Mansarovar yatra from June 9

The annual Kailash Mansarowar yatra, which involves circumambulation of Mount Kailash and Mansarovar lake in Tibet, will commence from June 9 this year.
The decision to begin the yatra from June 9 was taken by the Ministry of External Affairs after consultations with the Chinese Government and other agencies, officials of Kumaon Mandal Vikash Nigam, the nodal agency for the yatra, said here.
Last year, the yatra was suspended midway after the mid-June flash floods in Uttarakhand.
The first batch of pilgrims will reach Kumaon from New Delhi on June 12.
"The First batch of Kailash Mansarowar yatra 2014 will reach Almora from New Delhi on June 12. It will reach the base camp at Dharchula on June 13 and the yatra will be concluded on September 9 after the last batch reaches New Delhi," Nigam's Managing Director, Deepak Rawat said.

Eighteen batches will be sent to Kailash and Mansarowar for pilgrimage this year and each batch will have a total of 22 days pilgrimage including 18 nights of stay on the route inside India and in Chinese territory.

Each of the 18 batches this year will have not more than 60 pilgrims.
"Each pilgrim will be charged an amount of Rs 32,000 for services inside Indian territory and US Dollar 901 inside Chinese territory by Chinese agencies which help in completing this yatra," Rawat said.
There has not been any change in the route of the yatra this year and it will pass through Kathgodam, Almora, Dania, Pithoragarh, Dharchula, on motor road and Sirkha, Gala, Bundi Gumti, Kalapani, Nabhidhang and Lipulekh pass on track route, Rawat said.

The yatra could not be completed last year due to the flood disaster on the track route and only one batch of pilgrims could reach Chinese territory of Tibet to complete the pilgrimage. Rest of the batches had to return as the yatra had to be cancelled midway due to the calamity.
Regional Manager (Tourism) KMVN D K Sharma said, "Though natural calamities in this part of raw hills can not be ruled out completely, we have taken precautions and pilgrim camps have not been set up in vulnerable areas."
According to Sharma, Nigam will send teams to survey the route after the chilling conditions abate.

"We are waiting for a let-up in the cold wintry conditions in this part of the Himalayas to intensify preparations for this year's pilgrimage," said a Nigam official.