मान्यता है कि भगवान शिव ने माता पार्वती को अमरत्व की कथा — अमर कथा — इसी गुफा में सुनाई थी। रास्ते में उन्होंने नंदी, चंद्रमा, शेषनाग और गणेश जी को अलग-अलग जगह छोड़ दिया ताकि कोई और कथा न सुन सके।
Every summer, in a cave high above the Lidder valley in Kashmir, a lingam of ice rises from the floor. Devotees call him Baba Barfani — the Lord of Snow. To reach him, lakhs of yatris walk through glaciers and passes, because this is the place where, the story goes, Shiva revealed the secret of immortality.
The Amar Katha
Mata Parvati once asked Bhagwan Shiva why he wore a garland of skulls. He explained that each skull was from one of her own past births — she was born and died again and again, while he was immortal. When she asked for the secret, Shiva agreed to tell her the Amar Katha, but only in a place where no other living being could hear it.
On the way to the cave, the legend says, he left everything behind: Nandi at Pahalgam (Bail Gaon), the moon at Chandanwari, the serpents at Sheshnag lake, Ganesh ji at Mahagunas, and the five elements at Panchtarni. These are the very stops yatris walk through on the traditional route today.
The two pigeons
Inside the cave, Parvati fell asleep while listening. But a pair of pigeon eggs lay hidden in the cave — and the pigeons that hatched heard the whole Katha. Devotees believe they became immortal, and that seeing a pair of white pigeons in the cave is a special blessing.
A pair of immortal pigeons lives in the cave and appears to fortunate devotees.
Rock pigeons do nest in the cave area, and yatris often see them. The ice lingam itself is a stalagmite formed by water dripping through the roof and freezing.
How the cave was found
A popular story says a Muslim shepherd named Buta Malik was given a bag of coal by a sadhu, which turned to gold when he reached home. Returning to thank the sadhu, he found the cave instead. For generations his family was associated with the shrine — a reminder of how Kashmir's many communities have long served this yatra together.
Why the ice lingam grows and shrinks
The lingam usually reaches its fullest size in May–August and becomes smaller as summer ends. Its size changes from year to year depending on snowfall and temperature. The yatra traditionally ends on Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandhan), when the holy mace, Chhari Mubarak, reaches the cave.
- Altitude
- 3,888 m
- Routes
- Baltal (~14 km, steep) or Pahalgam (~46–48 km, 3–4 days)
- Season
- Usually July – August
- Must have
- Advance registration, Compulsory Health Certificate, RFID card
Questions
What is the Amar Katha?
According to legend, it is the story of immortality that Lord Shiva told Mata Parvati inside the Amarnath cave.
How is the Amarnath ice lingam formed?
Water seeping through the cave roof freezes as it drips, building a natural ice stalagmite in the shape of a lingam.
When does the Amarnath Yatra end?
Traditionally on Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandhan), with the arrival of the Chhari Mubarak.
