Once towering at 15 feet, the holy ice formation now stands at just 2 feet climate change and rising pilgrimage pressure blamed for rapid melt.
New Delhi: 10 July 2025
The 2025 Amarnath Yatra has exposed an alarming reality: the sacred ice Shivling, also known as Baba Barfani, has shrunk substantially to between 1.5-2 feet from its regular height of 12-15 feet. Devotees coming back from the shrine in Jammu & Kashmir were horrified to learn about the alarming environmental changes around the pilgrimage. Trails once blanketed with snow are now dusty, and unseasonably warm temperatures have rendered woolens unnecessary.
Veteran pilgrim Sanjeev Saurabh from Patna described the transformation as “heartbreaking,” noting the Shivling now melts within a week, compared to the 35–40 days it once endured. Insiders and environmentalists note that climate change, reduced snowfall, and human-induced stress from the ever-growing number of pilgrims now exceeding 7.5 lakh a year are likely to blame.
Former BSF officer Raja Babu Singh, who previously oversaw route security, didn’t doubt that the glacial ice along the pilgrimage route has visibly reduced. That has raised both spiritual alarm from devotees, who interpret the loss of ice as a warning from God, and urgent calls to create sustainable plans for the protection of this one of India’s most sacred, and delicate, sites.
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