Rahul Gandhi leaves for Kailash Mansarovar yatra

The Congress chief announced his intention to undertake the pilgrimage after a mid-air scare during the Karnataka election campaign in April.

August 31, 2018 05:02 pm | Updated December 01, 2021 06:20 am IST - New Delhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi offering prayers at the Somnath Temple in Gujarat. File

Congress president Rahul Gandhi offering prayers at the Somnath Temple in Gujarat. File

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday, August 31, 2018, left the national capital to undertake the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in accordance with a wish he expressed in April when his plane plunged hundreds of feet during the campaign for the Karnataka polls.

The pilgrimage, aimed at seeking the blessing of Lord Shiva for prosperity and success of the country and its people, will take about 12 days, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

He did not disclose the route map due to security reasons.

“Shiv bhakt Congress president Rahul Gandhi has left for undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, where he will take the ‘parikarma’ of Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva, and of Mansarovar lake. The yatra will take around 12 to 15 days, but the exact route cannot be disclosed due to security reasons,” he said.

The Congress leader also accused the BJP of trying to create “hurdles” in the yatra.

The arduous pilgrimage to Mt Kailash, which is considered the abode of Lord Shiva in Hindu mythology and is in the Tibetan Himalayas, is organised every year between June and September.

On April 26, the plane carrying Gandhi and some others from Delhi to Hubballi airport in Karnataka developed a technical problem and tilted heavily on the left side. The plane dipped steeply with violent shuddering, but soon recovered and landed safely.

Three days later, on April 29, Mr. Gandhi announced during a rally here that he wanted to undertake the pilgrimage.

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.