news details |
|
|
| Sri Sri supports longer yatra period | | | Founder of the Art of Living,Sri Sri Ravi Shanker,has favoured a two-month duration for the annual Amarnath Yatra.In support of his plea he has cited the growing rush of pilgrims to the holy cave after he found that so far over 5.50 lakh pilgrims have made it to the mountain cave,situated at a height of 13500 feet in eastern Kashmir.The Yatra is to end on August 13 and this means that there are still 18 days left for the pilgrims to trek to the abode of Lord Shiva and his consort,Parvati.Hence besides the Shrine Board even the state Government agencies hope that by the end of the yatra over six lakh pilgrims would have offered prayers in the cave.Yes,the current spell of peace is one of the factors responsible for the record number of pilgrims having visited the cave.In fact last year too a large number of pilgrims were slated to visit the cave but the five-month long civilian strife forced many to cancel their trip to Kashmir.
Out of the past experience it may not be wrong to say that thousands of pilgrims are so much keen to visit the holy cave that they remaind unmoved by threats from militants and by incidents of violence. The growing pilgrim traffic to the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi and to the Amarnath cave has started turning into economic succour for the people and the Government in Jammu and Kashmir.One cannot but agree with those analysts who say that 80 lakh pilgrims,who visit the shrine of Mata Vaishnov Devi round the year,bring cheer to the faces of traders,transporters,hoteliers,ponyweallas and porters and this very section earns a livelihood from the pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave.Unfortunately the pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave has,during the last eight years, remained shrouded in controversies.Invariably the successive state Governments have been in favour of a short duration pilgrimage,to be precise the state agencies want one-month long yatra.
This argument would have held water years ago.But not now because of the pilgrim figures swelling each year.Prior to the rise of militancy the pilgrim figures would not cross 10,000 to 20,000.Compare this with two to four lakh pilgrims registered annually during the last six years.In the context of this development the demand of the Shrine Board and various religious organisations for a minimum two-month yatra duration is justified.And this very yatra duration issue had strained the relations between the then Governor,S.K.Sinha and the former Chief Minister,Mufti Mohd.Sayeed.The Mufti had favoured shorter yatra duration because longer duration stressed security forces.Even some separatists had sided with the Mufti.Now Sri Sri Ravi Shanker has supported those who have been and who are in favour of a longer yatra duration.Yes,the yatra duration usually depends on the weather related vagaries.But one thing is clear that when the duration is shorter and the pilgrim rush is heavy it creates a situation in which between 5,000 and 10,000 pilgrims leave Jammu for Pahalgam.That way pilgrims are bound to suffer inconvenince and hardships.This is what one has witnessed during the ongoing yatra when 82 pilgrims died enroute the cave.This could have been prevented had the Government taken in hand adequate measures.Hence efforts need to be made for fixing a longer yatra period which could facilitate a hassle-free pilgrimage.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
