NEW DELHI: In a bid to preserve the eco-sensitive Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, the National Green Tribunal on Wednesday declared it a "silence zone" and prohibited chanting of 'mantras' or 'jaykaras', or ringing of bells in the shrine. A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said the Amarnath Shrine Board should ensure that proper infrastructural facilities are provided to the pilgrims so that they are not deprived of a clear 'darshan', and the ecology of the area is maintained.
The NGT had earlier asked the committee to consider declaring the area around the Amarnath Shrine cave as "silence zone" to prevent avalanches and ensure there is the prohibition on carrying of religious offerings inside the cave to maintain its pristine nature.
The Amarnath Shrine Board had faced the wrath of the National Green Tribunal for not providing proper infrastructural facilities to pilgrims going to the cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, saying it can't "deprive people of proper darshan".
"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. "You are giving priority to commercial activities over pilgrims. This is unfair. The sanctity of the shrine has to be maintained but you can't deprive people of proper darshan," a bench added.
The green panel ordered the removal of iron grills in front of the ice stalagmite resembling the 'Shiva Linga' so that devotees could get a better view of it and said there should be no noise pollution near the sacred structure. It also restrained carriage of personal belongings including mobile phones beyond the last checkpoint and asked the shrine board to construct a place where pilgrims can keep their valuables.
The green panel also directed the committee of experts headed by an additional secretary of the 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 said.