M A I N   N E W S

Mahant quits as member of Amarnath Shrine Board
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 15
Mahant Deependra Giri, custodian of Chhari Mubarak or the holy mace of Lord Shiva, here today announced his decision to disassociate himself from the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) over this year’s controversy on artificial Shivalingam. He had been associated with the board, headed by the state’s Governor, as one of its members since it had been constituted in 2001.

Addressing a press conference at the Akhara building here today, Mahant Giri said that “raising of an artificial Shivalingam at holy cave this year, reported by electronic and print media had hurt sentiments of the pilgrims”. The reports of an artificial ice lingam or the stalagmite at the holy cave shrine of Amarnath came to light in June this year, within a week after the annual pilgrimage started on June 11. The Mahant, however, did not give any immediate reasons for his decision to quit, even as the Justice K.K. Gupta Committee had submitted its report on the controversy before the conclusion of two-month-long yatra. The Governor as chairman of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, had appointed Justice K.K. Gupta to inquire into the reports of the raising of an artificial ice lingam at the holy cave, who submitted his reports early last month.

The Mahant also referred to the recent reports about the decision of the SASB to make the yatra a year-long affair saying that a requisition to DRDO and IIT, Delhi had been sent “for expert services regarding refrigeration of Hima Lingam”. He added that no such decision of the board was in his knowledge as one of its members. Mahant Giri held that he had “disassociated himself from this decision of the board because he considers it to be an act against the age-old tradition and against the sanctity of the yatra. In view of these happenings and developments he resigns and disassociates from the membership and the affairs of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board”, it was stated.

Referring to various developments regarding the artificial lingam, the Mahant said that he had already expressed serious concern over the whole episode and demanded a judicial inquiry by a sitting Supreme Court Judge. He blamed the SASB for the artificial lingam adding that the board had admitted that “dry ice was procured indeed but not for raising an artificial Shivalingam but for cooling the cave”. He said that there were some other reports hurt sentiments of the pilgrims.