India.