M.M.SHUJA
Every year, the Amarnath Yatra is arranged by the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board in collaboration with the Government of Jammu & Kashmir. Thousands of people from all over India perform this spiritual journey to get blessed by lord Shiva in the holy Amarnath Cave via the Baltal and Pahalgam routes. Transportation, boarding, lodging, security, medical services and food are all available for the pilgrims between the Jammu camp and the Himalayan shrine. Locals, especially those from the Valley who are majority Muslims, maintain this ancient tradition by providing hospitality to the pilgrims through Community kitchens (langars), volunteering help and assisting the administration at various points of the journey. It is one of the most beautiful traditions in Kashmir that showcases its community harmony and brotherhood.Just like every other year, this year’s 57 day yatra is being guarded by elaborate security arrangements. Pilgrims travel in escorted convoys between Jammu and Baltal/Pahalgam. Introduction of Vande Bharat trains between Jammu and Katra has made traveling much easier for thousands of pilgrims. The first few days of the Yatra saw devotees praising the Shrine Board, administration and other departments for organizing the yatra very well.
However, things took a different turn after reports started coming in on the sixth day of the Yatra about the naturally occurring ice Shivling within the sacred cave having melted. The news was shocking for the many pilgrims who traveled there.
They had made months of preparations and had come all the way from thousands of kilometers away after a whole year of waiting just to see the divine ice Shivling in person. “We came to Kashmir in great excitement,” a pilgrim at a base camp was quoted as saying. “The beauty of the Valley brought us happiness, but when we heard that the Shivling had melted, it was like our prayers had been left unanswered.” Another pilgrim, trying to stop his tears from falling, said, “Maybe Lord Shiva is not happy with us.” Whether seen through the point of view of faith or science, the premature melting of the ice Shivling has once again raised an important question about environmental protection.
Environmentalists argue that climate change, rising temperatures, unplanned development and increasing human activity in the fragile Himalayan ecosystem may all be contributing factors. They caution that extensive road construction, expanding infrastructure and a sharp increase in vehicular movement close to ecologically sensitive areas deserve careful scientific evaluation. Across the world, glaciers are shrinking and weather patterns are becoming increasingly unpredictable. Jammu & Kashmir has also witnessed several alarming natural disasters in recent years, including cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides. These events underline the vulnerability of the Himalayan environment. Many experts believe that pilgrimage management should prioritise ecological sustainability alongside religious convenience. Suggestions include limiting unnecessary vehicular movement near sensitive areas, enforcing strict environmental safeguards, improving waste management and ensuring that future development respects the carrying capacity of the region. Environmental Policy Group (EPG) Convener and noted environmentalist Faiz Bakhshi believes that every religion teaches respect for nature. “Since our land is home to saints and sufis who had always been at peace with the environment,” he says. “Amarnath Yatra has always stood for harmony among the communities & we need to preserve the spirit by preserving the environment. The natural disasters that have taken place in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and even in Doda, Shangus, Pahalgam should make us understand that there is a limit to nature. The pilgrimage needs to sustain itself with respect to environmental sustainability in the future.”
The current Yatra has seen a participation of nearly four lakh pilgrims. Though this huge number is a result of strong devotion towards religion, it has led to many administrative issues. The travel of large numbers of unregistered pilgrims on highways and railway stations has caused problems to both the registered pilgrims and people residing nearby. Stalling of vehicles under the hot summer sun for hours has put travellers through a lot of trouble. Many political personalities and social institutions have proposed that only those pilgrims who have been registered be allowed to travel to Kashmir from Jammu base camp.Environmentally related issues have also cropped up with regard to the pilgrimage routes. Cases of some tourists washing their clothes and throwing off waste in the pristine water of Lidder Nallah have upset the environmentalists and the locals. This activity endangers the invaluable natural resource and needs strict enforcement of the environmental laws. Early melting of the Amarnath Shivling should not be a matter of controversy alone. Rather, it should act as a wake-up call. Religious faith and environmental consciousness are not mutually exclusive entities. In fact, they go hand-in-hand. After the incident of the melting of the Shivling, many pilgrims continue their trek with great devotion. They remain faithful to their beliefs even though many of them are saddened that they did not get a chance to see the holy ice structure they came all the way to see. Himalayas are not just mountains; rather, they are divine landforms and very delicate eco-systems. It is the duty of everyone to protect these mountain ranges. Development should take into account the ecological balance to ensure that the coming generations do not get inherited with the damages instead of natural beauty. Reverence for nature is probably the greatest reverence for divinity.
Let us promise to keep Kashmir as a pollution and polythene free paradise. Each pilgrim can do his bit by keeping themselves and the environment clean and respecting the sacredness of the area. Only then will the pilgrimage to Amarnath be a pilgrimage to nature.
The author is Senior Journalist/ Human Rights Activist, can be reached at mmshuja@gmail.com
