The Hindu : National : Amarnath mahant quits shrine board

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Saturday, Sep 16, 2006
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Amarnath mahant quits shrine board

Shujaat Bukhari

Move follows artificial ice lingam controversy this year

SRINAGAR: Mahant Deependra Giri, Mahant Charri-Mubarak Swami Amarnath, on Friday resigned as member of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) following the artificial ice lingam controversy this year.

However, an inquiry commission, headed by a retired High Court Judge K.K. Gupta, recently absolved the board of the charges.

"I have decided to disassociate myself from the board. I had accepted the offer to be a member when it was formed in 2001 to make the maximum contribution for the betterment of the annual pilgrimage of Swami Amarnath Ji," Mahant Giri said in a statement here.

"Religious sentiments hurt"

"Raising an artificial Shiv lingam at the holy cave this year, reported by both electronic and print media, has badly hurt the religious sentiments of the pilgrims. Every development thereafter as reported by the media led to suspicion one after another."

In an apparent reaction to the explanation sought by the SASB, headed by Governor S.K. Sinha, on why he sought a probe, the Mahant said: "I think I don't need to reply to the show-cause notice, dated September 13, as I have resigned from the board."

Referring to the controversy, he said a national daily published a story on June 30, going deep into the issue and printing a letter sent by the SASB on May 20 to procure dry ice.

When the letter came to light, the SASB admitted for the first time that dry ice was procured not for raising an artificial lingam but for cooling the cave.

Board admission

"This admission by the board surprised all, including Mahantji, and further hurt him as he is also one of the members of the board, which never took any such decision for procuring ice to create an artificial atmosphere in the cave to preserve the Shiv lingam in the light of the J&K High Court direction not to undertake any such activity of artificial preservation of the Shiv lingam," said a spokesman for the Mahant.

Pilgrimage extension

In 2004, when two months of `Shravan' came up, the Mahant demanded extension of the annual pilgrimage to two months. But he made it clear that the arrangement was only for that year.

The Mahant was of the opinion that the annual pilgrimage should be conducted during the month of "Shravan" only as per the age-old religious customs and traditions. He had been advocating it time and again.

Even as he has disassociated himself from the Board, he would, however, continue to do on his own all that might be required to maintain the sanctity of the annual pilgrimage of Amarnath, the spokesman said.

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