Pithoragarh, June 11
Preparations to give enhanced facilities to Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims opting for the route of Lipulekh Pass in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand have been completed by nodal agency Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam as the first batch of 58 pilgrims including 11 women reaches Kumaon region from New Delhi on May 12, nigam sources said here today.
According to sources within the nodal agency KMVN, the pilgrimage, which has been starting in the first week of June every year since 1981, continues till September. “Over 18 batches of more than 1,000 pilgrims are likely to take part in this pilgrimage this year. It would begin from the 17,500-feet-high Lipulekh Pass route,” said nigam sources.
“As two pilgrims out of 60 selected for the first batch have been found medically unfit in Delhi in the first medical examination by the doctors, we will welcome the first batch of pilgrims on Friday with traditional Kumaoni methods. The first batch will reach the Kathgodam rest house of the nigam by Friday afternoon. The batch will proceed to Almora for rest at night,” said DK Sharma, regional manager, tourism in KMVN.
According to the nodal agency’s officers, special arrangements have been made this year to make the pilgrimage more comfortable on track routes. All the camps on track routes beginning beyond Sirkha have been covered with new lodging facilities and local Kumaoni and tribal cuisine have been introduced on every track route and on road camps beginning from the first camp at Almora. “We have also introduced cultural nights at Almora and Gunji based on Kumaoni, Garhwali and tribal cultures,” said the KMVN officer.
The first batch which reach the base camp at Dharchula on June 13. It will have to travel in tracks beyond Sirkha camp for five days after June 14. The batch will have its journey by motor up to Narayan Ashram before moving to Sirkha camp on June 14. “To give full security and rescue facilities in case of a natural disaster, we have deputed SDRF jawans between Gala and Bundi camps on track route and have demanded a helicopter to rescue trapped pilgrims if any natural disaster strikes during the pilgrimage,” said the nigam officer.
ITBP, which guards the Indo-Tibetan border in this part of the Himalayas, will take over the pilgrimage beyond Gunji camp where the ITBP doctors conduct a second medical test on every pilgrim to find out if he is physically fit to take the long journey across the Himalayas or not. “We have installed red flags on the 7-km-long snowy track route from Nabhidhank to Lipulekh pass which is presently under heavy snow cover and seems will remain so till two batches of pilgrims pass through the route,” said Kedar Singh, an ITBP officer.
According to BSNL office sources at Almora, all track route camps have been linked with satellite phones for the yatra period to facilitate the pilgrims to remain in contact with their families during their pilgrimage in Indian territory. “We have installed satellite phones at Gala, Bundi, Gunji and Nabhidhank for the propose,” said a BSNL officer at Almora regional office of the nigam.
tribuneindia.com
Preparations to give enhanced facilities to Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims opting for the route of Lipulekh Pass in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand have been completed by nodal agency Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam as the first batch of 58 pilgrims including 11 women reaches Kumaon region from New Delhi on May 12, nigam sources said here today.
According to sources within the nodal agency KMVN, the pilgrimage, which has been starting in the first week of June every year since 1981, continues till September. “Over 18 batches of more than 1,000 pilgrims are likely to take part in this pilgrimage this year. It would begin from the 17,500-feet-high Lipulekh Pass route,” said nigam sources.
“As two pilgrims out of 60 selected for the first batch have been found medically unfit in Delhi in the first medical examination by the doctors, we will welcome the first batch of pilgrims on Friday with traditional Kumaoni methods. The first batch will reach the Kathgodam rest house of the nigam by Friday afternoon. The batch will proceed to Almora for rest at night,” said DK Sharma, regional manager, tourism in KMVN.
According to the nodal agency’s officers, special arrangements have been made this year to make the pilgrimage more comfortable on track routes. All the camps on track routes beginning beyond Sirkha have been covered with new lodging facilities and local Kumaoni and tribal cuisine have been introduced on every track route and on road camps beginning from the first camp at Almora. “We have also introduced cultural nights at Almora and Gunji based on Kumaoni, Garhwali and tribal cultures,” said the KMVN officer.
The first batch which reach the base camp at Dharchula on June 13. It will have to travel in tracks beyond Sirkha camp for five days after June 14. The batch will have its journey by motor up to Narayan Ashram before moving to Sirkha camp on June 14. “To give full security and rescue facilities in case of a natural disaster, we have deputed SDRF jawans between Gala and Bundi camps on track route and have demanded a helicopter to rescue trapped pilgrims if any natural disaster strikes during the pilgrimage,” said the nigam officer.
ITBP, which guards the Indo-Tibetan border in this part of the Himalayas, will take over the pilgrimage beyond Gunji camp where the ITBP doctors conduct a second medical test on every pilgrim to find out if he is physically fit to take the long journey across the Himalayas or not. “We have installed red flags on the 7-km-long snowy track route from Nabhidhank to Lipulekh pass which is presently under heavy snow cover and seems will remain so till two batches of pilgrims pass through the route,” said Kedar Singh, an ITBP officer.
According to BSNL office sources at Almora, all track route camps have been linked with satellite phones for the yatra period to facilitate the pilgrims to remain in contact with their families during their pilgrimage in Indian territory. “We have installed satellite phones at Gala, Bundi, Gunji and Nabhidhank for the propose,” said a BSNL officer at Almora regional office of the nigam.
tribuneindia.com
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