Pahalgam Pahalgom | |
|---|---|
 Lavender Park .jpg) View of the town  Trees above the valley in winter  View of the valley | |
  Pahalgam Location in Jammu and Kashmir, India Show map of Jammu and Kashmir Pahalgam Pahalgam (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates:34°01′N75°11′E / 34.01°N 75.19°E /34.01; 75.19 | |
| Country | India |
| Union Territory | Jammu and Kashmir |
| District | Anantnag |
| Government | |
| • Body | Pahalgam Municipal Committee |
| Area | |
• Total | 18.02 km2 (6.96 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 2,200 m (7,200 ft) |
| Population (2011)[2] | |
• Total | 9,264 |
| • Density | 514.1/km2 (1,332/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Kashmiri,Urdu,Hindi,Dogri,English[3][4] |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN[5] | 192126[5] |
| STD Code | +91-01936 |
| Vehicle registration | JK-03 |
| Website | anantnag |
Pahalgam (Urdu pronunciation:[pɛɦɛlɡɑːm]) orPahalgom (Kashmiri pronunciation:[pəhəlʲɡoːm]) is atown inAnantnag district of the Indianunion territory ofJammu and Kashmir. It is located on the banks ofLidder River at an altitude of 2,200 m (7,200 ft) in theVale of Kashmir. Pahalgam is the headquarters of the Pahalgam tehsil, one of the eleventehsils in Anantnag district.
Located about 45 km (28 mi) fromAnantnag, the town is a popular tourist destination andhill station. The town is the starting point of the annual pilgrimage to theAmarnath Temple, which takes place in July–August.
Pahalgam literally means "village of the shepherds" inKashmiri, with "Pạhạlʸ" meaning shepherds and "Gōm" meaning village.[6][7] InHindu literature, the region is mentioned as "Bailgaon", meaning "village of the bull", to indicate where the Hindu godShiva left hisbull on the way toAmarnath.[8][9]
Pahalgam is located inAnantnag district of the Indianunion territory ofJammu and Kashmir.[1][10] It is located at an altitude of 2,200 m (7,200 ft) in theLidder Valley, which extends east ofJhelum River in theVale of Kashmir.[6][11] The two streams ofLidder River—East and West Lidder—join near Pahalgam before proceeding through the narrow valley.[12] At Pahalgam, the valley divides into two, one heading towards Amarnath in the northeast and another leading toAru in the northwest.[6] The region is made up ofvolcanic andlimestone rocks interspersed with asymmetrical roche rocks.[13] The vegetation in the region is dominated by evergreenfir andconiferous trees such aspine andspruce.[14]
Pahalgam has atemperate climate, with mild summers and cold winters.[15] The temperature variation across the day in minimal in the winter months of December to February. Cold winds can result in a steep decrease in nighttime temperatures in winter to below zero.[16] Winter can result in heavy snowfall of up to 4 m (13 ft) thick.[11] Summer extends from June to October, when the temperatures are at a maximum. Pahalgam receives most of the precipitation from late winter after November to May before the onset of summer.[16]
| Climate data for Pahalgam (1991–2020, extremes 1978–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 13.8 (56.8) | 17.6 (63.7) | 23.9 (75.0) | 27.4 (81.3) | 30.8 (87.4) | 32.0 (89.6) | 31.5 (88.7) | 32.2 (90.0) | 30.0 (86.0) | 27.7 (81.9) | 23.0 (73.4) | 15.6 (60.1) | 32.2 (90.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 4.9 (40.8) | 7.2 (45.0) | 12.5 (54.5) | 17.6 (63.7) | 21.3 (70.3) | 24.2 (75.6) | 25.5 (77.9) | 25.4 (77.7) | 23.7 (74.7) | 19.9 (67.8) | 13.1 (55.6) | 7.9 (46.2) | 17.0 (62.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −6.1 (21.0) | −3.9 (25.0) | −0.3 (31.5) | 3.3 (37.9) | 5.8 (42.4) | 8.9 (48.0) | 12.9 (55.2) | 13.0 (55.4) | 8.7 (47.7) | 2.6 (36.7) | −1.4 (29.5) | −4.2 (24.4) | 3.5 (38.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −18.6 (−1.5) | −17.3 (0.9) | −13.0 (8.6) | −4.0 (24.8) | −1.0 (30.2) | 1.5 (34.7) | 2.0 (35.6) | 4.0 (39.2) | 0.6 (33.1) | −5.1 (22.8) | −10.8 (12.6) | −15.7 (3.7) | −18.6 (−1.5) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 136.0 (5.35) | 144.5 (5.69) | 171.2 (6.74) | 144.2 (5.68) | 120.1 (4.73) | 91.2 (3.59) | 107.1 (4.22) | 114.9 (4.52) | 95.1 (3.74) | 38.2 (1.50) | 51.3 (2.02) | 59.7 (2.35) | 1,273.5 (50.14) |
