Entire area inside Amarnath cave not silence zone: NGT

The NGT, however, said that this restriction will not apply to the daily “aarti” that is performed.

The National Green Tribunal on Thursday clarified that it had not declared the entire area inside the Amarnath cave shrine as a “silence zone.” The tribunal said that the “only restriction” it had placed on devotees or anyone is that they should maintain silence while standing in front of the “Amarnath Ji Maha Shivling” which it said was a “natural formation in the cave”. The NGT, however, said that this restriction will not apply to the daily “aarti” that is performed.

The bench headed by the NGT chairperson said that the restriction was “not applicable to any other part, including the main stairs leading to the Holy cave.” Further, the bench noted in an order, “On the last stairs proximately 30 steps lending to the holy cave, it should be ensured that no person/pilgrim/ devotee carry any material as it is already the practice of the Board.” It also said that the one-way queue of visitors or pilgrims will be maintained at the shrine.

“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 Amarnath Ji Maha Shivling,” the bench said.

The tribunal had on Wednesday declared the cave shrine a “silence zone” and prohibited religious offerings beyond the entry point. It had also said that 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. “From the end point of stairs and area of the holy cave only shall be treated as silence zone,” the Wednesday order said.

The NGT’s clarification followed protests by Vishwa Hindu Parishad which had termed the bench’s earlier order a “Tughlaki fatwa”. It had said that Hindus were not responsible for every ecological problem on earth.