Registration must for Manimahesh yatra

Chamba, July 6

Travellers heading to the renowned religious site, Manimahesh Lake, will have to mandatorily register themselves on the online portal of the Bharmour administration.

The administration has decided to allow only registered pilgrims to trek to the sacred glacier-fed Manimahesh Lake.

This is the first time that a registration system has been introduced for pilgrims visiting Manimahesh before the official pilgrimage. Bharmour SDM Kulbir Singh Rana said the annual pilgrimage will commence on August 26 and end on September 11. However, thousands of Shiva devotees start visiting the lake before the official pilgrimage begins to take a holy dip.

Held from august to september

• The fortnight-long pilgrimage to Manimahesh is held from August to September every year. The lake, situated at an altitude of 13,500 feet, commences on Janmashtami and concludes on Radha Ashtami
• Each year, lakhs of pilgrims from Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and other parts of the country trek to the lake to catch a glimpse of Mount Kailash, believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva
• The challenging uphill journey starts from Hadsar, situated at approximately 6,000 feet in Chamba district

“This year, the influx of pilgrims to the lake began well in advance, with videos of devotees braving the snow to pay homage to Lord Shiva, circulating on social media. Consequently, the administration had made manual registration at the Mountaineering Institute in Bharmour mandatory for pilgrims heading towards the lake,” said the SDM.

He said the sub-divisional administration has also launched the online registration facility for the travellers. “Only registered pilgrims will be allowed to proceed to Manimahesh. The administration plans to deploy police forces in Hadsar to enforce the rule effectively,” added the SDM.

He said the initiative was launched to ensure the safety and security of the pilgrims as it would help the administration to launch rescue operations immediately in case of any eventuality.

The fortnight-long pilgrimage to Manimahesh is held in August and September every year. The lake, situated at an altitude of 13,500 feet, commences on Janmashtami and concludes on Radha Ashtami.

Each year, lakhs of pilgrims from Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and other parts of the country trek to Manimahesh to catch a glimpse of Mount Kailash, believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva.

The challenging uphill journey starts from Hadsar, situated at approximately 6,000 feet in Chamba district.