Amarnath Yatra will not happen this year

Baba Barfani has melted more than half…

Amarnath Yatra will not happen this year

There will be no Amarnath Yatra this year. The decision to cancel the yatra was taken in an important meeting between the Shrine Board, Local Administration, CRPF-Police and Lieutenant Governor on Tuesday. On July 5, Lieutenant Governor GC Murmu of Jammu and Kashmir had his first darshan in the holy cave. He said that it is difficult to travel under the circumstances due to Corona. He also released a press release three months ago in April, which would later be withdrawn, for the visit would not take place. On August 5 last year, just before the removal of Article 370, the government stopped the Amarnath Yatra citing security. On 3 August 2019, the government issued a decree to return tourists from Kashmir, including the Amarnath pilgrims. By then more than 3 lakh pilgrims had visited Amarnath. Meanwhile, more than half of the snow Shivling of Baba Barfani has melted. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh visited Amarnath on July 18. 

Most of Baba Barfani's Shivling was seen melted in the pictures that were revealed that day. If there was a visit, it would have run till Rakshabandhan i.e. 3 August. And this is not the first time the Shivling has melted before Rakshabandhan. In the last several years, the Shivling has melted as 15 days of July passed. However, the reason for this was told to the crowd of passengers. This time there is no rush of travelers in Amarnath and there has been more snowfall in winter. Despite this, the Shivling of Amarnath Baba has melted quickly. Every year, lakhs of pilgrims visit Baba Amarnath in the holy cave, located at an altitude of 14 thousand feet from Pahalgam and Baltal. Most of the devotees complete this journey on foot which is completed for three days from Pahalgam route and one day from Baltal route to the cave. It has always been challenging for the administration to complete this journey. 

Be it the health issues of the people or the issue of safety. Thousands of paramilitary personnel are deployed for the journey. This year too, the army had feared a terrorist attack on the yatra. The army had inputs that militants could target Amarnath pilgrims. Last Friday itself, the statement came from Brigadier VS Thakur, Rashtriya Rifles sector commander, that the terrorists were plotting to target the yatra on the National Highway. Due to Corona, the administration has also decided to close all religious places in Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile, the administration has once again imposed a lockdown in view of the increasing number of corona positive patients in Srinagar. According to previous reports, in a day, 500 passengers were being prepared to leave only the Baltal route for the Amarnath Yatra. 

However, it was then decided not to get it done on Tuesday. Doctors believe that the way to go to Amarnath, there is a difficult climb which causes problems like breathlessness even for healthy people. In such a situation, the risk of corona infection reaches that area will increase significantly. According to Dr. Khawar Achakzai, if a single passenger gets an infection, then it can spread uncontrollably in that area. High altitude is low in oxygen, so if there is a corona patient there, it can raise medical crises. Even asymptomatic patient can convert to asymptomatic. Recently, a petition related to the Amarnath Yatra was filed in the Supreme Court. On which the court gave the decision to leave the issue to the local administration. Meanwhile, Doordarshan is broadcasting live Aarti in Amarnath cave in the morning and evening.