Manimahesh pilgrim loses life to shooting stone, yatra halted

A Manimahesh devotee was killed after being hit on the head by a shooting stone in Bharmour subdivision of Chamba district on Thursday morning. The incident occurred at Gui Nala, about one km from Harsar, the base camp of the pilgrimage.

The deceased has been identified as 41-year-old Devinder Singh, a resident of Matota village in Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir, said Bharmour Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Kulbir Singh Rana.

Singh, among a group of pilgrims from Doda, headed to Manimahesh Lake when a rock dislodged from the hillside, fatally injuring him. Rescue personnel rushed to the site, but he succumbed to his injuries on the spot. His body has been taken to the Civil Hospital in Bharmour for post-mortem.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner, Chamba, Mukesh Repaswal said in the wake of heavy rains in the region, the yatra has been suspended temporarily.

Pilgrims have been halted at base camps in Harsar, Dhancho, Sundrasi and Gaurikund and will be allowed to proceed only when the weather clears.

The DC cautioned that continuous heavy rainfall has triggered landslides and rockfalls along the Chamba–Bharmour route, posing serious danger to travellers. He urged devotees to stay put at their current locations and advised those yet to start the journey to remain at home.

“If you have reached Chamba, wait here; if you have not yet started, stay at your homes until the weather clears in the next one or two days,” he said.

In case of an emergency, people can contact the District Disaster Management Authority's toll free number 1077 or 98166 98166, he said.

Every year, lakhs of devotees undertake pilgrimage to the Maniamhesh Lake, located at an altitude of 13,500 feet in the Pir Panjal range. The lake lies at the base of the snow-clad Manimahesh Kailash Peak, believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva. Pilgrims, many of them barefoot, trek through steep and rugged terrain braving unpredictable mountain weather. For communities in Chamba and neighbouring Jammu and Kashmir—especially from Doda and Bhaderwah—the pilgrimage holds deep cultural and spiritual significance, as Lord Shiva is revered as their chief deity. This year the official yatra began on August 16 and will end on August 31.