Amarnath is situated in the snowy
peaks of Himalayas and is quite famed as the holy cave of the god of
destruction, Shiva, who resides there with his wife, Parvati and his son,
Ganesha. There are various legends and mythological beliefs associated with
this place. Thousands of tourists from all over the world come here to bow
their head in front of the lord Shiva who in return fulfill their wishes. The
main attraction in the cave is the ice lingam, a symbol of creation. This Place
is located at a distance of 46 km from Pahalgam and 117 km from Srinagar. The
cave can be visited only during the mid months of June till mid months of
August.
Way towards The Holy Place: In order to reach this cave you will have to atleast trek for around 2-3 days as no other means of transport is available, it is known as Amarnath Yatra. There are only two routes to reach this holy place. 1st Route- The first route starts from Pahalgam which covers a distance of 47km. There are very few cities where you can stay while on the route and they are- Pahalgam, Seshnag, Panchtarni and near the holy cave. 2nd Route- The second route begins from Baltal and the total distance to the Amarnath Cave is around 15 km and as the distance is much shorter than the first one, the disadvantage in this route is that ther is no accommodation available and has to be undertaken in a single day. In spite of its short distance the route is very steep and often prone to landslides. The pilgrims also have an option of hiring palanquins and porters of which they may cost you from Rs 1,100 for porters to Rs 7,000 for palanquins.As for recent helicopter rides have also been made available for the tourists. The pickup point of the helicopter is Baltal which takes you for pooja and darshan, which takes almost an hour to reach the destination. The cost for the chopper varies from Rs 2,425 from Baltal to Rs 3,800 from Pahalgam per person. PRECAUTIONS to be TAKEN: Climate conditions during the Yatra are quite unpredictable as temperature may drop down very sharply and rain and snowfall may take place at any point of time in the valley. Before starting the trek pilgrims have to pay special attention towards their physical fitness and breathing problems at high altitudes. Also good amount of eatables and essential medicines should be taken by the pilgrims. It is extremely important for the pilgrim seekers to be in a good health condition as trekking to the cave can turn out to be very tedious and rough. Take extra attention of whether the palanquin bearer and the porters are registered and carry a token. The whole journey to Aamarnath is filled with adventure as well as spiritual refining of soul. The scenic beauty of the valley and the mountains takes you to the whole new world of experience. The beauty is such that I cannot put it in words. Come and take it for yourself.
