Holy mace custodian resigns from Amarnath board

Srinagar, Sept 15: The custodian of the holy Mace of Lord Shiva, Mahant Deependera Giri, has resigned from the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), headed by Jammu and Kashmir Governor Lt General (Retd) S K Sinha.

''I have resigned and disassociated myself from the membership and the affairs of the SASB,'' Mahanat Giri told a news conference here this afternoon.

''I will continue to work in my own capacity to maintain the sanctity of the annual pilgrimage of Amarnath ji,'' he said.

When asked about reasons behind his resignation, Mahant Giri said there was a media report that SASB has taken a decision to allow the Amarnath pilgrimage throughout the year and requisitions for this has already been sent to DRDO and IIT, Delhi for expert services regarding refrigeration of Him Lingam.

I disassociate myself from this decision because I consider it an act against the age old tradition and the sanctity of the yatra which is being held in the month of Shravan (July-August) for centuries, he said.

Mahanat Giri had accepted the offer to be a member of the SASB when it was formed in 2001.

He said raising an artificial Shivlingam at Holy cave shrine this year has badly hurt the religious sentiments of the devotees. Every development thereafter led to suspicion one after another, he added.

He said after protests by the pilgrims, the SASB admitted to have procured dry ice from a factory not for raising an artificial Shivlingam but for cooling the cave.

This admission, he said, surprised all including him. The SASB had never taken any such decision to procure dry ice, he said.

In reply to a question, he said he was of firm opinion that this annual pilgrimage should be conducted during the month of Shravan only as per the age-old religious customs and traditions.

He also said how a private television channel showed two people moving on the sanctum sanctorum with their shoes on thereby hurting the religious sentiments of the pilgrims on June 28 this year.

The artificial Shivlingam controversy affected the pilgrimage rush this year as only three lakh devotees from different parts of the country and abroad visited the cave as against five lakh last year.

UNI