Why in News:

• The annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave shrine, which remained suspended for the past three years, will resume soon.

About

• Amarnath Yatra is a pilgrimage visit to Amarnath cave which is a Hindu shrine located in Kashmir.
• According to legend, when Lord Shiva decided to tell Parvati the secret of his immortality (Amar Katha), he chose the Amarnath cave deep in the Himalayas
• The Amarnath cave, abode of the Mahamaya Shakti Peetha, is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas
• A stalagmite forms within the Amarnath cave when water droplets from the cave’s roof freeze on the cave floor and grow vertically up from the cave floor. Hindus believe that it is a Shiva Linga.

Related Information

Stalagmite vs Stalactite

• A stalagmite is an upward-growing mound of mineral deposits that have precipitated from water dripping onto the floor of a cave. Most stalagmites have rounded or flattened tips.
• A stalactite is an icicle-shaped formation that hangs from the ceiling of a cave and is produced by precipitation of minerals from water dripping through the cave ceiling. Most stalactites have pointed tips.

References:

1. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/43-day-annual-amarnath-yatra-in-jammu-and-kashmir-to-begin-on-june-30/article65264707.ece
2. https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/facts/stalactite.html
3. https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/everyday-explainers/explained-amarnath-yatra-pilgrimage-legend-7841570/