Amarnath Cave Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Srinagar International Airport is the nearest. The cave is about 141 km from Srinagar.

• By train

  Srinagar station serves the Baltal route and Anantnag station serves the Pahalgam route. Both are on the Jammu to Baramulla line.

• By road

  The trek starts from Nunwan near Pahalgam in Anantnag district, or from Baltal in Ganderbal district. Pilgrims go on foot, or hire a pony, pithoo or palki.

On the way

• The traditional route starts at Nunwan near Pahalgam and is about 48 km long, usually taking about five days.
• The Baltal route is about 14 km. It is shorter but steeper, and the track takes one to two days there and back.
• The Pahalgam side is described as longer but easier and busier, and it is considered the safer choice for first-timers.

Elderly visitors

• Pilgrims above 70 and children below 13 were not permitted in 2026, so check the age rule before you plan for a parent.
• Ponies, pithoos and palkis can be hired, with e-services and a prepaid system for booking them.
• A helicopter service has run up to Panjtarni on the way to the cave; check the Shrine Board for the current year.
• Yatri Niwas lodging was planned at Baltal, Pantha Chowk in Srinagar, Nunwan and Chanderkote.

Rules to know

• Every pilgrim must register in advance and carry the Yatra Permit; without it you will not be allowed to proceed.
• The 2026 yatra allowed only pilgrims aged between 13 and 70 years.
• A medical fitness certificate from an authorised doctor was among the required documents, along with a photo ID.
• Registered pilgrims receive an RFID device so that they can be traced on the route.

Why devotees come here

Amarnath is a cave shrine of Shiva at about 3,888 metres in the Himalaya, in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. Inside it, dripping water freezes into an ice lingam that devotees worship as self-manifested. The cave is open to pilgrims only during the yearly Amarnath Yatra, which runs for a few weeks in July and August.

The Amarnath cave sits high in the Sind Valley. The cave is about 40 metres tall. Inside it, water drips from the roof and freezes into a tall column of ice. Devotees worship it as a self-manifested Shiva lingam. Two smaller ice forms beside it are said to stand for Parvati and Ganesha. The lingam is said to grow from May to August.

Hindus believe this is the place where Shiva explained the secret of life and eternity to Parvati. Another tradition says that Sage Bhrigu was the first to have darshan of Shiva here, after Sage Kashyapa drained the Kashmir valley.

The pilgrimage is old. The Nilamata Purana speaks of the cave. Kalhana's Rajatarangini, written in the 12th century, calls the shrine Amareshvara and the pilgrimage the Amareshvara Yatra. Abu'l Fazl wrote of it in the Ain-i-Akbari in the 16th century. Today the shrine is run through the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, and the yatra opens with the Pratham Puja.

Festivals

• Jyeshtha Purnima, JunePratham Puja

  The first prayer that opens the yatra; in 2026 it was on 29 June.

• Raksha Bandhan, AugustChhadi Mubarak and close of the yatra

  The sacred Chhadi Mubarak reaches the cave as the yatra ends; in 2026 this was on 28 August.

Tips for your visit

• Start the paperwork early; registration opened on 15 April in 2026, months before the yatra.
• Pick the Pahalgam route if you want a gentler climb, and the Baltal route if you have only a day or two.
• Mountain weather changes fast, so follow the Board's advisories.
• The routes have grid power and lighting, including from Baltal to the cave and on to Panjtarni.

Questions people ask