29-Mar-2024  Srinagar booked.net

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LG Urges Amarnath Pilgrims To Visit Shrine Before 5 August

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Srinagar: Citing wet weather prediction, the Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday urged the Amarnath pilgrims to perform the Hindu holy pilgrimage of Amarnath before August 5.

Talking to reporters after participating in the Chari Mubarakh Pooja at Akhara building in Lal Chowk, Srinagar, the LG said that MeT (metrological department has predicted more inclement weather in and around cave shrine and other parts of Kashmir after August 5.

“Given the erratic weather advisory, I would like to urge all the intending pilgrims of Lord Shiva to plan their visit to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath before August 5. Weather may turn more severe after August 5 as suggested by the MeT department,” the LG said.

He said that so far three lakh pilgrims from across the country have performed the pilgrimage in Kashmir valley.

“Pilgrims can go up to August 11 but due to the weather advisory, I appeal to all the intending pilgrims to perform visit before August 5,” the LG said.

He said that there has been heavy rainfall over the past many days in and around the cave shrine.

“The holy shiv lignum (stalagmite) is also not in its original position due to the heat wave,” he said.

Pertinently, this year, Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) was expecting a record number of pilgrims given the huge tourist arrivals.

However, post cloudburst at the cave shrine area on July 28 that left 15 pilgrims dead and 35 missing, dampened the spirit and the number of pilgrims started falling slowly.

Even though the bodies of all 15 dead were retrieved and those missing traced, the pace of pilgrims started fading away.

A SASB official said that weather played a big spoilsport in this year’s Yatra.

“After the cloudburst on July 28, the number of Amarnath Yatris started falling gradually. High temperature especially the heat wave followed by incessant rains resulted in the untimely melting of Shiv Lingum,” said an SASB official.

“Till August 11, a maximum of 50,000 pilgrims are expected for pilgrimage, if weather remains fair,” he said.  

The J&K government has already invited Surveyor of India for a thorough survey of areas in and around cave shrine of Amarnath and also to find out possible impact of July 28 cloudburst on the nearby streams and ponds.

The experts will also suggest ways and means of protecting human losses due to cloud bursts, flash floods, and other natural calamities at the cave shrine.

It is pertinent to mention that the government of India led by BJP (Bhartiya Janata Party) stripped J&K’s autonomous status and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two union territories on 5 August, 2019.

(KNO)