Baba Barfani is melting fast this year!!

This year the naturally formed ice Shivling of Baba Barfani, an iconic symbol of Lord Shiva appears to be melting faster than ever before. This has left many Amarnath Yatrees in emotional distress. In 2018 and 2022, the Shivling stood tall at nearly 12–15 feet. But this year, only a 1.5 to 2-foot formation was visible and it had already started melting away.

The path to the Amarnath shrine blanketed in dust. The once-glacier-laden routes are now dry and muddy. Devotees walking, riding mules, or being carried on palanquins have stirred up heavy dust clouds. The intense heat in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly around Srinagar, appears to be worsening the melting of snow and ice.

According to weather experts and local officials, rising temperatures and a lack of snowfall in recent years have significantly reduced ice retention across the region.

Raja Babu Singh, former IG of BSF (Kashmir) who supervised the security arrangements along both the Baltal and Pahalgam routes in 2022, said, “There has been a visible reduction in snowfall in recent years. Earlier, the entire route was untouched, natural terrain. Today, due to heavy troop deployment, helicopter traffic, and lakhs of pilgrims, the environment is under severe stress. Climate change has only worsened the situation.”

This year, extreme heat and lack of rain further worsened conditions. Dust storms plagued the trail, and even in Srinagar, pilgrims noted summer-like heat, forcing them to wear half-sleeve shirts instead of woolens.

The rapid disappearance of the holy Shivling has left devotees with a deep sense of loss and fear. Whether it’s the result of climate change, over-tourism, or a deeper spiritual disconnect, the signs are unmistakable: Baba Barfani is melting faster than ever before.

One pilgrim Sanjeev Saurabh warns, “It feels like Mahadev is about to open his third eye. It’s time we correct our ways before it’s too late.”