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| Communalising the holy Shri Amarnath Yatra | | Curtailing Yatra Period | | Neha
JAMMU, May 9: The holy cave of Amarnath is one of the Lord Shiva's several abodes. It is situated at an altitude of 12,720 ft in south of Kashmir. It is the belief of the Hindus that Shiva is one of three supreme gods - Brahmaha, Vishnoo and Shiva. The pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave is an annual feature. It starts on Vyas Poornima and concludes on the day of Sharavan (Rakhi) Poornima. The traditional route is via Pahalgam, Chandanwari, Pissu Ghati, Sheshnag and Panjtarani. The distance between the holy cave and Srinagar is 141 kilometers. The cave is 32 kilometers away from Chandanwari. There is one more route leading up to the cave. It is via Sonamarg. It is also known as Baltal route. It is 16 kilometer long. It passes through Brari Marg and Sangam. The terrain is mountainous, difficult, snow bound and, even treacherous. Both the routes are known for their scenic beauty and natural glory. Weather conditions in the area always remain uncertain and the journey to the cave is both exciting and arduous.
Up to 1990, the number of pilgrims, who used to visit the holy shrine, ranged between 10,000 and 15,000 annually. The nineties was the period when the Indian economy grew substantially. This gave a boost to domestic tourism, particularly the pilgrimage tourism. The phenomenal rise of pilgrims to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine also took place around this period, as also to the Shri Amarnath Shrine. The pilgrimage to the Shrine was certainly a challenge to the government because of the rise of secessionist militancy. Massive security mobilization, the spiritual zeal of the devotees and the breath-taking landscape of the entire pilgrimage route ensured the continuation of the pilgrimage.
At the Amarnath cave, image of Shiva in the form of lingum is formed naturally of an ice stalagmite. This ice stalagmite waxes and wanes with the waxing and waning of the moon. By the side of this lingum, two more lingums are formed. One is of Parvati, wife of Shiva, and the other is of Ganesha, son of Shiva.
It is indeed unfortunate that certain intolerant forces and fanatics have communalized this holy yatra and injured the psyche of the millions and millions of devotees across the world. The most unfortunate part is the willingness of the Shri Amarnath Srine Board (SASB), which is headed by Governor NN Vohra, and certain elements in the establishment, to kneel under the jihadis' pressure and curtail the yatra period. The prevailing anger in Jammu and elsewhere in the country needs to be viewed in this context. The SASB would do well to respect the sentiments of the Hindus as the establishment does in the case of Haj and put an end to the controversy over the yatra period. |
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