For the first time on Thursday, pilgrims gazed at the sacred Mount Kailash peak in Tibet from the Indian soil. This was made possible by the joint efforts of Uttarakhand Tourism, Border Roads Organisation, and ITBP, which successfully conducted the first trip, allowing devotees to see the Kailash from Old Lipulekh pass in the state's Vyas Valley of Pithoragarh district.
Before this, pilgrims had no option but to travel to the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to view the Kailash Peak.
There are five abodes of Lord Shiva as per the holy scriptures, out of which Kinnaur Kailash, Mani Mahesh, and Shrikhand Mahadev are in Himachal Pradesh, while Adi Kailash is in Uttarakhand. The fifth abode, Mount Kailash, is located in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.
Ever since the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra was stopped in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Shiva devotees had been awaiting an alternate way to reach Mount Kailash for darshan. The Uttarakhand government, with joint efforts of ITBP and Border Roads Organisation has finally made this possible for the Indian pilgrims.
Uttarakhand Tourism conducted the first successful trip for Mount Kailash, Adi Kailash, and Om Parvat's darshan-- all from the Indian soil. The trip was planned in a way that pilgrims could pay homage to their revered deity from Old Lipulekh Peak without having to travel away from Indian soil.
The first batch of pilgrims included five people from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Punjab. They started on Gandhi Jayanti, on October 2, and witnessed the majestic Mount Kailash on October 3 from Old Lipulekh Peak along with Om Parvat.
A team of officials from Uttarakhand Tourism, BRO, and ITBP discovered the point from where Mount Kailash is clearly visible a few months ago. Subsequently, they kickstarted necessary preparations to plan a package tour for devotees covering the darshan of Mount Kailash, Adi Kailash, and Om Parvat from India.
Adi Kailash & Om Parwat Darshan Included In Package, To & Fro Helicopter Rides From Pithoragarh, Gunji
Apart from witnessing the Mount Kailash, the pilgrims will also visit Adi Kailash from Gunji Pithoragarh on October 4, before returning to Pithoragarh.
The package also includes helicopter tickets from Pithoragarh to Gunji and back with accommodation at Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam or homestays. The 4 nights/5 days package costs Rs. 80,000 per tourist including GST. Pilgrims can make bookings on Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam website –kmvn.in
Neeraj Manohar Lal Chowksey and Mohini Neeraj Chowksey from Bhopal, who were part of the first batch of five pilgrims were overwhelmed at the sight of the abode of Shiva.
Neeraj Chowksey expressed his gratitude towards the state government for opening this route for darshan from India and stated that it will soon become a boon for Shiva devotees from all over the world.
Another pilgrim, Amandeep Kumar Jindal from Chandigarh, thanked his good fortune to be able to witness the Shiva abode. He said that the clear weather enabled them to get a very clear darshan of the Kailash from Old Lipulekh.
CM Dhami Congratulates Departments For Making Darshan Possible From Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami mentioned that the opening of the darshan of Mount Kailash from Indian soil showcased the government's commitment and congratulated all departments that were involved in the project.
He further mentioned that the Shiva devotees will no longer have to wait for their turn to do the Kailash Manasarover Yatra in China and can instead pay their respects from India.
Tourism Minister, Satpal Maharaj congratulated the government on this discovery and the successful conduct of the first trip. He lauded the state's commitment towards providing devotees with a unique and memorable experience.