‘Number of pilgrims to Chota Kailash on rise’

Pilgrimage emerging as less complicated alternative to Mansarovar Yatra

Pithoragarh, Oct. 18: An increasing number of people are undertaking the pilgrimage to Chota Kailash, an abode of Lord Shiv here, as it is a cheaper and less complicated alternative to the KailashMansarovar yatra in the Tibetan Auto-nomous Region of China, a KVMN official said.

Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) is the nodal agency for the pilgrimage.

The pilgrimage to Chota Kailash, located at a height of 5,945 metres in Vyas valley of Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district, runs parallel to the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra, beginning and concluding around the same time every year.

The road for KailashMansarovar and Chota Kailash bifurcate from Gunji with visitors bound for the former moving eastward and those for the latter moving westward.

“Pilgrims with smaller budget are preferring Chota Kailash. This year 433 pilgrims visited it while the figure stood at 303 last year. We hope to soon be able to attract more than 500 pilgrims,” general manager of tourism in KMVN T.S. Martolia said.

“The nigam charges only `21,000 each pilgrim for the trek to Chota Kailash. Pilgrims from all over the country are speedily finding it as an alternative to Kailas Mansarovar as besides giving them a sense of visiting the abode of their revered deity it also gives adventure-loving pilgrims the thrill of high Himalayan trekking,” Mr Martolia said. The sacred word “OM” etched naturally on a snow covered hill track on Om Parvat visible from a point on way to Chota Kailash, the Parvati Tal and the Joligkong peak, are the other attractions for visitors, he said.

According to the KMVN official, another factor behind the rising number of pilgrims for Chota Kailash is that it is within the Indian territory and no visa, passport formalities are required.

“With no border issues or visa, passport hassles, many pilgrims are increasingly preferring Chota Kailash over Kailash-Mansarovar,” he said.