The Adi Kailash Om Parvat Yatra has just started. The first group of 49 pilgrims has reached the Dharchula base camp. They’re heading towards Jolingkong, where they’ll witness the sacred peak.
Vijay Nath Shukla, the manager of Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN), said that the first group of pilgrims, made up of 32 men and 17 women from different places in India, arrived at the starting point of the journey, Dharchula’s base camp.
The pilgrims are travelling to the Shiv-Parvati temple, which sits beside a lake high up at 18,500 feet in Jolingkong. From there, they can see the holy Adi Kailash and complete their Adi Kailash Yatra.
Gopal Singh Kutiyal, the main priest of the temple, said that more than 200 devotees were there for the temple’s yearly opening.
Jolingkong became famous last October when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the lakeside temple and saw the Adi Kailash peak from there.
According to Dhan Singh Bisht, who is in charge of the KMVN base camp, each group of pilgrims will need seven days to finish the Adi Kailash Om Parvat Yatra. During this time, they will stay at camps in Pithoragarh, Dharchula, Gunji, Bundi, Chaukori, and Bhimtal.
Bisht also mentioned that after completing the pilgrimage, the pilgrims will head back to New Delhi on the eighth day. He said that more than 500 pilgrims from all over the country have already booked their journey for this year.
Bisht explained that the Adi Kailash Yatra is ongoing throughout May and June. However, it will be closed during the rainy months of July and August. The pilgrimage will then start again from September to November.
Earlier, it was reported that the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) introduced India’s first helicopter yatra for Adi Kailash Om Parvat Yatra. This new idea overcomes the challenges of weather and rough terrain, allowing more people to visit these holy places for longer periods throughout the year.
