Huge Heatwave In Kashmir Impacts Amarnath Yatra, Causes Speedy Melting Of Ice Shivling Inside First 10 Days

A large heatwave in Kashmir has affected the annual Amarnath Yatra, inflicting the speedy melting of the naturally shaped ice Shivling, the image of Lord Shiva, inside the first 10 days of the pilgrimage.
The early melting of the ice Shivling on the Amarnath cave shrine this yr is attributed to a extreme heatwave in Kashmir. It has considerably impacted the annual Amarnath Yatra.
Devotees who returned from the holy cave to Srinagar as we speak stated that the naturally shaped ice Shivling, a sacred image of Lord Shiva, has virtually utterly melted. It’s solely been 10 days because the Yatra started on July 3. Reviews point out that the Shivling, which traditionally stood 12 to fifteen toes tall, has been lowered to just some inches. Solely the bottom of the ice formation, believed to signify Lord Shiva’s toes, stays within the holy cave. This marks one of many quickest melting occasions within the current historical past of the Amarnath Yatra.
Regardless of the Shivling’s absence, over 1.70 lakh pilgrims had visited the three,880-meter-high holy collapse Anantnag district by July 12. With 26 days nonetheless left within the pilgrimage, the melting of the Shivling has not affected the religion of Lord Shiva’s devotees. Whereas acknowledging that the Shivling has melted, devotees proceed their pilgrimage, emphasizing their non secular devotion to the holy cave. Chanting “Har Har Mahadev” and “Bam Bam Bhole,” hundreds are nonetheless trekking to the holy cave and finishing their pilgrimage.
Jitendra Ghalot from Rajasthan stated, “My journey began on the fifth, and we reached Baltal on the seventh. On the second day, we had Baba’s darshan. The amenities are excellent, and safety may be very excessive. The Shivling dimension may be very small. I inform pilgrims they need to nonetheless go, because the holy cave itself resembles Lord Shiva. We’re not disillusioned—there may be nice non secular worth within the cave.”
Satish Kumar stated, “We did darshan on July 9. It’s my second time, and this time the amenities are significantly better. The Shivling has melted, however we got here with religion, and we’re glad. Individuals ought to come and do darshan of the place of Lord Shiva. We have been instructed that the Shivling is melting, however we nonetheless got here.”
Satish Kathuriya stated, “We did darshan yesterday. Lord Shiva is current in every little thing. Even when the Shivling isn’t there, Lord Shiva’s toes are nonetheless seen.”
The Shivling’s period has been shrinking through the years, reflecting the impacts of regional local weather change. In 2022, it lasted 28 days. In 2023, it melted in 22 days. In 2024, it lasted solely 16 days. Now, in 2025, it has melted inside the first 10 days of the Yatra’s begin.
Climate specialists from Kashmir stated that glaciers close to the Amarnath cave are retreating, and there was no systematic analysis because the Nineteen Eighties to evaluate their response to local weather change. The area’s glaciers, together with 5 close to the cave, are shrinking in mass and space. This impacts water availability, and the shortage of snowfall and rising temperatures are key contributors to the Shivling’s speedy melting.
Furthermore, when the pilgrimage begins, huge human exercise provides to the native temperature, additional accelerating the melting of the ice-formed Shivling. This yr, the Kashmir Valley has witnessed uncommon climate. A 60–70% deficit in rainfall and snowfall has been recorded in each summer season and winter. Temperatures have damaged previous information, with Srinagar recording a excessive of 37.4°C—the best since 1953.
The heatwave of 2025, mixed with minimal snow cowl on pilgrimage routes, has led to dry and dusty situations, a stark distinction to the glacier-laden paths of earlier years. Consultants attribute this to broader local weather change developments, with regional temperatures rising considerably since Could. Local weather specialists say temperatures have been constantly growing during the last 10 years and are anticipated to rise additional on account of international warming, which has severely impacted Himalayan glaciers.
A climate knowledgeable from Kashmir stated, “We noticed very excessive temperatures this yr—greater than these in 1953. This was the most well liked June and July in Kashmir. Even now, temperatures are above regular. Precipitation has been very low. Glaciers are melting, and water ranges in rivers just like the Jhelum are very low. Reviews are coming in in regards to the Shivling melting—it’s a direct impact of world warming. Temperatures have been rising for the final ten years and can proceed to extend.”
Officers have additionally stopped predicting the Shivling’s period in recent times on account of unpredictable climate patterns, selecting as a substitute to concentrate on enhancing amenities resembling routes and camps.
The untimely melting of the Shivling is now seen as a barometer of local weather misery within the Kashmir Himalayas. Consultants are calling for formal analysis to higher perceive glacier soften and its long-term impacts.
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