No mantra or bells, Amarnath shrine is silent zone, says NGT
In an earlier hearing in the case, the tribunal had suggested this to prevent avalanches, noise pollution; next hearing on Jan 18
NEW DELHI/JAMMU: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday declared the Amarnath shrine a “silent zone”, and barred the chiming of bells or chanting of mantras in the areas surrounding the famed cave shrine to preserve its eco sensitivity.
The Amarnath shrine, located in the Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir, is visited by lakhs of people during the pilgrimage season in the monsoon.
The decision came following the tribunal’s earlier hearing when it suggested that the shrine be declared a silent zone to prevent avalanches and noise pollution.
The bench, headed by NGT chairperson justice Swatanter Kumar, also directed officials to remove the iron rods and grilles installed inside the Amarnath cave so that pilgrims can get a better view of the shrine.
“All the parts of stairs and surroundings of the holy cave shall be declared a silent zone,” the tribunal said, adding that “no chanting of mantras inside the cave and surrounding areas shall be allowed”.
The bench also said that pilgrims shall be allowed inside the cave in a single file.
Furthermore, the bench directed the authorities concerned to ensure that mobile phones and food offerings like coconuts are not allowed inside the holy cave. It asked the Sri Amarnath Shrine Board to construct a place where pilgrims can keep their valuables.
“Nobody would be permitted to carry anything from the stairs leading to the holy cave and everybody should be properly frisked at the entry point. From the point of stairs and the area inside the cave should be declared silence zone,” the bench said.
The green tribunal also directed the committee of
THE BENCH ALSO DIRECTED OFFICIALS TO REMOVE THE IRON RODS AND GRILLES INSTALLED INSIDE THE AMARNATH CAVE SO THAT PILGRIMS CAN GET A BETTER VIEW OF THE SHRINE
experts headed by an additional secretary of the Union ministry of environment and forests (MOEF) to submit an action plan on providing facilities to the pilgrims within three weeks.
Environment activist Gauri Maulekhi, on whose plea the directions were passed, welcomed the NGT order and termed it “progressive”.
“The Amarnath cave is located in a delicate ecosystem. The directions would make the Amarnath Yatra safe and convenient for the devotees. This would protect the shrine from degradation and ensure it is protected for the coming generations. It is indeed a very good and progressive direction,” Maulekhi told the Press Trust of India.
The matter will be heard again on January 18, 2018.
In November, the NGT rapped the Amarnath Shrine Board for not providing proper infrastructural facilities to pilgrims going to the cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, saying it could not “deprive people of proper darshan”.
The green panel took exception to non-compliance with the directions issued by the Supreme Court in 2012 and asked the board what steps it had taken in all these years.
The bench directed the experts committee to submit report on aspects such providing a proper path and declaring the cave shrine a “silence zone” while maintaining cleanliness in the area. ATTACK ON RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTS: VISHWA HINDU PARISHAD Meanwhile, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has termed the tribunal’s order as a “weird and direct attack on the religious sentiments of Hindus”.
Jammu and Kashmir VHP president Leela Karan Sharma said, “This is totally wrong. It is a direct attack and interference in our religion. We won’t tolerate this autocratic direction.”
He added: “Whether chanting religious hymns and slogans cause any noise pollution? Has the NGT banned azaan? We take strong exception to NGT’S weird direction. No interference in our religion shall be tolerated.”
Jammu and Kashmir governor NN Vohra is the chairperson of the Sri Amarnath Shrine Board.
Despite repeated attempts, his principal secretary Umang Narula could not be contacted for a response on the green tribunal’s order.