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Jammu,April 15 (Scoop News) - As per tradition, the annual Amarnathji Yatra concludes on the date on which Raksha Bandhan falls. Thus, last year the 46 day long Yatra commenced on 29th June and concluded on 13th August, the date of Raksha Bandhan. This year the duration of the Yatra has got reduced by 7 days as Raksha Bandhan is taking place 11 days earlier than last year i.e. on 2nd August 2012, even though the Yatra is scheduled to commence on 25th June 2012, four days earlier than last year. This position and other related factors were explained at length by Shri Navin Kumar Choudhary, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board when some media persons met him last evening.
The CEO recalled that the Shrine Board had set up a Committee, chaired by H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, to consider all relevant factors and recommend the basis on which the schedule and duration of the 2012 and subsequent Yatras could be settled. He further recalled that this Committee was specially set up consequent to an Agreement concluded by the Shrine Board in June 2011 with Baba Yatri Niyas and various other organisations which had raised issues about the basis on which the Shrine Board fixed the Yatra duration. The Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Committee comprised eminent religious personalities like Swami Avadeshanandji of Haridwar and Swami Gyaanandji of Vrindavan. The other important members of the Committee included Shri Y.V.Sharma, President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jammu; Dr. C.M. Raina, Assistant Professor Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, Jammu; Shri R.L. Bharti former Member J&K PSC; Sh. Prem Gupta former Inspector General of Police, Jammu and Shri R.K. Goyal, CEO of the Shrine Board. The Committee had held extensive consultations with the representatives of all stakeholders, over several months, before finalising its recommendations.
The CEO explained the various factors taken into consideration by the Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Committee and while responding to questions about the year to year variations in the duration of the annual Yatra, the CEO stated, by way of example, that in 2009 it had been initially announced that the Yatra would be for a period of 60 days along both the routes but, nearer time, the Yatra had to be curtailed to 51 days on the Baltal route and to 40 days on the Pahalgam route because of serious difficulties faced on account of adverse weather conditions and slow melting of the heavy accumulation of snow on the frozen tracks. The change in the Yatra schedule upset the journey schedules of Yatris from distant areas in the country and generated serious complaints from the pilgrims who had to forego their Railway and other bookings and face serious inconveniences. In 2010, a 55 days Yatra had been announced along both the routes but, again due to adverse weather conditions, it had to be reduced to 49 days, generating wide spread complaints from the affected pilgrims. Citing statistics, the CEO disclosed that during 1995-2003 the average duration of the Yatra was 29.5 days.
The CEO reiterated that, as per the parampara, the annual Yatra culminates on whatever date Raksha Bandhan falls. Thus, its duration in a given year can be 20-25 days longer or 20-25 days shorter than the duration in the preceding year, depending on the date in August on which Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandhan) is to be observed. It is, therefore, not possible to maintain a fixed duration of the Yatra every year. The CEO stressed that it was the bounden duty of the Shrine Board to ensure the safe, secure and smooth conduct of the arduous pilgrimage to the Holy Cave, located at an altitude of 13500 ft, which involves an extremely difficult climb across high mountain ranges, in altogether unpredictable weather conditions. In 2011 Yatra 107 pilgrims had lost their lives on the tracks or in the Camps. This has led the Shrine Board to decide that all those seeking to undertake this arduous Yatra in 2012 should be required to furnish a medical fitness certificate while seeking registration.
The CEO also explained that, as per experience gained in the past years, it is not at all feasible to work backwards and commence the Yatra in early/middle June as 25-30 ft deep frozen snow accumulations in the Yatra area take considerable time to melt and for the tracks to the Shrine to be cleared and declared safe. On past experience, the snow-melt assumes momentum from around early June and, if the weather remains generally fair and there are no fresh snow falls, it becomes possible for the tracks to the Holy Cave, passing across the 14000 feet high Mahagunas Pass, to be cut, cleared and repaired by the end of June/early July every year.
Source: Ground Report
The CEO recalled that the Shrine Board had set up a Committee, chaired by H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, to consider all relevant factors and recommend the basis on which the schedule and duration of the 2012 and subsequent Yatras could be settled. He further recalled that this Committee was specially set up consequent to an Agreement concluded by the Shrine Board in June 2011 with Baba Yatri Niyas and various other organisations which had raised issues about the basis on which the Shrine Board fixed the Yatra duration. The Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Committee comprised eminent religious personalities like Swami Avadeshanandji of Haridwar and Swami Gyaanandji of Vrindavan. The other important members of the Committee included Shri Y.V.Sharma, President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jammu; Dr. C.M. Raina, Assistant Professor Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, Jammu; Shri R.L. Bharti former Member J&K PSC; Sh. Prem Gupta former Inspector General of Police, Jammu and Shri R.K. Goyal, CEO of the Shrine Board. The Committee had held extensive consultations with the representatives of all stakeholders, over several months, before finalising its recommendations.
The CEO explained the various factors taken into consideration by the Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Committee and while responding to questions about the year to year variations in the duration of the annual Yatra, the CEO stated, by way of example, that in 2009 it had been initially announced that the Yatra would be for a period of 60 days along both the routes but, nearer time, the Yatra had to be curtailed to 51 days on the Baltal route and to 40 days on the Pahalgam route because of serious difficulties faced on account of adverse weather conditions and slow melting of the heavy accumulation of snow on the frozen tracks. The change in the Yatra schedule upset the journey schedules of Yatris from distant areas in the country and generated serious complaints from the pilgrims who had to forego their Railway and other bookings and face serious inconveniences. In 2010, a 55 days Yatra had been announced along both the routes but, again due to adverse weather conditions, it had to be reduced to 49 days, generating wide spread complaints from the affected pilgrims. Citing statistics, the CEO disclosed that during 1995-2003 the average duration of the Yatra was 29.5 days.
The CEO reiterated that, as per the parampara, the annual Yatra culminates on whatever date Raksha Bandhan falls. Thus, its duration in a given year can be 20-25 days longer or 20-25 days shorter than the duration in the preceding year, depending on the date in August on which Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandhan) is to be observed. It is, therefore, not possible to maintain a fixed duration of the Yatra every year. The CEO stressed that it was the bounden duty of the Shrine Board to ensure the safe, secure and smooth conduct of the arduous pilgrimage to the Holy Cave, located at an altitude of 13500 ft, which involves an extremely difficult climb across high mountain ranges, in altogether unpredictable weather conditions. In 2011 Yatra 107 pilgrims had lost their lives on the tracks or in the Camps. This has led the Shrine Board to decide that all those seeking to undertake this arduous Yatra in 2012 should be required to furnish a medical fitness certificate while seeking registration.
The CEO also explained that, as per experience gained in the past years, it is not at all feasible to work backwards and commence the Yatra in early/middle June as 25-30 ft deep frozen snow accumulations in the Yatra area take considerable time to melt and for the tracks to the Shrine to be cleared and declared safe. On past experience, the snow-melt assumes momentum from around early June and, if the weather remains generally fair and there are no fresh snow falls, it becomes possible for the tracks to the Holy Cave, passing across the 14000 feet high Mahagunas Pass, to be cut, cleared and repaired by the end of June/early July every year.
Source: Ground Report
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