By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi, July 13, 2022: The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) on July 13 mourned the death of devotees of a Hindu pilgrimage center.
“The CBCI mourns the loss of lives of the devotees and prays for their families left behind. It also prays for those injured and hopes that they may be healed quickly,” says a press release issued by conference of president Cardinal Oswald Gracias.
A cloudburst hit the Amarnath Yatra 2022 and washed away a sizable chunk of the hilly route and the tents of the devotees leading to casualties. Several people are still missing.
The rescue operations are in full swing in the Kashmir Valley with helicopters making regular reconnaissance trips to ensure that the missing Amarnath yatris are located at the earliest in order to minimize the casualty count, the CBCI statement noted.
It thanked all who helped in the rescue operations, mainly the Army troops, paramilitary forces as well as the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams.
The Amarnath Yatra 2022 has resumed and the CBCI expressed the hope that good weather will prevail and the devotees get a chance to offer prayers and return home safely, the CBCI statement added.
Amarnath Temple is a Hindu shrine located in India’s northernmost territory of Jammu and Kashmir. A cave is situated at an altitude of 3,888 meters about 140 km from Srinagar.
The shrine represents an important part of Hinduism. The cave, located in Lidder Valley, is surrounded by glaciers, snowy mountains and is covered with snow most of the year, except for a short period of time in summer when it is open to pilgrims.