Preparations begin for Mansarovar Yatra

Pithoragarh: Preparations are underway for the Mansarovar Yatra, scheduled to begin on June 8 this year, with the nodal agency for the pilgrimage, Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam, sending its team to check the condition of camps on the trek route.

"After the Centre announced Yatra programme for this year's Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage, we have started our preparations and sent a team to assess the condition of trek route camps," Regional Manager Tourism at KMVN D K Sharma said.

The team will visit Gala and Sirkha camps on the trek route and file its report on the conditions a month before the Yatra begins on June 8, he said.

Mansarovar pilgrimage is conducted through the Lipulekh pass in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand since the year 1981. The first batch of over 60 pilgrims will reach Kumaon region on June 12.

From this year, the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage is simultaneously beginning from the Nathu La pass in Sikkim to provide vehicular facilities to the old among the pilgrims.

According to KMVN sources over 1080 pilgrims in 18 batches will visit Kailash Mansarovar this year from the Lipulekh route while over 250 pilgrims will go to Kailash Mansarowar from Nathu La route which is fully motorable.

The pilgrimage will go on till September 9, this year, Sharma said. The KMVN Manager said pilgrims undertaking the journey through Lipulekh route in Kumaon region will have facilities of warm huts on the trek route camps of Sirkha, Gala, Bundi, Gunji and Nabhidhang, while the Nigam will try to minimize the trek travel as some portions of the route have been covered by motor roads where the pilgrims will be given vehicular facilities.