Trek to Amarnath

Travel to India > Amarnath > Trek to Amarnath

The Amarnath cave is considered to be one of the most distinguished pilgrimage sites of India. As per the ancient belief, the Amaranth yatra begins in the months of July or August. The cave is situated in Kashmir, 86 miles away from Srinagar in the north east direction. The Amaranth cave is located at a height of 13000 feet above the sea level. The cave extends upto 130 feet which is very high and shallow. A Shivalinga appears naturally in the holy cave in the months of July and August. This is made by the drops of icy cool water which is considered holy. Amarnath yatra is organized every year. The yatra is coordinated by the Government of India and is considered very important as per the security reasons, since the site is located close to the border.

The adventurous trek from Srinagar to Amarnath is of 145 km. The trek consists of some very beautiful landscapes of the region. The first important site from where the trek begins is Panchami. From Panchami, the yatrees proceed towards the next important site which is at Martand. Martand is famous for an ancient temple, which is dedicated to the Sun God. Important languages that are spoken in this region are Hindi, English and Urdu. The trekking or the yatra generally begins in the monsoon season in India. The cave otherwise remains covered with snow all round the year.

After Martand the next major stoppage is at Aishmuqam, which has a famous shrine called Bab-Zain-Ud-Din Wali. Trekkers or Yatri who come walking to this site can take rest here and proceed. Pahalgam is the site of the confluence of two rivers. The rivers being Sheshnag and Liddar, this city is next important stopover where a number of shrines of Muslim saints are also located. Pahalgam is a site of some of the famous temples such as Ananthnag, Lukbhavan, Nagdandi ashram, Deviangan and Akingam.

Chandanwadi is the next important stopover after Pahalgam. Chandanwadi is situated at the confluence of two rivers, Sheshnag and Asthanmarg. From Chandanwadi yatrees or trekkers move up to the Pishu Ghati. Pishu Ghati finds a special place in the holy books. It is believed that Pishu Ghati is the place where the Gods had crushed the wrongdoers.

12000 feet above the sea level, there is a lake situated which is called the Sheshnag Lake. This lake is the origin of the Sheshnag River. Yatrees halt at the Sheshnag Lake to get a glimpse of Sheshnaag snake, which is considered a holy snake. Wavjan is the next important stopover where the yatrees can halt and take rest for a while because after Wavjan there is a steep climb which leads to the Mahagunus Pass. Mahagunus Pass is situated at a height of 14,000 feet above sea level. Mahagunus is considered to be the last site in the trek to Amarnath because it leads to Panchatarni. Panchatarni is the site located after a steep slope where yatrees and trekkers finally reach to prepare themselves for the holy darshan. From Panchatarni trekkers move to the holy Amarnath cave on the full moon day.

There are some important do's and don'ts for trekkers. The pilgrims should be physically and mentally fit before the journey. Trekkers should carry sufficient woolens, dry eatables and money to avoid any form of inconvenience. Trekkers should note that alcohol is strictly prohibited during the yatra and all other medical facilities are provided free of cost by the authorities.