Friday, June 30, 2006 (Khandwa)
Amidst controversy over an artificial shivling at Amarnath, authorities in Madhya Pradesh's Khandwa district are planning to install a new shivling at the Omkareshwar Temple following cracks in the original shivling
People are angry that repair work was carried out secretly and without the knowledge of the district collector, who is also the chairman of the temple trust. 

The Temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlings in the world and shivling in these temples are believed to be nature-made.
However, cracks were seen about a fortnight ago. Following this, the Temple Trust got the patchwork done about 10 days ago. But it has come off again. 

The controversy is that the patchwork was done secretly without the knowledge of the Collector, who is the chairman of the Trust. Therefore, the story assumes significance in the light of the Amarnath temple controversy.
Minor repairs done
After noticing that a small portion of the one-foot-high stone idol had been severed a few days back, temple authorities made certain minor repairs in consultation with the state Archaeology department to facilitate unhindered worship. 
Though the precise causes for the damage to the Swayambhu (self-emerged) shivling were yet unclear, the district administration said the Jyotirlinga was damaged due to a natural weathering process. 
Omkareshwar Temple Trust chief priest Swami Tejanand, however, says the Jyotirlinga suffered damage due to continuous rituals and being touched by devotees.
"The Trust is seriously considering installation of a new Jyotirlinga after submerging the existing shivling in the holy Narmada some time after August. Swami Jayendra Saraswati of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham is being consulted," he explained. 
Admitting that the damaged idol was not fit for worship, Swami Tejanand pointed out that at Jyotirlingas the place was of greater religious significance than the image. 
The Jyotirlinga at Someshwar in Gujarat had been replaced some time back, he said, in support of his plan to replace the idol at Omkareshwar. 
Meanwhile, the Temple Trust is also planning to place a transparent cover over the present shivling till a new one is installed. 

Offerings on Omkareshwar jyotirlinga banned
Sunday, July 2nd, 2006

Bhopal - Offerings of milk, curd, water and other traditional materials on the sacred jyotirlinga at the famous Omkareshwar temple has been with banned to save the phallus-shaped symbol of Hindu lord Shiva from further erosion, officials said Sunday.

The Khandwa district administration took the decision Saturday on the advice of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI), the officials said.

‘The damage is being caused due to the offerings made on the Shivlinga which is made of sandstone - comparatively soft material,’ said ASI deputy superintendent Ashok Kumar Pandey who had inspected the damaged lingam.

The jyotirlinga at Omkareshwar, 350 km from here, is one of the 12 major lingams in India and Nepal.

‘A crack had been found in the one-foot high shivlinga a few days ago and was repaired using a locally made paste but it did not prove effective,’ said Swami Tejanand, chief priest of the Omkareshwar Temple Trust that looks after the temple.

‘The jyotirlinga has suffered damage because a large number of devotees touch it every day during rituals,’ he said.

‘The trust is seriously considering the installation of a new jyotirlinga after submerging the existing Shivlinga in the holy Narmada river some time after August. Swami Jayendra Saraswati of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham is being consulted on the issue,’ the priest said.

However, Khandwa district collector Nikunj Kumar Shrivastava said the administration was consulting the ASI to preserve the lingam and there were no plans to install a new one.

Meanwhile, the temple trust is planning to place a transparent cover over the present shivling till a new one is installed
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Man made Shiva lingam betrays faith at Amarnath caves
Saturday, June 17, 2006 
AMRITSAR/SRINAGAR: It's a story of faith betrayed. Pilgrims braving a dangerous journey to the Amarnath caves this year found to their utter shock that the natural Shiva lingam was missing. 

In its place was a crude man-made ice stupa that was being passed off as the holy lingam. 

The shocking discovery has caused widespread outrage with pilgrims accusing the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board of trifling with their faith. 

Said Ram Mahajan, president of Dharam Prachar Mandal, which organises groups of pilgrims: "We are deeply hurt to see the man-made lingam instead of the natural one regarded by the faithful as divine." 

Mahajan said the organisers Shri Amarnath Shrine Board should not have misled devotees about the lingam. "I understand that due to climatic changes Baba Bhole Shankar didn't give darshan this year. But not telling the truth and constructing a lingam in its stead is a big mistake," he said. 

Jagdish Kamlesh, general secretary of Amarnath Sewa Mandal, alleged the shrine board had "humiliated Hindus and fooled them" by making a replica. "If there was no natural lingam this year, the Board should have let it be," he said, and sought the government's help to check commercialisation of the shrine. 

Board CEO Arun Kumar denied any role of shrine authorities. Kumar said: "Due to warm weather, the lingam had not formed this year. Then we got reports some langarwallas had entered the holy cave and tried to manufacture it. The board raised a 5-feet grille around the lingam and is locking it." 

Old photos, however, show the grille already in place (see pic), indicating the Board was thinking on its feet to evade responsibility for the faith trickery.
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