The pilgrimage destination of Amarnath shrine is located inside a cave in the Himalayas. The mythological and historical importance of this sacred place, according to mythology, is the fact that lord Shiva recounted the secret of creation and immortality to the Goddess Parvati in this cave. This secret of immortality is known as the amar katha and according to legend, lord Shiva made sure that no living being was around when he narrated this story to the Goddess Shiva.
According to common legend, a shepherd called Buta Malik first discovered this holy cave at Amarnath and ever since, this cave became an important centre of pilgrimage for the Hindus1.
1 S.Luckvinder Singh Sodhi, Monuments and Temples of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh (Kashmir, 2011), 80-81.