Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims to visit Adi Kailash
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Pithoragarh: Pilgrims undertaking the revered
Kailash Mansarovar yatra
this year are set to visit the sacred Adi Kailash peak in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district. The yatra – resuming after a five-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic – will take the journey through the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand from June 30.
Located at an altitude of 5,945 m, Adi Kailash is a prominent religious site of the indigenous Rung community, who dwell in the upper reaches of the Himalayan region. "The community believes that Adi Kailash was the original abode of Lord Shiva, where he meditated before shifting to Mount Kailash due to human interference," said Krishna Garbyal, a Rung activist. "The Rung people performed their religious rituals at Kailash Mansarovar but after the 1962 India-China war, the traditional route was blocked so they began performing their rituals at Adi Kailash instead," he added.
The site gained popularity after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited it in 2022. Last year more than 30,000 tourists travelled to the mountain.
Pithoragarh district magistrate Vijay Kumar Goswami said, "On their return from China, pilgrims will visit the Adi Kailash. Instruction and budget has been allotted to the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) to increase basic preparations for boarding and lodging. Repair and construction work is in progress at Jolingkong."
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This year, 250 pilgrims divided into five batches of 50 members each will embark on the Kailash Mansarovar yatra. Pilgrims will undertake the journey primarily by vehicle and will be required to trek a 7-km stretch from Nabhidhang to Lipulekh Pass. The pilgrimage will commence from Tanakpur in the Kumaon region and conclude through Chaukori and Almora, officials said.
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