Pilgrims stay away from ‘Adi Kailash yatra’ due to weather conditions

Pilgrims stay away from ‘Adi Kailash yatra’ due to weather conditions

B.D. Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, Sept 27

The natural disaster including cloudbursts and frequent landslides resulting in deaths and destruction during the monsoon session has affected the flow of pilgrims for the second phase of the ‘Adi Kailash yatra’ as several pilgrims have cancelled their bookings. Several pilgrims cancelled their bookings just before the start of the second phase from September 17 this year.

“We have received a total of 90 cancellations of yatra booking for second phase citing uncertainty of weather in Uttarakhand state,” said Dhan Singh Bisht, in charge of Kumoan Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) yatra base camp at Dharchula.

The natural disaster at tourist spots of Sahastradhara, Mal Devta and Tapkeshwar areas in Dehradun on September 16, that killed 27 persons besides destruction of property worth crores of rupees. Several roads and bridges were washed away as road to famous hill station Mussoorie was also disrupted due to landslide.

“The cancellation of bookings started immediately after that incident as pilgrims from across the country said that they will visit the Adi Kailash in future after the weather in region gets safe for pilgrimage,” said the nodal agency officer.

The second phase of Adi Kailash yatra, that began on September 17,will continue till October 31 or till snowfall starts in upper region of the yatra route.” We are expecting increase in the number of pilgrims to ‘Adi Kailash’ and ‘Om Parvat’, after Dusherra festival when the weather will open up, ” said the KMVN official.

“The image of Uttarakhand as prone to frequent natural disasters and the opening of ‘Kailash Mansarowar Yatra’ from this year has also affected the bookings as most of pilgrims have said that they had opted for ‘Adi Kailash yatra’ in absence of opportunity to visit ‘Kailash Mansarowar’ and now they will give first priority to visit ‘Kailash Mansarowar’,” said the yatra official.

The number of pilgrims to ‘Adi Kailash yatra’ increased from mere 2000 before 2023 to over 31000 in the year 2024 after the visit of Prime Minster Narendra Modi to that region in October 2023.

“We were expecting to cross the last year’s number of pilgrims seeing the enthusiasm of pilgrims in the first phase where 24000 pilgrims visited this year,”said the official.

The KMVN hope to get more than 10000 pilgrims for ‘Adi Kailash’ till October 31, to beat the last year’s numbers.

“Besides these two major reasons, the lack of toilet facility on the140 km yatra route from Dharchula to ‘Adi Kailash’ besides lack of availability of fresh water at Gunji camp and in home stay facilities, could be the other reasons that disappointed pilgrims going to ‘Adi Kailash’,” said KMVN official.