Pilgrims allege raising of artificial lingam at Amarnath cave

Baltal, July 5 (UNI) A few days after the melting of 'Shivalingam' in the holy shrine of Amarnath, several pilgrims today alleged that cave officials were ''misleading'' the devotees by describing an ''artificially-raised'' two-ft stalagmite as the main lingam.

However, the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), headed by Jammu and Kashmir Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha, denied any such attempt and rubbished the allegations.

Many pilgrims soon after their return from the holy cave shrine today told UNI that only a 'trishul (trident)' could be seen standing at the place where the main naturally formed phallus-shaped ice stalagmite of Lord Shiva (Shivalingam) existed some days ago.

A pilgrim from Delhi, Sameer Singh, said 'pujaris (priests) and security men deployed at the holy cave direct the devotees to what, according to him, seemed to be an artificially-raised ice-lingam.

He said this two-ft ice stalagmite was at a distance about five ft on the left side of the main 'Shivalingam'.

Singh's friend Anand Prakash, also from Delhi, said the priests and security personnel ''herd'' the pilgrims toward this ice-lingam.

''They claim that this is the main Shivalingam and tell us to offer prayers there,'' he added.

However, Prakash said the two other 'lingams' of goddess Parvati and Lord Ganesh were intact in the holy cave.

Singh also said the cave officials did not allow them to take the pictures of neither the 'lingams' nor the holy shrine.

Prakash said a large number of pilgrims were critical of mediapersons for their ''false and baseless reporting'' that the 'Shivalingam' had completely melted and disappeared.

However, he said on being asked about the ''fact'', several security personnel deployed at the holy cave admitted that the 'Shivalingam' had melted completely on July one.

The shrine board had also admitted that the 'Shivalingam' had completely melted and disappeared on July one.

When contacted, SASB spokesperson Madan Mantoo rubbished the allegations.

''When the entire world knows that the main Shivalingam has melted, how can we (board officials) or anybody else or for that matter priests say that the ice-lingam still existed. These are baseless allegations,'' he said.

UNI