A SECOND AMARNATH FOUND
All Parties Migrants Coordination Committee (APMCC) activists, led by Chairman Vinod Pandit, along with local populace of Karwa village, including Muslims, scaled the mountainous track in the Pir Panjal range to the newly discovered cave of Lord Shiva which became the focal point on the first Navratra, as scores of devotees offered prayers at the 11,500 feet high shrine.
The cave, housing Amarnath like rare Shiv Lingams was discovered by Khurshid Chopan, on being directed by the Lord in his dreams. The excitement of the devotees, who converged on Banihal town and walked all the way to Karwa village to reach the cave shrine, was uncurtailable when they learnt the story of how the cave was found.
Speaking on the occasion, Pandit said that the mention of these kind of caves was also there in 'Neelmat Purana' and in Kalhana's 'Raj Tarangni' (a chronicle of the Kings of Kashmir), indicating that this cave might be thousands of years old. "It is a rare cave where Shiv lingams are formed exactly like the Amarnath, the only difference being that these Lingams are permanent in physical structure," APMCC spokesperson, King C Bharti, said.
"It was due to these kind of rare religious heritage of Kashmiri Hindus that we are demanding immediate passing of Temples and Shrines Bill," he added. The Bill, 'Jammu and Kashmir Hindu Shrines and Religious Places (Management and Regulation)', aimed at proper management of the Hindu shrines and religious places was introduced in the state Assembly on March 9, 2009.
The Assembly has sent the Bill to Select Committee of the House. Bharati, meanwhile, regretted that even after so much media coverage and clear apprehensions of some departments, the local administration has still not taken any step to protect and preserve this rare cave of Lord Shiva.