The annual pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet commenced today with the first batch of 47 devotees from Delhi reaching Almora for a night halt.
The batch, including 13 women pilgrims, left Delhi in the morning and reached Almora for a night stay, D.K. Sharma, Tourism Manager of Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam, the nodal agency for conducting the pilgrimage, said.
The batch would start its onward journey to Dharchula base camp tomorrow, he said.
“From this year, the route of the Kailash Mansarovar yatra has been changed. Now onwards, the pilgrims will drive straight to Narain Ashram instead of going to Mangti, the original route,” Mr. Sharma said.
The pilgrims would reach Gala camp on June 3 and Bundi the next day, he said adding on June five, they would reach Gunji where a team of ITBP doctors would conduct their medical examination.
A total of 16 batches will undertake the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage to be concluded by September-end.
Security and communication arrangements for the four-month-long yatra have been completed with the deployment of police and ITBP jawans at all camps.
The 644-km-long pilgrimage, which includes a 574-km motor journey from New Delhi up to the Dharchula base camp, passes through five camps - Sirkha, Gala, Bundi, Gunji and Nabhidhang - before crossing the Lipulekh Pass to reach Tibet.
