By IANS

Jammu : The annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir will begin June 18 and last till Aug 16.

Governor, Lt Gen (retd) S.K. Sinha, who is also chairman of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) declared the dates at a meeting of the SASB in Jammu Thursday.

According to a spokesperson of the shrine board the Shivlingam, a natural ice stalagmite, is fully formed in the cave shrine, located at a height of 13,500 feet above sea level.

The spokesperson circulated a picture showing the full formation of the Shivlingam taken March 25, saying that global warming has not affected its formation.

"We feel encouraged by this development, which is a good omen for this year's pilgrimage," the governor said.

Nearly 400,000 pilgrims visit the shrine every year.