PHOTOS: The treacherous road to Lord Shiva's abode

Braving treacherous terrain, biting cold, icy streams and frozen passes, more than 60,000 pilgrims have already paid obeisance at the holy cave of Lord Amarnath, located at an altitude of 3,880 metres, in south Kashmir this year.

Eight devotees have already lost their lives in the Amarnath yatra amid tight security set up this year.

However, that would not prevent thousands more to set foot on the extremely challenging journey to the holy cave shrine.

Rediff.com presents some scintillating photographs of the ongoing Lord Amarnath yatra.

In this picture, pilgrims are seen travelling either on ponies or on foot, to the holy cave of Lord Shiva during the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, in Pishutop, around 114 km southeast of Srinagar.

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A pilgrim carries a trishul as he chants religious slogans while trekking to the holy cave of Lord Shiva, in Pishutop.

Kashmiri porters carry a pilgrim on sedan during the annual Amarnath yatra, in Pishutop.

Pilgrims are seen trekking either on ponies or on foot alongside an icy stream during the annual Amarnath yatra this year.

BSF jawans keep vigil as pilgrims trek during the annual Amarnath yatra, in Pishutop.

Pilgrims travel along track besides glacier-fed stream during their annual pilgrimage to holy cave of Lord Amarnath.

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