Dhami flags off first Kailash Mansarovar Yatra batch via Lipulekh

Pithoragarh: Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday flagged off the first batch of 49 pilgrims for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Lipulekh Pass from Tanakpur, marking the start of this year’s pilgrimage.

The batch later reached the base camp at Dharchula.The group comprises 35 men and 14 women. Dr Arun Kumar from Tamil Nadu is accompanying the pilgrims as the batch doctor. The oldest pilgrim is Purushottam Khandelwal, 69, from Rajasthan, while the youngest is Hari Krishan, 21, from Gujarat.During the flag-off ceremony, Dhami presented each pilgrim with a rudraksha rosary and a stole adorned with the image of Lord Shiva.

“The yatra brings together pilgrims from across the country and gives them an opportunity to experience the culture of Dev Bhoomi,” he said.The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Lipulekh Pass began in 1981 and continued till 2019 before it was suspended because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The pilgrimage resumed in 2025, when five batches undertook the yatra. This year, 10 batches, each comprising up to 50 pilgrims, will travel to Kailash Mansarovar through the route.

The Dharchula-Lipulekh road, completed in 2020, enables pilgrims to travel entirely by road on the Indian side. The batch will halt at Gunji for medical check-up before spending a day at Nabidhang. The pilgrimage will last 23 days. On the return journey, the pilgrims will visit the temples at Gangolihat and Jageshwar.