Chhota Kailash yatra kicks off

Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, June 13

The yatra season through this part of the Himalayas has started as besides the annual Kailash Mansarovar yatra, the pilgrimage to Aadi Kailash or Chhota Kailash at the Jolingkong peak in the Indian part of the Himalayas has begun.

The first batch of 55 members of Kailash pilgrims today reached the base camp at Dharchula while the 42-member second batch of Chhota Kailash pilgrims left for the Sirkha camp this morning.

“I’ve completed the Kailash Mansarovar yatra in 2009 but I wanted to have pilgrimage to Parvati Dham at Chhota Kailash after completing pilgrimage of Shiva Dham of Kailash. For that reason, I’m going to the Chhota Kailash pilgrimage,” said Vijay Krishnan, a Chhota Kailash pilgrim from Kerala.

After welcoming the first batch with ceremonial rituals at Kathgodam, officers of the KMVN, took the pilgrims to Almora, where they rested for the night and began their travel to the base camp at Dharchula.

“Additional District Magistrate Mohammad Nasir will be the officer to welcomed the pilgrims at base camp as the batch reach there today after noon, before they reached to the base camp, the Kailash pilgrims, the pilgrims took their lunch at Didihat TRC of the KMVN after that ITBP officers at Mirthi will brief the pilgrims on the high-altitude travelling obstacles and instruct the pilgrims to take care of these.

“We have done all preparations for briefing as this happened to be an essential step before beginning the track route to Kailash which will begin from Wednesday when the pilgrims begin their yatra from the Sirkha camp,” said Mahendra Pratap, Commandant of the ITBP’s 7th Bn at Mirthi.

According to KMVN officers, the 29-member first batch of Chhota Kailash pilgrims reached at the Bundi camp.

“The batch will reach Gunji on Monday from where it will travel towards the West to reach Kuti village, the next day at Parvati Sarowar and reach the Joligkong peak on the third day of their travel from the Gunji camp,” said a KMVN officer.