Every year in Sharavan month (July and August), Hindu devotees from across the country flock to the snow-capped hills of Himalaya. They in fact go to catch glimpse of an iced Shiva lingam in the ‘holy cave’ in Amarnath, and this journey is famous as Amarnath Yatra. A place of great spiritual significance, Yatra to Amarnath is believed to bestow salvation to every devotee.

Amarnath Cave, as per Hindu myths, is the place where Lord Shiva verbalized to his consort Parvati the secret of mortality. During the narration, Parvati got asleep and the secret was listened by a pair of pigeon. It is believed that the birds became immortal and are often see by lucky devotees during their Amarnath Yatra.

The holy cave is nestled amidst narrow gorges of Himalaya at the northern end of Lidder valley. During shravan month, an iced shivan lingam, which is considered an important mark of Lord Shiva, appears in the cave. To catch glimpse of that sacred lingam, a large number of devotees flock to Amarnath Cave, braving the arduous paths and uncertain weather in Himalaya.

The journey however passes through wonderful facets of nature including deep colorful valleys, snow-laden mountains, serene rivers and lakes, and hence is a dream comes true for nature lovers.There are two routes to reach to the cave. The traditional route via Pahalgam is taken by most of devotees.

It is longer than the Amarnath Yatra by Baltal (second route) but is easier to climb through. The Yatra is organized by Jammu & Kashmir Government. Many Travel agencies help pilgrims in completing the journey with minimum possible troubles. They offer Amarnath Yatra packages with helicopter to make the journey short-timed and hassle-free. Helicopter services are usually provided from Pahalgam, Baltal and Srinagar.