Around 141km from the Jammu and Kashmir state capital- Srinagar- the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, is the sacred Amarnath. It is considered to be one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites in India. The Amarnath Temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas. The temples throughout South Asia commemorate the location of fallen body parts of the Hindu deity Sati. There is snow all around the Amarnath cave. In summer from July to August, the Amarnath cave is open for the devotees.
According to the mythology, it is the cave where Lord Shiva revealed the secret of life, immortality, and the secret of his creation of the Universe to Goddess Parvati. A pair of a dove was hearing the conversation between Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and thus became Amar. The devotees thus embark on the holy Amarnath Yatra during Shravan month to seek blessings of Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, and Lord Ganesha to receive the boon of immortality.
2 routes lead to Amarnath one is the Srinagar route which is short and is a trekking route. It goes through Baltal, Domial, Barari, and Sangam. One can easily cover the distance in around 1-2 days. Ponies are not allowed on this route. One has to walk and cover the distance. The trek on this route is not as safe as it is a steep trek. Due to safety reasons, some devotees do not prefer this Srinagar route, and the other is the Pahalgam route which is long but is most preferred by the devotees and is one of the famous routes that takes around 3-5 days to reach. The Amarnath yatra from Pahalgam is wider than the other routes. The entire route is crowded with ponies. This route is the safest route to reach Amarnath cave.
The magical thing about the sacred Amarnath cave is the ice stalagmite of Shiva Linga form that grows in size during every season of Shravan and then gradually diminishes after that. The Shiva linga is accompanied by two other ice lingams which are referred to as goddess Parvati and Lord Ganesha.
The easiest way to reach Amarnath cave is via helicopter. The starting point is the Baltal and Pahalgam helipad. One can avail of the helicopter service from these very points and reach Panjtarni. From Panjtarni the devotees need to trek for about 6kms or one can go for Palkis to cover this distance. It is highly recommended that kids below 13 years old, elders above 75, and more than six weeks pregnant women should not undertake the Amarnath Yatra.
Best time for Amarnath Yatra
The yatra starts around the end of June or starting of July and usually ends in August. In summer from July to September when the temperature ranges between 10 to 28°C, the Amarnath cave is opened for the devotees. This is the only time when the sacred yatra is possible.
The winter months that is from October till April when the temperature drops down to -7°C witness heavy snowfall that blocks the routes that lead to Amarnath Shrine. Thus it becomes impossible to go on Amarnath Yatra.
Amarnath Yatra by Helicopter
The easiest way to reach Amarnath cave is via Helicopter. You can opt for helicopter services from the Baltal helipad or Pahalgam helipad and reach Panjtarni. From Panjtarni the sacred Amarnath cave is only 6kms One can go for Palkis to cover this distance. One needs to carry their CHC- Compulsory Health Certificate when going via helicopter for Amarnath Yatra.
On reaching this marvelous cave one gets spellbound by the view of the cave. You will be spending the day seeking blessings at the cave, followed by reaching back to the stay. Travel Ride Provides Amarnath Yatra Helicopter Package for the devotees.
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How to Reach
One can reach Amarnath temple in three possible ways- air, road, and train, but there is no direct way to reach Amarnath temple. One needs to reach either Pahalgam or Baltal and from there only one can opt option for either trekking or helicopter services according to one comfort.
Road
Amarnath is not well connected by roads. The last buses and taxis that have access from Srinagar and Jammu, Pahalgam, and Baltal. On reaching Pahalgam and Baltal one needs to trek or even can opt for helicopter services. The trekking trail from Baltal is quite difficult, but the trek from Pahalgam is easy and considered safe to reach Amarnath.
Rail
Amarnath does not have a railway station. One needs to reach Jammu railway station as it is the nearest station that is only 178km from Amarnath. On reaching Jammu one can hire taxis or buses to reach Pahalgam or Baltal. After reaching one can trek as from Pahalgam it is a good 45km trek and from Baltal one needs to trek a good 15km to reach Amarnath cave. One can even go for Helicopter services.
Air
The nearest airport is the Srinagar airport with daily flights from Jammu and Delhi. There are some connecting flights from Chandigarh and Leh. After reaching Srinagar airport one can hire private taxis or board buses to reach Pahalgam or Baltal. Pahalgam is at a distance of about 70km from Srinagar. The sacred journey of Amarnath cave starts from Pahalgam from where pilgrims can trek a 45km trail up to the cave with night halts at Chandanwari, Sheshnag, and Panchtarni as it takes around 4 days. The journey from Panchtarni is only 6km to Amarnath. One can even avail of helicopter service from Baltal near Pahalgam to reach the sacred Amarnath.
