Registration must for Manimahesh pilgrimage in Himachal

Taking a lesson from last month's tragedy in Uttarakhand's Char Dham Yatra, the Himachal Pradesh government has made it mandatory for devotees to get themselves registered for the famous Manimahesh Yatra dedicated to Lord Shiva starting next month, officials said Monday.

The devotees during the pilgrimage to the Manimahesh Lake, located at an altitude of 13,500 feet in Chamba district, will be allowed only after registration with the local civic authorities, Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kadam told IANS.

This year the pilgrimage will start Aug 28, on the eve of Janmashtami festival dedicated to Lord Krishna's birth, and will conclude Radhashtami (the birth of Lord Krishna's consort Radha) Sep 13.

For the safety of the devotees, the administration has decided to form rescue teams with the help of locals, said B.R. Kamal, the additional district magistrate and the pilgrimage in-charge.

He said the administration is also planning to set up barricades at a few places on the way to Manimahesh. This would ensure that the pilgrims are dispatched in groups.

Every year, people trek to the lake in Bharmour Valley to catch a glimpse of Mount Kailash, believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva, and offer prayers.

The uphill journey, starting at around 6,000 feet in Hadsar in Chamba district, is considered as arduous as the trek to the Amarnath cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir.

Kamal said the 14-km trek track from the Hadsar base camp, some 65 km from district headquarters Chamba, to the oval-shaped glacial-fed Manimahesh Lake, has been repaired.