What You Should Know About The Amarnath Yatra - The Ultimate Pilgrimage

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Amarnath is the location for an annual pilgrimage for thousands of Hindu devotees. Every year, pilgrims brave the treacherous terrain and inclement weather to visit the Amarnath cave and pray to Lord Shiva. Many Hindus consider this as a must visit place because it is one of the most important dhams in Hinduism.

Amarnath Cave

As per Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva revealed the secrets of the creation of the universe to his wife Parvati in a cave in Amarnath. Amarnath cave is situated at an altitude of 14000 feet above sea level and you can reach it from Pahalgam or Srinagar. The trek to the cave is not an easy one. However, that does not deter the pilgrims from enduring the hardships and paying respects to the Shiva Lingam, the symbol that represents Lord Shiva.

It is said that the lingam was naturally formed from ice. The pilgrims sing bhajans and offer puja as the priests continue to chant mantras. The spiritual experience here is one that can overwhelm the yatris. The cave is located amidst snowy mountains and through most part of the year, it is covered with snow. The snow recedes during the time when the ...
... yatra takes place and pilgrims throng the Himalayan terrain.

Amarnath Yatra

The Amarnath Yatra is jointly organized by the government of Jammu & Kashmir and the Amarnath Yatra Trust. It occurs during Shravani Mela in the month of July/August, when devotees from various parts of India and across the world descend on the caves in the Himalayas to offer their prayers to one of the most powerful Hindu deities.

This holy journey fills their hearts with joy and divinity and gives them a sense of attaining liberation or Moksha. The journey is about 45 km long, starts at Pahalgam, and continues for three or four days. There is one shorter route via Baltal. However, this route is more challenging, even though the distance is short. As the journey is through the cold snowy mountains, it is advisable to wear warm clothes.

Amarnath Packages

Private and government tour operators get busy during the yatra period and conduct packages to suit different budgets. You have 5, 7, 8, or 9-day packages, depending on the time at your disposal and your budget. Two packages are always available - a trekking package and a helicopter package. The trekking package has a longer duration, but enables you to experience the fabulous views of mountains and valleys on the way. The helicopter ride is more expensive, but enables you to spend more time at the Amarnath cave. Amarnath travels include some packages covering both Amarnath and Vaishno Devi temples.