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| Taller formation of snow Shiv lingam harbinger of peace, prosperity | | | Early Times Special Correspondent
Jammu | June 7
News Analysis
The natural formation of Snow Lingam of Bhagwan Shiva in the Amarnath cave shrine this year, with considerable height of 14 feet and the reports of its further growing in height and girth, has brought cheers on the faces of the devotees of Baba Amarnath, as well as the authorities in the SASB as also all those who have any stake in the successful conduct and promotion of the annual yatra in the high Himalayas.
In the backdrop of the snow lingam of Bhagwan Shiva, which is the chief motivating force for a very large number of people from all over the country undertaking hazardous journey on the high mountains, to pay obeisance at the sanctum sanctorum of Bhagwan Shiva, Mata Parvati and Ganesha, melting early, in the previous years disappointing the devotees, many of whom considered the phenomenon as a bad omen, the encouraging formation of snow lingam to its full size and the same not melting, rather growing with every passing day, is considered by the devotees and deeply religious minded people as harbinger of prosperity, peace and good days ahead. True to this belief, there are reports of the Kashmir valley and even the high mountainous areas in Jammu region this year poised for bumper crop of paddy as well as of fruits, particularly the apple crop. While the believers and religious minded people interpret it as the blessing showered on the people by Bolenath and his manifestation in the form of Snow Lingam of adequate size to bring all out boon and good days. While this is a matter of belief for the ardent believers in the miracles of God, the scientific interpretation of the high formation of Snow Lingam this year, accompanying with prospects of bumper crops is that the both are interlinked and the outcome of a single phenomenon of weather remaining extraordinary cool round this time of the year in the high Himalayan mountains, which had witnessed unusual heavy snowfall in the preceding winter, with heavy snow continuously falling till late February. The temperature in late May and even in the first week of June has remained below normal this year, which has led to the full formation of Snow Lingam of Bhagwan Shiva, his consort Mata Parvati and their sibling Bhagwan Shiva in the cave shrine, situated at a height of 13,500 feet above the sea level. The temperature there is registered as sub zero in the night and this has kept the size of Shiv Lingam growing.
The heavy snowfall witnessed during the winter last and cool climate even this time of the year has given rise to prospects of bumper paddy crop in the valley as well as in the paddy growing mountainous areas of Jammu region, according to the experts and authorities in the State Agriculture Department and Sher-i-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology. The Kashmir valley which has a total of 1,60,000 hectare of land under paddy cultivation is expecting the paddy production this year to touch the figure of 5 lakh metric tones. Similarly the production of the fruit crop particularly the apples this year is going to break all precious records according to the horticulture experts, who also predict a high quality apple crop. The heavy snowfall during winter, particularly in the late winter months, with snow remaining settled in the horticulture fields, serving as manure, is going to bring bumper fruit crop particularly the apple crop this year, without scab harming the apples.
The formation of Snow Shiv Lingam in full size and prospects of the same lasting till the end of the yatra on 16th August, has also brought cheers on the faces of the small traders both in Jammu and Kashmir, who are dependent for their livelihood on the pilgrims in large numbers during two month long yatra. In the previous two years early melting of snow had led to the downfall in the number of pilgrims visiting the shrine in the latter period of the yatra, even giving rise to cynicism that prolonging of the period of yatra to two months has not proved beneficial in any way. A year before last the yatra was mired with high controversy over tempering with the natural formation of snow lingam, while in the last year the snow lingam had melted even before the yatra officially started. A large number of pilgrims visiting the shrine and interfering with the natural formation of Shiv Lingam by applying vermilion on the same and burning incense near the lingam and using some heating devices inside the cave, was reported to be the cause for early melting of Lingam. Coupled with friendly cool weather this year, the steps taken by SASB to guard against any uncalled for activity and strictly prohibiting the visit of any devotee before the official start of yatra on June 18, is stated to be the reason behind formation of Shiv Lingam to extraordinary height. |
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