Not long ago Abhi, fresh from watching Al Gore’s documentary, alerted us to the consequences of global warming for the subcontinent. And they are as dire as he predicted. In a crisis that has mobilized India’s High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) and Snow and Avalanche Studies Establishment (SASE), the Shiva lingam at Amarnath has failed to form this year. The glacier cover of the cave has receded by 100 meters, and there has been insufficient snowfall. At the onset of the annual pilgrimage season, when hundreds of thousands of pilgrims trek up to the cave to see the lingam, temple officials faced a major problem. Consider the two pictures below. The first shows the lingam in a normal year. The second shows the lingam site on May 6, 2006:
But when pilgrims and journalists arrived, a full five-foot lingam had mysteriously appeared in place even though there had been no snowfall. It was immediately evident that this lingam was a crude fake:
Though the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) on Sunday said the ‘lingam’ was natural like every year’s, it does not take more than a look at it to conclude otherwise. In the absence of a natural ‘lingam’, someone thought it was better to put together one so that pilgrims are not disappointed and the pilgrimage, like every year, earns the “success” tag. And indications are that the SASB was in the thick of action.
The Governor of Jammu & Kashmir was in on the cover-up:
The operation would have worked but for the lingam’s finish. The natural smoothness was not there and dirt and imprints (though partially covered by a fresh layer of snow) gave away the story.
Sources said in all probability J&K Governor S.K. Sinha too knew about the lingam as he chairs the SASB. He had himself seen the lingam twice — on May 16 and on June 11. Still, he kept quiet.
Now, with the media on the case, the SASB has changed its story, admitting the lingam was tampered with, but only because it formed smaller than usual:
In a fresh twist to the controversy surrounding the ‘Shivlingam’ in the Holy cave of Amarnath, the Chief Executive of the shrine board admitted that it was “tampered” with even as religious leaders and the saffron brigade demanded that the truth be made public.
“We received some complaints that some people had brought some snow and put on top of the usual Shivling. We don’t defend that but this is something which has happened in the past,” Arun Kumar, Chief Executive of the Shree Amarnath Shrine Board and Principal Secretary to the Jammu and Kashmir Governor said. …
He, however, was quick to add, “Our belief is that the Shivlingam has naturally formed howsoever small it maybe.”
The custodian of the holy mace is demanding an inquiry:
The custodian of Lord Shiva’s holy mace has termed as “sacrilege” the reported installation of an artificial ice ‘lingam’ in place of the naturally-formed structure at the Amarnath cave shrine and demanded a judicial inquiry.
“It appears to be an act of sacrilege if the ‘himlingam’ has been raised manually or mechanically as reported by a section of the media. Keeping in view the sentiments of devotees, I demand that a sitting Supreme Court Judge be appointed to find out the truth so that the guilty are punished,” ‘Charri Mubarak’ custodian Mahant Deependra Giri said on Sunday.
He expressed concern over an artificial, chemically-made ice ‘lingam’ being installed in the cave and sought the Centre’s intervention.
All jokes about shrivelled lingams aside, this is a pretty remarkable example of the effect of global warming and what we are doing to our planet. If I were Lord Shiva, I wouldn’t be pleased either.
That was Amardeep that sent out the alert 🙂
You know global warming is a serious problem when warm weather starts to cause shrinkage. Next thing you know cats will be mating with dogs. Nothing is safe.
What we are doing to Himalayas.
shrinkage….lol….George
VS Naipaul, already back in 1964 in his book “India: An Area of Darkness”, described the melting Shiva lingam.
Damn, where is the divine version of the little blue pill when you need it?
Abhi, slippery slope to the extreme. Nice.
It gives you an indication of the extent SpoorLam’s infiltration of the Mutiny that when I read the quote by the custodian above (“I demand…..” etc), I kept thinking of SpoorLam’s periodic proclamations and half-expected a “Hail Mogambo” at the end.
Terrible, I know. Damn you and your saffron ladoos, SpoorLam.
His description, in that book, of the countryside and the pilgrimage up to the cave is actually quite tender. It’s an enlivening contrast to the rather gloomy (but perceptive) picture he paints in the rest of the work.
