OVERVIEW :
Surrounded by fairly steep hills, the Amarnath temple is considered to be Kashmir's oldest existing temple, dating back to the 5th century. This Shiva temple is situated in a narrow gorge on the far end of Lidder Valley at an altitude of 3888 m. The 'Yatra' to Amarnath, one of the principal Hindu Dhams, starts from Chandanwari (2,895 m), 16 kms from Pahalgam, in the month of Sawan (July to August).