Amarnath Yatra is dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the Trinity gods. Every year about 500,000 Indian tourists cross the tough path to reach Amarnath to see the revered ice lingam at Amarnath cave. Perched at a height of about 4207m above sea level, the path is totally inaccessible in the winters. The Amarnath yatra holds great significance for the devotees, especially of Lord Shiva. The cave at Amarnath is reached by a three day, 36km trek from the town of Chandanwari, 16km north of Pahalgam.



Day –1: First day trek of 13 km starts from Chandanwari, passes through splendid countryside. The trek pass the famous mountain lake known as Sheshnag that derive its name from seven peaks matching the heads of a mythical snake. The area is sparsely populated and the unspoilt beauty is spectacular. Night haul at Wawjan that commands deep blue water of Sheshnag lake and glaciers beyond it. The night is specially exciting where you are surrounded by stark silence of pine scented environment with chilling cold waves.

Day –2: The second day trek is an arduous task as 12 km ascending to Mahagunas Pass at 4600m is rigorous. Rest for a while and again descending to the meadow, which is also known as lands of Panchtarni. The rest of the day at camps.

Day-3: Last day of trek is short (6km) but tedious as long queue awaiting entrance to the cave eat much of time and energy. It is recommended to start early. The Amarnath cave is located at a height of 4000m high and most of the time in the year it is covered with snow. The cave is a holy place for Hindu pilgrims because of its ice lingam, the phallic symbol of Lord Shiva. It is believed that height of lingam increases and decreases with the phases of moon. In the month of August it is believed to reach its highest peak and this time thousands of pilgrims from different corner of the country go on a pilgrimage up to the cave.

There is an interesting story about this cave. According to legend when Lord Shiva was explaining the secret of creation to his wife Parvati, two mating doves eavesdropped the secret and live the in the cave for eternity. The pilgrims somehow has to believe the legend because in spite of vegetation people see flocks of doves near the cave. The pilgrimage to Amarnath is no more easy task. As it is quite difficult to acclimatize on such height and cold. Sometimes bad weather often add the possibility of fatalities.