Amarnath

Amarnath, located in union territory of Jammu and Kashmir is one of the most important pilgrimage in India for the worshippers of Lord Shiva. The Amarnath cave  has an enshrined Shivaling formed naturally with ice, which resembles Lord Shiva. Amarnath is visited by millions of tourists every year from all across the world for a challenging mountainous trek called ' Amarnath Yatra '. Legend has it that, this place is regarded to be the same cave where Lord Shiva revealed the secret of life and eternity to Goddess Parvati. Amarnath Cave is accessible only during the Sharavan months of July-August. There are two routes available for undertaking the Amarnath Yatra - via Baltal or Pahalgam . The Baltal route, though shorter, has a steeper trekking route. The Pahalgam route is longer but is generally preferred by most of the devotees. It usually takes 3-5 days to reach Amarnath from the base point. Helicopter services are now available by private operators on both these routes. The devotees need to make advance bookings and get registered to undertake the holy pilgrimage to Amarnath. Read more about the Amarnath Yatra dates and registration here .