(TibetanReview.net, Oct05’24) – As the Mt Kailash–Lake Mansarovar Yatra for Indian pilgrims has continued to remain closed or prohibitively regulated since 2020 both for government-organized travellers and those wishing to make the trip privately from Nepal, The Uttarakhand Tourism Department has on Oct 3 resumed providing aerial pilgrimage for them, reported thestatesman.com Oct 3.
The pilgrimage has remained closed for Indian visa holders since 2020 due to various reasons, beginning with the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent travel restrictions following clashes between the two border armies along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
In Nepal, the prohibitive restrictions on Indian pilgrims were previously reported to have ruined the business of the country’s tourism industry catering to them annually.
The first batch of five pilgrims – who were from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Punjab – paid obeisance to the abode of Lord Shiva in Tibet for the first time from Indian soil on Oct 3.
The Old Lipulekh Peak, which offers a clear view of Mt Kailash, was discovered a few months ago by a team of officials from the Uttarakhand Tourism Department, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). Following this discovery, the Uttarakhand Tourism Department made the necessary preparations to launch a five-day, four-night tour package. The mode of darshan was aerial via helicopter, taking sorties from Pithoragarh to Gunji and back, the report said.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said, “The implementation of the Mt Kailash pilgrimage plan from Indian soil demonstrates the commitment of both the state government and the central agencies. Now, Shiva devotees need not wait for their turn to begin the Kailash-Mansarover Yatra and can pay their respects from Indian territory.”