By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Pithoragarh, 3 Oct: According to the holy scriptures, there are five abodes of Lord Shiva, out of which three – Kinnaur Kailash, Mani Mahesh and Shrikhand Mahadev – are in Himachal Pradesh, Adi Kailash is in Uttarakhand, and Mount Kailash is located in Tibet.
After the cessation of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in 2020, Shiva devotees have been waiting for an alternative to the Darshan of Mount Kailash. This has now been made possible, with the efforts of Government of Uttarakhand, ITBP and Border Roads Organisation. Uttarakhand Tourism has conducted the first successful trip including Darshan of Mount Kailash, Adi Kailash and Om Parvat from Indian soil. The darshan of Mount Kailash was done from Old Lipulekh Peak from where the pilgrims could pay homage to their revered Deity from Indian soil.
The first batch of pilgrims included those from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Punjab.
The first batch of pilgrims set off on Gandhi Jayanti, 2 October 2024, and witnessed the majestic Mount Kailash on 3 October from Old Lipulekh Peak along with Om Parvat. The point from where Mount Kailash is clearly visible was discovered a few months ago by a team of officials from Uttarakhand Tourism, BRO and ITBP; after which necessary preparations were made by the Uttarakhand Tourism department to start a package tour covering darshan of Mount Kailash, Adi Kailash and Om Parvat all from Indian soil.
Darshan of Adi Kailash and Om Parvat are included in the package, as also helicopter rides from Pithoragarh to Gunji and back.
The pilgrims will view Adi Kailash from Gunji Pithoragarh on 4 October, 2024, before returning to Pithoragarh. The package includes helicopter tickets from Pithoragarh to Gunji and back with accommodation at KMVN or homestays.
Neeraj Manohar Lal Chowksey and Mohini Neeraj Chowksey from Bhopal, who were part of the first batch of 5 pilgrims, were overwhelmed at the sight of the abode of their Deity. Neeraj Chowksey expressed his gratitude to the Government for opening of this route and said that will become a boon for Shiva devotees from all across the globe. Amandeep Kumar Jindal from Chandigarh thanked his good fortune and said that due to clear weather they could get very clear darshan of Mount Kailash from Old Lipulekh.
CM Dhami has congratulated all the departments for making darshan of Adi Kailash and Om Parvat possible from Uttarakhand.
Dhami mentioned that the opening of darshan of Mount Kailash from Indian soil reflects the commitment of the government. He further mentioned that now Shiva devotees need not wait for their turn to undertake the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra and can pay their respects from Indian Territory.
Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj hailed this discovery and successful conduct of the first trip as a historic event for Shiva devotees and mentioned that the Government of Uttarakhand is committed to providing the pilgrims a unique and memorable experience. The 4 nights/5 days package costs Rs 80,000 per tourist including GST and bookings can be made on the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam website – kmvn.in.
