Dismissing media reports that he has threatened not to carry the holy mace of Lord Shiva to the Amarnath cave shrine, head priest Mahant Deepinder Giri on Tuesday said the 'Chharri Mubarak' procession will start as per schedule on August 4.
The custodian of the holy mace said he has already given the schedule of the Chharri Mubarak procession to the state government and Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. "The schedule is in place and there is no question of stopping it," he said.
The Mahant was quoted as saying by a section of the media that if the state government did not order a judicial probe into the tampering of Shivlingam in the holy cave at Amarnath, he will not carry the Chharri Mubarak to the Amarnath cave this year.
However, the Mahant said he would talk to religious heads across the country, including Shankaracharya, in connection with rituals associated with Charri Mubarak. As Charri Mubarak starts a month after the start of pilgrimage, rituals associated with it and the religious angle has to be discussed with them.
"Whether I should perform this or not is what I had said," Mahant said.
The Mahant said a judical probe by a retired Supreme Court judge should be conducted into the tempering of ice Shivlingam. He also demanded fool proof security for the Charri Mubarak and also for Amarnath pilgrims.
