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It is believed that, in the 11th century AD, Queen Suryamati gifted Trishul, banalingas, and other sacred emblems to this temple. Rajavalipataka, begun by Prjayabhatta, contains detailed references to the pilgrimage to Amarnath Cave. Besides, there are further references to this pilgrimage in many other ancient texts.

Discovery of Holy Cave

According to legend, Bhrigu Muni was the first to have discovered Amarnath. A long time ago, it was believed that the Valley of Kashmir was submerged underwater, and Kashyap Muni drained it through a series of rivers and rivulets. As a result, when the waters drained, Bhrigu Muni was the first to have darshan of Lord Amarnath. Thereafter, when people heard of the lingam, it became an abode of Lord Bholenath for all believers and the site of an annual pilgrimage, traditionally performed by lakhs of people in July and August during the Hindu holy month of Shravan. According to researchers and as per the locals' belief, the gadaria community was the first to discover the Amaranth cave and saw the first glimpse of Baba Barfani.

François Bernier, a French physician, accompanied Emperor Aurangzeb during his visit to Kashmir in 1663. In his book Travels in Mughal Empire, he provides an account of the places he visited, noting that he was "pursuing journey to a grotto full of wonderful congelations, two days journey from Sangsafed" when he "received intelligence that my Nawab felt very impatient and uneasy on account of my long absence." The "grotto" referenced in this passage is obviously the Amarnath cave — as the editor of the second edition of the English translation of the book, Vincent A. Smith, makes clear in his introduction. He writes: "The grotto full of wonderful congelations is the Amarnath cave, where blocks of ice, stalagmites formed by dripping water from the roof are worshipped by many Hindus who resort here as images of Shiva...."

The Shivlinga

Ice Lingam at Amarnath Cave

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 onto the floor and grow upward vertically from the cave floor. It is considered to be a Shiva Linga by 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; thereafter, the Lingham gradually wanes. As per religious beliefs, it is said that the lingam grows and shrinks with the phases of the moon, reaching its height during the summer festival, although 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 Shivlinga

Ice Lingam at Amarnath Cave

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 onto the floor and grow upward vertically from the cave floor. It is considered to be a Shiva Linga by 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; thereafter, the Lingham gradually wanes. As per religious beliefs, it is said that the lingam grows and shrinks with the phases of the moon, reaching its height during the summer festival, although 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.