Hindu groups to view route to Amarnath pilgrimage
June 12th, 2011 - 2:24 pm ICT by IANS
Jammu, June 12 (IANS) Hindu groups will be given an aerial view of the snowbound trek to the Amarnath cave in Jammu and Kashmir in a bid to make them realize that the pilgrimage cannot start now.
The Baba Amarnath Yatra Niyas (BAYN) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) want the annual pilgrimage to start by June 15.
The state government disagrees and says it can start only on or after June 29 because heavy snowfall has made the mountain tracks slippery.
The government has finally decided to give the leaders of the two groups a helicopter ride so that they realize the risks.
An official told IANS that the Hindu groups needed to know the pace of the snow clearance operations.
These groups had threatened to go ahead with their plans despite Chief Minister Omar Abdullah declaring that he will not allow pilgrimage before June 29.
The government and the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) say the large volumes of snow on the tracks towards the shrine, located at a height of 13,500 feet, could pose serious dangers to the pilgrims.
The Amarnath shrine, in south Kashmir, attracts nearly half a million pilgrims every year.
- Amarnath pilgrimage: First prayers offered, but not at shrine - Jun 15, 2011
- Amarnath yatra too short, say religious groups - Feb 29, 2012
- Groups threaten to start Amarnath Yatra June 3 - May 19, 2012
- First Amarnath prayers offered, not at shrine (Lead) - Jun 15, 2011
- Hindu groups to go ahead with early Amarnath yatra - Jun 11, 2011
- Government, Hindu groups clash over Amarnath yatra - Jun 09, 2011
- Preparations for Amarnath pilgrimage begin - May 01, 2011
- Differences sharpen between Amarnath board, religious groups - May 12, 2012
- 'Amarnath yatra duration as per religious tradition' - Apr 15, 2012
- Amarnath pilgrimage unlikely to start June 29 - Jun 17, 2011
- Amarnath pilgrimage registration to commence Tuesday - May 09, 2011
- Over 200,000 pilgrims visit Amarnath Shrine - Jul 10, 2011
- Amarnath yatra dates decided on religious calendar, says shrine board (Lead) - Feb 29, 2012
- Amarnath pilgrimage to begin June 29 - Feb 18, 2011
- Amarnath Yatra: 300 Hindu activists detained in Jammu - Jun 03, 2012
Tags: aerial view, amarnath cave, baba, bayn, chief minister, clearance operations, half a million, heavy snowfall, helicopter ride, hindu groups, jammu and kashmir, kashmir, pilgrimage, pilgrims, shri, shrine board, snow clearance, south kashmir, vishwa hindu parishad, yatra