Following public’s protest against its decision to ban chanting of mantras and bhajans in Amarnath cave, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday clarified that it did not impose any restriction in the cave shrine. It said that it has neither intended nor declared the entire area as a “silence zone”.
It said that the only restriction imposed was that any devotee or any individual should maintain silence while standing in front of the “Amarnath Ji Maha Shivling”, a natural formation in the cave.
A Bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said the restriction was not applicable to any other part, including the main stairs leading to the holy cave.
The tribunal also clarified that on the last stairs approximately 30 steps leading to the holy cave, it should be ensured that no pilgrim carries any material as it is already the practice of the shrine board.
There was no restriction of any kind below the stairs, it added. “The one way queue of visitors will be maintained at the shrine. These directions would be complied with by all concerned. This direction in our considered view is required to maintain the sanctity and pristine condition of the holy cave on the one hand, while on the other to ensure that there are no adverse impacts of noise, heat, vibrations etc upon the Amarnath Ji Maha Shivling, so that the pilgrims coming in the later part of the limited period available to the pilgrimage are also able to have the darshan of the shivling,” said the NGT.
The NGT directed its Registry to send the copy of this order to the secretary of the Ministry of the Environment and Forests, Chief Secretary of Jammu & Kashmir Gover-nment, CEO of the Amarnath Shrine Board and the local authorities of that area.
The green tribunal on Wednesday had declared the cave shrine as a “silence zone” and prohibited religious offerings beyond the entry point. “From the end point of stairs and area of the holy cave only shall be treated as silence zone,” the NGT had said in its order on Wednesday.
The tribunal had said the Amarnath Shrine Board should ensure that proper infrastructural facilities are provided to pilgrims so that they are not deprived of a clear ‘darshan’, and the ecology of the area is maintained.
NGT’s clarification on Thursday followed protests by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, which had termed its earlier order as a “Tughlaki fatwa” (whimsical whip). It had said that Hindus were not responsible for every ecological problem on earth.