Amarnath Cave is one of the most sacred and ancient sites of Hinduism, where Lord Shiva revealed the secret of life and eternity to Goddess Parvati. The cave is located in the Himalayan mountains of Jammu and Kashmir and attracts millions of pilgrims every year during the months of June-August.
Here are some of the ways you can reach Amarnath Cave by different modes of transportation:
By Road:
- The nearest major cities to Amarnath Cave are Jammu and Srinagar, which are well connected by road to other parts of India.
- From Jammu or Srinagar, you can take a bus or a taxi to reach either Pahalgam or Baltal, which are the base camps for the pilgrimage.
- From Pahalgam or Baltal, you have to trek for about 32 km or 14 km respectively to reach the cave. You can also hire ponies, palanquins, or helicopters to make your journey easier.
Road Fare to Amarnath Cave
- The bus fare from Jammu to Pahalgam is around Rs 350 per person, and from Srinagar to Pahalgam is around Rs 150 per person
- The taxi fare from Jammu to Pahalgam is around Rs 3,000 per vehicle, and from Srinagar to Pahalgam is around Rs 1,000 per vehicle
- The helicopter fare from Pahalgam to the cave is around Rs 13,000 per person.
By Rail:
The nearest railway station to Amarnath Cave is Udhampur, which is about 146 km from Srinagar.
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Udhampur is connected by trains from various cities in India, such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, etc. From Udhampur, you can take a bus or a taxi to reach Srinagar, and then proceed to Pahalgam or Baltal as mentioned above.
Train Fare to Amarnath Cave
- The train fare from Delhi to Udhampur is around Rs 1,000 per person for sleeper class, and around Rs 2,500 per person for AC class.
- The train fare from Mumbai to Udhampur is around Rs 1,500 per person for sleeper class, and around Rs 4,000 per person for AC class.
- The train fare from Chennai to Udhampur is around Rs 2,000 per person for sleeper class, and around Rs 5,000 per person for AC class.
- The train fare from Bangalore to Udhampur is around Rs 2,500 per person for sleeper class, and around Rs 6,000 per person for AC class.
By Air:
The nearest airport to Amarnath Cave is Srinagar, which is about 71 km from Pahalgam and 94 km from Baltal. Srinagar has daily flights from Delhi and Jammu, and a few connecting flights from other cities of India. From Srinagar, you can take a bus or a taxi to reach Pahalgam or Baltal as mentioned above. You can also book a helicopter service from Srinagar or Pahalgam to reach the cave directly.
- The flight fare from Delhi to Srinagar is around Rs 5,000 per person. The flight fare from Jammu to Srinagar is around Rs 3,000 per person.
- The flight fare from Mumbai to Srinagar is around Rs 8,000 per person. The flight fare from Chennai to Srinagar is around Rs 10,000 per person. The flight fare from Bangalore to Srinagar is around Rs 12,000 per person.
Why the Shivling is formed in Amarnath?
The Amarnath Cave is home to a natural shivling, which is created by the water from the glaciers that freezes at a certain spot. This is the reason why about five lakh pilgrims will undertake a trek to the shrine this year, which is located at a height of 13,500 feet above sea level.
How Shivling is made in Amarnath?
The natural shivling at the Amarnath Cave is created by the water droplets that fall from the roof of the cave and freeze due to the extremely low temperature. This happens every year during the winter season, when the shivling takes shape.
The registration fees for the Amarnath Yatra vary depending on the mode of registration and the type of pilgrim. The online registration and group registration costs Rs 220 per person. The NRI pilgrim’s registration will cost around Rs 1,520 per person through PNB. In advance, registration for the Amarnath Yatra via designated bank branches will levy fees of Rs 120 per person.
