200,000 Hindus brave Islamic terror threats for Himalayan pilgrimage
Posted by jagoindia on June 21, 2008
200,000 Hindus brave terror threats for Himalayan pilgrimage
Wednesday, 18th June 2008. 3:37pm
By: Vishal Arora.
New Delhi: More than 200,000 Hindus, escorted by security personnel, will flock to the Amarnath shrine in the terror-torn Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir for the pilgrimage, which began today.
Amarnath, one of the most famous Hindu temples and believed to be 5,000 years old, is situated at 11,000 feet over sea level in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district, 141 km from state capital Srinagar.
Thousands of Hindus visit the shrine every year in the months of July and August to have ‘darshan’ (glimpse) of a stalagmite structure in the Amarnath cave that is considered an icon of Hindu god Shiva. According to Hindu mythology, Shiva told the secret of life and eternity to his divine consort Parvati in the Amarnath cave.
Separatist guerrillas have launched several attacks on Amarnath pilgrims earlier. The area is controlled by the Indian Army due to terrorism threats, and devotees need a permit from the government before making the pilgrimage.
Kashmir, the northern-most part of the country, is infamous for persistent bloodshed due to conflicts between India and Pakistan.
Besides terrorism threats, many accidents take place on the route, which includes a four-day uphill trek of 32 kilometres. Further, the weather conditions in the area are uncertain with possibilities of heavy rains and snowfall any time and the temperature falls below minus five degrees Celsius. End
