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,
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
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.
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