Pahalgam () or Pahalgom () is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

Anantnag district Anantnag district is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a m ...

of the Indian

union territory Among the states and union territories of India, a Union Territory (UT) is a region that is directly governed by the Government of India, central government of India, as opposed to the states, which have their own State governments of India, s ...

of Jammu and Kashmir. It is located on the banks of Lidder River at an altitude of in the Vale of Kashmir. Pahalgam is the headquarters of the Pahalgam tehsil, one of the eleven tehsils in Anantnag district. Located about from

Anantnag Anantnag ( ; ), also called Islamabad ( ; ), is the administrative headquarters of Anantnag district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "admi ...

, the town is a popular tourist destination and

hill station A hill station is a touristic town located at a higher elevation than the nearby plain or valley. The English term was originally used mostly in Western imperialism in Asia, colonial Asia, but also in Africa (albeit rarely), for towns founded by ...

. The town is the starting point of the annual pilgrimage to the

Amarnath Temple Amarnath Temple is a Hindu shrine located in the Pahalgam tehsil of the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is a cave situated at an altitude of , about 168 km from Anantnag, Anantnag cit ...

, which takes place in July–August.

Etymology

Pahalgam literally means "village of the shepherds" in Kashmiri, with "Puheyl" meaning shepherd and "goam" meaning village. In Hindu literature, the region is mentioned as "Bailgaon", meaning "village of the bull", to indicate where the Hindu god

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

left his

bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not Castration, castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e. cows proper), bulls have long been an important symbol cattle in r ...

on the way to Amarnath.

Geography

Pahalgam is located in

of the Indian

of Jammu and Kashmir. It is located at an altitude of in the Lidder Valley, which extends east of

Jhelum River The Jhelum River is a major river in South Asia, flowing through India and Pakistan, and is the westernmost of the five major rivers of the Punjab region. It originates at Verinag and flows through the Indian-administered territory of Jammu ...

in the Vale of Kashmir. The two streams of Lidder River—East and West Lidder—join near Pahalgam before proceeding through the narrow valley. At Pahalgam, the valley divides into two, one heading towards Amarnath in the northeast and another leading to Aru in the northwest. The region is made up of

volcanic A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often fo ...

and

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

rocks interspersed with asymmetrical roche rocks. The vegetation in the region is dominated by evergreen

fir Firs are evergreen coniferous trees belonging to the genus ''Abies'' () in the family Pinaceae. There are approximately 48–65 extant species, found on mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Eurasia, and North Africa. The genu ...

and

coniferous Conifers () are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a sin ...

trees such as

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

and

spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' ( ), a genus of about 40 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal (taiga) regions of the Northern hemisphere. ''Picea'' ...

Climate

Pahalgam has a

temperate climate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ra ...

, with mild summers and cold winters. 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. Winter can result in heavy snowfall of up to thick. 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.

Demographics

, Pahalgam had a population of 9,264 people. Males constitute 59.8% of the population and females 40.2%. 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. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes made up about two percent of the population.

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

was the major religion, with 80% adherents, with

Hindus Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

forming the second largest group (17.6%).

Administration

Pahalgam is administered by the Pahalgam Municipal Committee. The municipal committee is responsible for providing basic civic amenities such as water supply, sanitation and waste management, and other government services. The town is divided into 13 wards which elect their own local body representative to the municipal council.

Transportation

Pahalgam is well-connected with other regions of Jammu and Kashmir by roads. The NH 501 connects Pahalgam with Anantnag. State-run bus services and private buses connect the town with

Jammu Jammu () is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute ...

, and

Srinagar Srinagar (; ) is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary ...

. The nearest major rail heads are located at Udhampur and

, about and away respectively. The nearest airport is the Srinagar International Airport, about from Pahalgam.

Tourism

Pahalgam's location in the Lidder valley and its climate has led to the town becoming a popular tourist destination and

. In 2015, the town had about 7,020 beds for tourists. Betaab_Valley

The

is a Hindu pilgrimage site situated above the Pahalgam valley. The town forms the base camp for the

yatra ''Yatra'' (, ), in Indian religion, Indian-origin religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, generally means a pilgrimage to holy places such as confluences of River#Sacred rivers, sacred rivers, Sacred mountains#India, sacred mount ...

to the temple that takes place every year in the months of July–August, and results in a seasonal influx of pilgrims. As per

Hindu mythology Hindu mythology refers to the collection of myths associated with Hinduism, derived from various Hindu texts and traditions. These myths are found in sacred texts such as the Vedas, the Itihasas (the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Ramayan ...

is believed to have left his mount Nandi in Pahalgam, the moon he carries on his head in Chandanwari, the snakes around his neck at Sheshnag Lake, and the five natural elements at Panchtarni before entering the Amarnath cave. The yatra begins from Chandanwari, situated about from Pahalgam, and proceeds towards Amarnath via Sheshnag Lake and Panchtarni. Kolahoi Glacier is a hanging glacier situated up the Lidder Valley, just below Kolahoi Peak. It is accessible via a trail from Pahalgam via Aru. Baisaran and Betaab valleys are verdant meadows flanked by mountains and evergreen trees, located close to Pahalgam. Pahalgam Golf Course, also known as Lidder Valley Golf Course, is an 18-hole golf course inaugurated in 2011. 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.

2025 Pahalgam attack

On 22 April 2025, militants affiliated with The 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.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * {{Kashmir Valley Cities in Jammu and Kashmir Tourist attractions in Jammu and Kashmir Cities and towns in Anantnag district Tourist attractions in Anantnag district Tehsils of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)