Ban on chants, chimes at Amarnath shrine

New Delhi, December 13

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday declared the Amarnath shrine a “silent zone”, and barred the chiming of bells and chanting of mantras in the eco-sensitive areas surrounding the famed cave shrine.

The Amarnath shrine, located in the Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir, is visited by lakhs of pilgrims during the pilgrimage season in the monsoon.

The bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar also directed officials to remove the iron rods and grills installed inside the Amarnath cave so that pilgrims could get a better view of the shrine.

“All the parts of stairs and surroundings of the holy cave shall be declared a silent zone,” the bench directed.

“No chanting of mantras inside the cave and surrounding areas shall be allowed,” the bench said, adding that pilgrims shall be allowed inside the cave in a single file.

The bench directed the authorities concerned to ensure that mobile phones and food offerings like coconuts were not allowed inside the holy cave. “No committee or authority can sit on the implementation of these directions,” the bench declared. The tribunal, which on November 15 appointed a committee to look at environment protection during the annual Amarnath yatra, asked the authorities to ensure that the directions come into effect before January 18, the next date of hearing. This year the pilgrimage to Amarnath shrine saw over 2.6 lakh pilgrims over 40 days between June 29 and August 7. Over 200 steps lead to the cave at 3,888 metres from the base camp sites. — IANS