शिव पंचाक्षर स्तोत्र

नागेन्द्रहाराय त्रिलोचनाय
भस्माङ्गरागाय महेश्वराय ।
नित्याय शुद्धाय दिगम्बराय
तस्मै नकाराय नमः शिवाय 

Meaning

I offer my humble salutations to Lord Maheshvara who has a garland of serpents around the neck, who has three eyes, whose body is covered with ash, who is eternal who is pure who has the entire sky as his dress, and who is embodied as the first letter 'Na'.

Getting there

Air: The nearest airport is at Srinagar, (141) km away. Helicopters in Baltal and Pahalgam service devotees who want shorter journeys. Helicopters land 4 km away from Amarnath and travelers can walk, take a pony, or palanquin too

Road: Jammu (300 km) is the nearest railhead and bus station. Jammu and Srinagar are connected through road to the top services. Pilgrims can also take ponies or palanquins from Baltal.

Foot: Pilgrims do a pilgrimage by foot from either Pahalgam or Baltal.

Deity: Shiva

Sthala Purana: The Shivling at Amarnath is a natural ice stalagmite ice that waxes and wanes with the moon. It was here that Shiva revealed the secrets of the universe to Parvati. She'd asked him why he wore the Mand Mala (necklace of heads) and he replied that he added a head each time she was reborn. Parvati said that while she died repeatedly, he remained immortal, she wanted to know his secret. Since the secret was sacred, Shiva chose to tell it to her in a place devoid of all life, Amarnath Cave.

He left Nandi at Pahalgam, the moon from his hair at Chandanwan, the snakes around his neck at Lake Sheshnag, and his son Ganesh at Mahagunas Parvat. He even left behind the five elements: earth, water, air, fire, and sky which create living beings-at Panjtarni. Shiva and Parvati danced the And as a symbol of sacrificing the world and entering the cave. He created Rudra named Kalagni to spread fire and eliminate every living being in and around the cave. He then started narrating the secret of immortality to Parvati. By chance, an egg lying under the deer-skin remained protected.

The pair of pigeons born of this egg became immortal. Pilgrims report seeing this pair of pigeons during their trek to the cave.

Note: From this year on, pilgrims can perform the pooja only with a valid registration as a pilgrim. They can register online.

Sevas and pujas:

There are daily aartis and yatras but the beginning of the Amarnath Yatra season is marked by Pratham Pujan

Utsav: Shravan Mela from June to August

Best time to visit: Mid-June-early July (Ashad Pournima) too early. August (Shravan Purnima).

Interesting facts

The cave was discovered by Buti Malik, a Gujjar shepherd, who was given a bag of coal by a saint. At home, he discovered it was a bag of coins. When he went to thank the saint, he found the holy cave and the Shivling in it instead. Since then this place has become sacred. Another story is that the Kashmir valley was under water and sage Kashyap drained it. Bhrigu Rishi was the first to have a darshan of this cave.

Places nearby: Pahalgam, Chandanwani, Lake Sheshnag, Mahagunas Parvat, and Panitarni