| Average rainy days | 8.1 | 9.3 | 10.3 | 10.0 | 9.8 | 8.3 | 8.8 | 9.0 | 7.0 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 90.8 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%)(at 17:30IST) | 80 | 76 | 66 | 60 | 57 | 58 | 64 | 68 | 65 | 59 | 68 | 75 | 66 |
| Source:India Meteorological Department[17][18][19] | |||||||||||||
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islam | 80.09% | |||
| Hinduism | 17.64% | |||
| Sikhism | 1.38% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.99% | |||
As of 2011[update], Pahalgam had a population of 9,264 people.[2] Males constitute 59.8% of the population and females 40.2%.[20] The town had an average literacy rate of 64.9% amongst the population of seven years and above. About 48% of the eligible age group were employed full-time, and 10% had casual employment.[1]Scheduled Castes andScheduled Tribes made up about two percent of the population.[1]Islam was the major religion, with 80% adherents, withHindus forming the second largest group (17.6%).[20]
Pahalgam is administered by the Pahalgam Municipal Committee.[21][22] The municipal committee is responsible for providing basic civic amenities such as water supply, sanitation and waste management, and other government services.[23] The town is divided into 13 wards which elect their own local body representative to the municipal council.[21]
Pahalgam is well-connected with other regions of Jammu and Kashmir by roads.[24] TheNH 501 connects Pahalgam with Anantnag.[25] State-run bus services and private buses connect the town withAnantnag,Jammu, andSrinagar.[24] The nearest major rail heads are located atUdhampur andJammu, about 217 km (135 mi) and 285 km (177 mi) away respectively. The nearest airport is theSrinagar International Airport, about 95 km (59 mi) from Pahalgam.[24]
Pahalgam's location in the Lidder valley and its climate has led to the town becoming a popular tourist destination andhill station.[24][26] In 2015, the town had about 7,020 beds for tourists.[27]
TheAmarnath Temple is a Hindu pilgrimage site situated above the Pahalgam valley. The town forms the base camp for theyatra to the temple that takes place every year in the months of July–August, and results in a seasonal influx of pilgrims.[24][28] As perHindu mythology,Shiva is believed to have left his mountNandi in Pahalgam, the moon he carries on his head in Chandanwari, the snakes around his neck atSheshnag Lake, and thefive natural elements atPanchtarni before entering the Amarnath cave.[29] The yatra begins from Chandanwari, situated about 16 km (9.9 mi) from Pahalgam, and proceeds towards Amarnath via Sheshnag Lake and Panchtarni.[30]
Kolahoi Glacier is a hanging glacier situated up the Lidder Valley, just belowKolahoi Peak. It is accessible via a 35 km (22 mi) trail from Pahalgam via Aru.[31]Baisaran andBetaab valleys are verdant meadows flanked by mountains and evergreen trees, located close to Pahalgam.[32][33] Pahalgam Golf Course, also known as Lidder Valley Golf Course, is an 18-hole golf course inaugurated in 2011.[34]
The high influx of seasonal tourists results in the production of large quantities of solid wastes, which overwhelms the waste management system, and leads to dumping of wastes throughout the town. With an estimated 74% of the total municipal wastes coming from tourism, the dumping had increased the probability of waterborne diseases downstream of the Lidder River and other health issues.[27]
On 22 April 2025, militants affiliated withThe Resistance Front opened fire on a group of tourists at Baisaran valley near Pahalgam, killing at least 28 people and injuring more than 20 others.[35]
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| Glaciers | ||
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| Hill stations and Mughal gardens | ||
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| See also | ||
