First picture of Baba Barfani emerges ahead of Amarnath Yatra 2026

The first picture of this year’s naturally formed ice Shivling, revered as Baba Barfani, has been released from the sacred Amarnath cave in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district. The ice formation, which is believed to represent Lord Shiva, appears every year inside the high-altitude cave shrine and marks the beginning of spiritual anticipation for the annual pilgrimage.