SASB regrets controversies over Amarnath yatra

Srinagar, July 6: The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) today termed ''unfortunate'' the raking up of controversies over the annual Amarnath pilgrimage for the past four years, saying the vested interests were circulating ''misleading information'' over its duration, the ice 'Shivalingam' and the use of helicopters.

The board, headed by Jammu and Kashmir Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha, sought to clarify the allegations being leveled against it.

A SASB spokesman regretted that an ''eminent holy man'' such as Mahant Deependra Giri, the custodian of Charri-Mubarak Swami Amarnath (holy mace of Lord Shiva), who used to manage the pilgrimage prior to the setting up of the shrine board in 2001, has been ''pro-active'' in this controversy.

He said the Mahant, who had been appointed a member of the board, was given Rs 1.2 crore as one time compensation by the SASB as per the award of the Tribunal.

''His (the Mahant's) request for additional facilities could not be conceded by the board. In 2006, he issued statements against the Board on the issue of two-month-long pilgrimage and alleged that the ice-lingam was artificial,'' the spokesman added.

He said the Mahant did not raise these issues in the board even when he was a party to the decision on extending the duration of the pilgrimage to two months.

The spokesman said the SASB was constrained to issue him a show cause notice for anti-board activity on September 11, 2006. He chose to resign from the board on September 15, 2006 without stating any reasons for doing so, he added.

On melting of ice-lingam, the spokesman said for the past about 20 years it has been melting within about two weeks of the start of the pilgrimage even when it used to be for one month only.

Ever since its constitution, the SASB has been gravely concerned about the matter and wanted to provide greater satisfaction to the pilgrims by ensuring that the naturally formed phallus-shaped ice stalagmite of Lord Shiva (Shivalingam) remained intact.

''A technological solution was sought to be found. Various proposals were considered which included adopting the ice skating rink technique, refrigeration inside the holy cave, putting frozen brine trays, air curtain and radiant cooling panels,'' he added.

The spokesman said these proposals were discussed at various board meetings in which the Mahant was present. ''Experiments were carried out at Mumbai, Srinagar and Gulmarg. It was felt that radiant cooling panels provided the best option. A division bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, however, ordered a stay on the use of these panels,'' he added.

In 2006, the ice-lingam formed very late in the last week of May and was of small size, the spokesman said, adding to preserve it, bags of dry ice were obtained to be placed at the mouth of the holy cave to keep the temperature down. ''The Mahant accused the board of raising an artificial lingam. This led to a widespread controversy. An inquiry by a retired High Court Judge was instituted, which clarified that the board had not tampered with the Shivalingam in any manner,'' he said.

Subsequently, the spokesman said a petition filed against the board in the High Court on the issue was also rejected. In 2007, again a controversy has arisen over the ice-lingam, he added.

An ice-lingam had formed in the holy cave which could be seen on March 27 and again on June 9, but it was very thin at the top and progressively reducing in size, he said, adding by June 30, when the pilgrimage was to be inaugurated, the lingam had melted completely.

''The board is now being accused of failure to prevent the melting of the lingam. Well before the commencement of the pilgrimage, a large number of people have to go to the holy cave for making preparations. These include security personnel, track and steps repairing parties, langarwalas, tentwalas and so on.'' However, the spokesman said the board had issued an advisory to the pilgrims not to proceed to the holy cave before June 30 and urged the police to establish checkpoints at Domel and Chandanwari on the routes from Baltal and Pahalgam.

As per practice for several years now, the service pilgrims were entitled to visit the holy cave shrine 10 days ahead of the commencement of the pilgrimage, he added.

The spokesman said it was now alleged that some security men and others tampered with the lingam while offering prayers inside the holy cave with 'lamps' and 'agarbatis (incense sticks)'.

It was also alleged that a large number of helicopter sorties were being flown to the holy cave and all this believed to have caused the premature melting of the lingam, he added.

''The fact is that there was a heat wave in June in Kashmir which has been the primary reason for the early melting of the ice-lingam.

If any security personnel had indulged in any non- permissible act while offering prayers, the matter will be investigated by the state government and suitable action taken,'' the spokesman said.

Reports that the board has blamed the state government for early melting of the ice-lingam were totally false, he said, adding the SASB has been receiving full co-operation from the state government.

The spokesman said formation or melting of the lingam was primarily connected with natural phenomenon such as global warming, shifting of glaciers as revealed by satellite pictures taken in 2006 and earthquake of 2005 which may have affected the seeping of water from the glaciers to the holy cave through layers of rocks.

''It is the cumulative effect of all these as also the body heat of pilgrims paying obeisance at the holy cave which lead to the melting of the ice-lingam,'' he added.

Referring to the allegations about helicopters contributing to the melting of ice-lingam, the spokesman said even before choppers started flying to the holy cave from 2004 in an organised manner, the 'Shivalingam' used to melt after about two weeks of the commencement of the pilgrimage. ''The helicopter service was a great boon for the aged and infirm to have darshan (glimpse). No helicopter flies over the holy cave.

The board has blocked two helipads closest to the cave shrine and established heliports, 500 mt away. In the long term, a ropeway system is also under consideration as existing at Gulmarg and feasibility report for it has been prepared by RITES,'' he added.

On the duration of the pilgrimage, the spokesman said it used to be of one month culminating on the Raksha Bandhan day.

According to the Hindu calendar, 2004 was a 'malmas' year with two Shravan months. In view of this, the board approached the state government to allow a two-month pilgrimage that year, he added.

''The then state government opposed this. A public controversy got generated on this issue and four Ministers in the state Cabinet resigned on this account. The Mahant, as one of the spokespersons of the board, addressed a news conference in 2004, demanding a two- month pilgrimage which was ultimately for all practical purposes conceded by the state government,'' the spokesman said.

After experience gained in management of the two-month-long pilgrimage in 2004, the board decided making it a regular feature.

''This decision was taken on the basis of three considerations.

First, in one-month pilgrimage there was a tendency for a large rush of devotees in a short period making its management difficult. There was also the attendant risk in such cases of high casualties in event of a national calamity as in 1996,'' the spokesman said.

In the two-month pilgrimage, he said the daily rush of devotees get spread over a longer period making it more manageable. Second, with the increasing popularity of the pilgrimage, the number of devotees wanting to pay obeisance had increased immensely from a few thousands to 3-4 lakh in a year, the spokesman added.

Third, he said with the improvement of the Baltal track, pilgrims in large numbers had started going up to the holy cave soon after the melting of snow and well before the official date for the commencement of the pilgrimage.