Amarnath shrine board admits ice 'Shivalingam' melting

Srinagar, June 26 (UNI) The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), headed by Jammu and Kashmir Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha, today admitted that the ice 'Shivalingam' (the phallic symbol of Lord Shiva), had started melting due to an increase in temperature.

Reacting to a UNI report, SASB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Arun Kumar admitted that the ice 'Shivalingam', which had fully formed this year due to heavy snowfall, was melting due to hot weather within the holy cave periphery.

''It is a normal phenomenon. Weather affects the shape and size of the ice-lingam. I had visited the holy cave shrine with the Governor on June 9 and again yesterday. While the height of the ice lingam is almost the same, its girth has decreased,'' he said.

The CEO said it has been witnessed for the past several years that the 'lingam' does not exist on the Raksha Bandhan day.

Dr Kumar said the shrine board could not to do anything in this regard as the weather played an important role in maintaning the shape and size of the ice 'Shivalingam'.

''Last year's experience was not good. The process of getting snow from Delhi to lower the temperature in the cave is tedious.

Besides, a controversy had also erupted over it. The Jammu and Kashmir High Court is also hearing a case on the alleged tampering of lingam. We cannot do anything about it this year,'' he added.

A UNI report from Baltal yesterday quoted a pilgrim, Surinder Kumar, who said that the ice-lingam was melting due to hot temperature in the cave vicinity.

The pilgrim had returned from the holy cave shrine on Sunday after having 'darshan (glimpse)' of the lingam.

Mr Kumar, who along with three others paid obeisance at the shrine on June 23, said the ice-lingam could melt further if there was no change in the unusual above normal temperatures.

Official sources said the ice-lingam was about 15-16 ft in the first week of June due to heavy snowfall in the last week of March, but had now reduced to only 8-10 ft.

UNI