Pahalgam, known as Pahalgom (Kashmiri pronunciation: [pəhəlʲɡoːm]; lit. ’village of shepherds’ in Kashmir) is a town, near Anantnag City in the Anantnag District of the Indian-administered Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a popular tourist destination and hill station. Its lush green meadows and pristine waters attract thousands of tourists from all over the world each year. It is located 45 kilometers (28 mi) from Anantnag on the banks of Lidder River at an altitude of 7,200 feet (2,200 m). Pahalgam is the headquarters of one of the eleven tehsils of the Anantnag district.
Pahalgam is associated with the annual pilgrimage to the shrine Amarnath Yatra. Chandanwari is located 16 kilometers (9.9 mi) from Pahalgam. The town is the starting point of the yatra that takes place every year in the months of July–August, receiving hundreds of thousands of tourists. Because of its religious significance and role as a base camp, the town attracts 70% of visitors to the valley. This flood of tourists overwhelms some of the local infrastructure, especially waste management in the town.
The name Pahalgam is derived from two Kashmiri words; Puheyl and Goam, wherein Puheyl means Shepherd and Goam means Village, this over time became Puheylgoam or Pahalgam. It is because the place acts as a gateway to many meadows & pastures and traditional Bakharwal communities settle in those places from spring season to pre-winter to herd their cattle. Hence the name “Valley of Shepherds” which it has been referred to as by various Governmental Bodies to exotify it and turn it into a brawling tourist hub.
