The spiritual journey to Amarnath cave shrine in South Kashmir continues with devotion and fervour, albeit the devotees have to rush again this time. It is supposed to be a 38-day Yatra which began on July 3 and concludes on August 9. The reason is that the fast melting ice of the ice Shivling is a problem.
In the holy cave shrine of Amarnath, where lakhs gather annually to pay homage to the ice Shivling believed to symbolise Lord Shiva, heatwave is dictating the pace of devotion. What was once an at least 60-day pilgrimage is increasingly being compressed into a frantic race against nature’s ticking clock as ice melts faster every year. On an average, the ice has endured for only 29 days over the past 6 years, reducing the pilgrimage duration by 50%.
Devotees who have managed to take the ‘darshan’ of ‘Baba Barfani’, are telling their relatives and friends to come fast and if they do, at their own risk as they may not be able to witness the Shivling in all its glory.
The Shivling is known to start manifesting during July to August, the Hindu month of Shravan. However, its fast disappearance every year is suggestive of the region’s increasing climate issue. The timeline of how long the ice lasted since 2018 corroborates this phenomenon.
In 2018, it melted in just 29 days after forming, by July 27. In 2019, the yatra was canceled due to terror threats.
In 2020, it formed by mid-June and had melted 80 per cent in 38 days, by July 23. The pandemic forced another cancellation in 2021.
In 2022, it lasted only for 28 days, till July 18. In 2023, it stayed for 47 days, by August 17.
But the most significant was 2024 when it vanished in just a week, by July 6.
According to The Indian Express, this shifting climate has stunned pilgrims, local workers and even seasoned security personnel in a season marked by the looming memory of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Officials at the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board have been quoted as saying they no longer attempt to predict how long the Shivling will last. A senior board member told The Indian Express, “Every year, the Shivling melts faster. Years ago, it would remain till August. The climate is unpredictable marred by heavy rain, sudden spikes in temperature. We can’t forecast what will happen. This will impact the Yatra in the future. We can only improve facilities, not change the weather.”
Mahagunas Top, which is 14,000 feet tall, which lies beyond Sheshnag, is one of the highest points on the route. According to legends, Lord Shiva left his son Ganesha here before ascending to the cave.
The pilgrims, as per the report, says it does not look anything like the myths. What once used to be covered in snow, lies bare, it has hardly rained in the past two months, they say.
The descent from Mahagunas Top to Panchtarni is also barren. Prof Irfan Rashid of Kashmir University’s Department of Geo-informatics told The Indian Express that one can still find glaciers if they trek towards the Amarnath cave but they are in a state of retreat.
He pointed out the last detailed geolocation surveys in this region were conducted in the 1980s by the Government and there is no systematic research in place at the moment, on how these glaciers are responding to climate change
“We are considering initiating a formal study this year,” he said, adding, “across the western Himalayas in Kashmir, over a hundred glaciers are retreating, their mass and area are shrinking. The meltwater eventually flows into rivers, but with less snow and ice, the long-term impact on water availability and agriculture will be severe.”
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