Amarnath Temple, Jammu & Kashmir

Amarnath Cave is a Hindu shrine located in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The cave is situated at an altitude of 3,888 m (12,756 ft), and it is about 141 km (88 mi) from Srinagar. The shrine forms an important part of Hinduism and is considered to be one of the holiest shrines in Hinduism.

Amarnath Temple History

A snowy stalagmite forms the shape of the Shiva Linga which is worshipped with great reverence. Besides the main Linga, three other formations representing smaller Lingas are worshiped as Lord Ganesha and Goddess Parvati and Bhairava.

The cave is surrounded by snowy mountains. The cave itself is covered with snow most of the year except for a short period of time in summer when it is open for the pilgrims. Hundreds of thousands of Hindu devotees make an annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave across challenging mountainous terrain.

After that Inside the 40 m (130 ft) high Amarnath cave, a stalagmite is formed due to the freezing of water drops that fall from the roof of the cave to the floor and grows up vertically from the cave floor. It is considered to be a Shiva Linga by the Hindus. It is mentioned in the ancient Hindu texts of Mahabharata and Puranas that Lingam represents Lord Shiva.

The Lingam waxes from May to August, as the snow melts in the Himalayas above the cave, and the resultant water seeps into the rocks that form the cave and gradually wanes then after As per religious beliefs, it has been claimed that the lingam grows and shrinks with the phases of the moon reaching its height during the summer festival, and even there is no scientific evidence for this belief. According to Hindu religious beliefs, this is the place where Shiva explained the secret of life and eternity to his divine consort, Parvati.

The Yatra trek through the mountains of the south Kashmir Himalayas to the Holy Cave Shrine of Shri Amarnathji is made available only in the months of summer to pay obeisance. In the month of the Shravan (July – August) the Holy Cave Shrine of Shri Amarnathji has a devout flock, where the image of Lord Shiva, in the form of a Lingam, is formed naturally of an ice – stalagmite, which waxes and wanes with the moon. 

Shri Amarnath Yatra is for a specific period/ duration, commencing on an announced date, usually on, the auspicious day of Skandshasthi as per the Hindu calendar, and shall conclude on Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandhan).

Importance of Shri Amarnath Cave Temple  

Shri Amarnath Cave temple is one of the holiest spiritual destinations in India, despite having to make a difficult trek to reach it. This is where Lord Shiva narrated one of the most secret stories of immortality to Parvati Mata. The Shivling right here is a Swayambhu (Self Appeared) and Rishi Bhrigu had the good luck of being the first to witness the Shivling.

How To Reach

By Air: Srinagar, the nearest aerodrome, has world-famous sights to see, such as Dal Lake, Nagin Lake, Shankaracharya Temple, and Mughal gardens like Shalimar, Nishat, and Cheshma-Shahi. Known as “Paradise on Earth” and being the summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir, the city is well connected by air and road. There are daily flights to Srinagar from Delhi and Jammu. On certain weekdays flights also pick up passengers from Chandigarh and Leh.

By Rail: Jammu is the nearest Railway Station. Jammu is the winter capital of Jammu & Kashmir. Also known as the “CITY OF TEMPLES”, one may visit old temples such as Raghunath Temple, Mahadev Mandir, and others temples. The railway station is very well connected and there are lots of express trains to various towns in India.

By Road: Jammu and Srinagar are also connected through the road. Buses and Taxis are available for this part of the journey. These can be hired on a daily as well as on a full tour basis.

Amarnath Yatra Registration Procedure

Amarnath Yatra 2021 Registration will start from 1st March 2021 till the Time the Yatra Ends. In 2013 Yathra Registration was started on 18th March 2013. In 2014, 2015, 2017 & 2018  it was started from 1st March,  in 2016, 29th February. Last Year’s Registration was started on 1st April 2019. Shrine Board has Fixed the quota for every day and has limited registration to  7500 per route per day.  In 2014  Online Registration was closed by the Amarnathji Shrine Board. From 2014 -2018 pilgrims had only an Offline Registration Process. In 2019 govt opened online registration on a trial basis.  But Last year in 2020 registration will start very early.  Registrations are also Known as Permits and passes. Yathra Authority doesn’t give any VIP passes to General Pilgrims.

Mahamaya Shakti Peeth Amarnath History, Photos & Timings

Amarnath Yatra Registration form

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Amarnath Yatra Medical Health Certificate

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Amarnath Temple Opening and Closing Timing

Vyas Purnima to Shravan Purnima

Amarnath Temple Opening Date	Amarnath Temple Closing Date
29 June 2024	29 August 2024

Amarnath Temple Daily Darshan Timing from Opening Date

6 AM TO 6 PM

Poojas at Amarnath Temple

• Pratham Pooja: The Pratham Pooja means the “First Pooja”. This pooja is performed at the holy cave on the day the Yatra is declared open. The members of the J&K Government, as well as the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, attend the pooja without fail. Several Vedic mantras, as well as Shlokas, are chanted in praise of Lord Shiva, following which the Prasad is distributed among the devotees. The pooja ceremony involves Bhoomi Pooja, Navagraha Pooja, Chhari Pooja, and lastly the Dhwajarohan indicating the beginning of the yatra. The pooja is held on the day of Vyas-Purnima (July).
• Chhari Mubarak: The auspicious event marks the end of the Amarnath Yatra. The Chhari refers to the holy mace of Lord Shiva that he gifted to the Sage Bringesh. The Chhari Mubarak is taken to the shrine on the day of Shravan Purnima, also celebrated as the Raksha Bandhan. After the Pratham Pooja, the Chhari is then returned to the Dashnami Akhara where it is kept for darshan. Special Poojas are performed for Naga Panchami. Then the mace is carried to the holy Amarnath Shrine by the traditional route.

Temples near Amarnath Temple

• Mamleshwar Temple
• Sri Shankaracharya Temple
• Martand Sun Temple
• Vaishno Devi Temple
• Shiv Khori Temple

Other Place Near Temple

• Srinagar
• Gulmarg
• Ladakh

Routes to Amarnath Temple, Stay near Amarnath Temple, Hotel Near Amarnath Temple

Amarnath Yatra 2024 Registration Procedure Step By Step

Amarnath Video