Experts raise red flags as iconic religious shrine melts ahead of major pilgrimage: 'The government must act urgently'
An iconic ice formation with deep significance in the Hindu religion melted before a popular pilgrimage visit.
The Amarnath ice lingam, a naturally formed stalagmite, has been melting earlier in recent years, prompting conservationists and devotees to take action.
What's happening?
As Down To Earth reported, environmental experts blame our planet's steadily warming climate for the untimely melting of this important ice formation.
The ice is located in a shrine in India's South Kashmir Anantnag District. It sits at an altitude of nearly 12,730 feet in the Himalayas. In the Hindu tradition, the shrine is a symbol of Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities of the religion.
Over 331,000 people visited the shrine as part of a traditional pilgrimage. However, almost none of them got to see the ice lingam because of its early melt. For the past five years, it has been melting by mid-July.
"This year, the lingam had already melted more than 50% before July 3," scientist Mutahara Deva said, per Down To Earth. "The government must act urgently to protect the glaciers and shrine ecosystem."
Why are melting ice formations significant?
The ice lingam holds deep spiritual significance in the Hindu religion, and its absence is disheartening to devotees who join the pilgrimage.
The formation's premature melting also raises alarm among scientists who see this phenomenon as a clear result of our overheating planet.
We are living in times where environmental changes are steadily destroying natural and cultural landmarks. Many of these places are deeply meaningful to Indigenous groups and have an impact on daily life.
In the Himalayan mountains and elsewhere, changing ice conditions are altering the way people live, work, and worship.
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What's being done to preserve cultural landmarks?
Our warming planet isn't just causing ice to melt but also extreme storms and abnormal weather patterns to form worldwide. Extreme weather events are supercharged by rising global temperatures, making them even more dangerous for communities.
These changes are primarily tied to human pollution, which is a significant cause for concern at the Amarnath shrine.
Climate experts and scientists in the region are calling for greater environmental oversight and legal accountability in the pilgrimage destination, per Down To Earth. As the number of annual pilgrims has increased, they have noticed more plastic litter and wider roads that create more dust and flash flood risks.
Pilgrimage trails were once narrow, but they are now wide enough for trucks to drive on. Scientists have noted biodiversity losses along the routes and harmful plastic trash that puts wildlife at risk. They have also suggested more conservation education for pilgrims, limits to the number of pilgrims allowed on the routes, and a ban on new roads.
At the local level, you can learn about critical climate issues where you live and volunteer your time and resources to improve them.
Meanwhile, individual changes like reducing your plastic use or installing solar panels on your home make a difference and set an example for others. These daily adjustments help protect natural resources and can even save you money in the long term.
Homeowners can make their homes more resilient in the face of extreme weather by installing a solar system. You can save up to $10,000 on solar installations by using EnergySage's free quote comparison tool.
You can also discuss climate-related news stories like the Amarnath ice lingam with people you know to raise awareness about global issues and support a deeper understanding of the growing climate crisis.
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