2000 pilgrims stranded at Amarnath cave due to heavy rains

Srinagar, June 29 (UNI) About 2000 unregistered pilgrims have been stranded at the holy cave shrine of Amarnath due to heavy rains since yesterday afternoon, sources said today.

They said the devotees had started flocking to the holy cave shrine several days ahead of the official commencement of the two- month-long Amarnath pilgrimage from tomorrow.

The sources said pilgrims have been swarming to the holy cave on ponies, 'palkis', cots, choppers and by foot from both traditional Pahalgam and shorter Baltal routes.

Deccan Aviation Limited and Himalayan Heli Services have been operating daily chopper services for the pilgrims from Srinagar and Baltal for the past several days now.

The sources said thousands of pilgrim flocked to the holy cave shrine yesterday to have a glimpse of the ice 'Shivalingam', which has shrunk dramatically over the past few days and may disappear soon due to rising temperature.

The people have started early to catch a glimpse of the ice Shivalingam (the phallic symbol of Lord Shiva), which would not last too long as per the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB).

However, heavy rains lashed the area at 1500 hrs yesterday afternoon, resulting in thousands of pilgrims getting stranded at the holy cave shrine, the sources said.

They said the incessant rains forced the devotees to take shelter at camps set up by the security forces, the shrine board and the state government near the Amarnath cave.

The sources said the helicopter services could not be operated in view of the bad weather since yesterday.

There has been no let up in heavy rains in the periphery of the holy cave shrine, Baltal and Pahalgam since yesterday and reports received here said the area was witnessing downpour even today.

However, there was much joy and enthusiasm among the devotees and the authorities who thanked weather gods for the heavy downpour which has significantly brought down the temperature in the area.

Both the devotees and the authorities expressed the hope that the 'ice-lingam' may survive for slightly longer period now.

The ice 'Shivalingam' (the phallic symbol of Lord Shiva) was twelve-and-a-half feet in height and eight feet in circumference at the holy cave shrine on May 25, but has now ''dramatically'' shrunk and reduced to one-tenth of its size.

Even the SASB, headed by Jammu and Kashmir Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha, had said the 'ice-lingam' would not last long.

''It is too warm in the shrine vicinity. The premature melting due to rise in temperature is somewhat unusual,'' SASB Chief Executive Officer Arun Kumar said, adding global warming was one of the major factors for the early melting of 'Shivalingam'.

Hundreds and thousands of unregistered devotees have so far paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine ahead of the official commencement of the pilgrimage from tomorrow.

UNI