By the way, CAD, I don’t recall the book title having that word “India” and that colon in it. I think the device was used in his other India books (India: A Million Mutinies Now” and “India: A Wounded Civilization”), but not this one.
Speaking of thwarted pilgrimages, I’m reminded of a story recounted by the art historian David Freedberg. He writes about a pilgrim to the Virgin of Rocamadour in Quercy, France.
The pilgrim, on completing the arduous trip, pushes her way through the throng and arrives at the chapel housing the figure of the virgin. What she finds there is a small, ugly little sculpture. What’s interesting is her reaction, “I could not believe it. After so long a journey, all I saw was a small ugly Madonna, with a supercilious look on her face. I was so angry with her!”
Not “angry with it” but “angry with her.”
Which makes me wonder if pilgrims, in this year or another, were angry with Shiva for, er, not keeping up his end of the bargain. Because that’s the real issue here, isn’t it? If Shiva had showed up with his A-game, the fake wouldn’t have been necessary.
One other thing: I wouldn’t be so quick to claim that this particular melting is due to global warming.
What would you attribute it to Mr. K?
Maybe instead of being angry at Lord Shiva, they’d be angry at the governments and systems that make a world in which his manifestation can’t be seen. And the powers that be knew that and were trying to prevent people from getting agitated about wider problems. Can’t have the people worrying about these things.
Oh, I wasn’t claiming that it isn’t global warming. I wouldn’t know either way. I’m just sounding a note of caution, that’s all. It could be, for instance, a manifestation of part of a natural cycle of temperature variation.
“STUNT COCK!”
i’m just glad this wasn’t automatically put into the humor category 🙂
on a cheerier note, it seems as if Lord Shiva is looking out for his devotees:
“Heavy rains and snowfall at various places along the track to the Amarnath cave shrine have once again forced suspension of the pilgrimage from both Baltal and Pahalgam routes. Official sources said today that snowfall and heavy rains had been recorded since yesterday afternoon at several places on way to the holy cave shrine from both shorter Baltal and traditional Pahalgam tracks, making them slippery and dangerous for trekking.”
or the state government has faked the snow 🙂
on an unrelated note, there were plans for a sufi music festival to kick off this year’s Amarnath Yatra for the first time, with Pakistani artists participating along with their Indian counterparts. i wonder if it was able to be held as planned.
Quick – send that Brazillian football fan up there!
Everyone seems to have turned into a 12 year old boy with the mention of a shrivelled lingam. 🙂
Jokes aside…Amarnath is so popular and the tourism as well as economical impact it has is no joking matter. I’m almost not surprised or angry that they came up with a stand in (no pun intended) lingam. Part of me also would want to spare those that blindly come every year to pay their respects, the sorrow of seeing it disappear. It’s about keeping faith…even if you have to employ faux means.
Oops, you’re right. Sorry.
But he did write about 3 pages (if memory serves me right) describing how Aziz(?) went to go see it, but returned and triumphantly announced that Shiva’s Lingam had been melted…
From what I’ve read on the issue, the number of pilgrims has risen from a few thousand in the early 90’s to half a million last year (thanks to all the pubicity given by terrorists in the form of threats). I am forced to think this “Blame it on Global Warming” argument is hollow – in my view, its more of a case of extra-zealous devotees f***ing up an ecologically fragile environment.
on a totally unrelated note- why was devdas upset?
…because both the women in her life were singing ‘dil do lare, dil do lare, …’
Hello every persons concerned to environment and the people who love Nature. The melting of the Siva Lingam in the Himalayas is a clear indication and the effect of Global warming. It is very sadful thing to be calm with the ciitizens and their duties. it is the time to save our planet and the responsibility of every environmentalist.. govt of all the nations. Rejuvination of the forests should begin. Other wise this culute which we think luxury in not at all at safe way. It is leading to the venomous results. So please respond. Go back to the forests…( Nature) Plant a tree… adopt a plant to save this planet… confine to real life… With Regards Gangi Setty S.
The cold hard facts of global warming (some call it global “weirdng”) are a sure sign that we are in for troubling days to come. All the world’s glaciers are melting away dramatically, and it is humanity that is directly causing it. I would love to take the trek to the Amarnath cave, and the beauty of the mountains would be a memory that would always male me remember Lord Shiva kindly and with respect.