Adi Kailash footfall crosses 50,000, set to top 1 lakh

Pithoragarh: More than 50,000 pilgrims and tourists have visited Adi Kailash so far this year, already surpassing last year’s total footfall of 36,000. Officials expect the number to cross one lakh by the end of the pilgrimage season.District tourism officer Kirti Arya said that improved connectivity and promotional events, including the high-altitude marathon organised last year, had helped attract more visitors to the region.Tourists from across the country are visiting Adi Kailash and Om Parvat, said tour operator Himanshu Joshi. “Hotels and homestays have remained nearly full over the past two months,” he said.Resident Krishna Garbyal said the pilgrimage had become an important source of income for the region.

“Taxi operators, homestay owners and restaurant owners have benefited from the increase in visitors,” he said.The Adi Kailash yatra is conducted in two phases: before and after the monsoon. Last year, the pilgrimage began on May 4, was suspended on June 30 due to the monsoon, resumed on Sept 20 and concluded on Oct 31, said Dharchula SDM Ashish Joshi. “This year, the yatra began on May 1 and will continue till weather conditions permit.

It will resume again after the monsoon in Sept,” Joshi said.Adi Kailash, also known as Chhota Kailash, is located at an altitude of 5,945m in the Vyas Valley of Dharchula tehsil. Visitor numbers rose sharply after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the area in Oct 2023. The route became motorable in 2020 following the completion of the Tawaghat-Lipulekh road.