The Lingam
Inside the 40 m (130 ft) high Amarnath cave, an ice stalagmite gets formed due to freezing of water drops that fall from the roof of the cave on to the floor and grows up vertically from the cave floor. It is considered to be a Shiva Linga by devout Hindus. It waxes during May to August as snow melts in the Himalayas above the cave and the resultant water seeps into the rocks that form the cave and gradually wanes thereafter. As per the religious beliefs, it has been claimed that the lingam grows and shrinks with the phases of the moon reaching its height during the summer festival. Although there are no scientific evidence for this belief
According a Hindu legend, this is the cave where Shiva explained the secret of life and eternity to his divine consort Parvati. Two other ice formations represent Parvati and Shiva's son, Ganesha.
The main purpose of the annual pilgrimage to the cave is to see the ice stalagmite Lingam.
Read more about this topic: Amarnath Temple