Updated on July 4, 2015: Almost a month after the beginning of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, inclement weather may hinder the pilgrimage for devotees travelling via the Uttarakhand route. Not only is this route more difficult due to the mountainous terrain, poor connectivity and the route not being motorable.
For the past 24 hours, the region has observed very little rain and even presently the situation will remain the same. However, starting tomorrow inclement weather conditions may be a hindrance in the yatra. Good rainfall activity is expected to begin in Uttarkahand and the entire route. This rainy spell will last for at least 4 days i.e. till July 10. The spell will be prolonged with heavy showers at time. Rainfall will be intense on July 8 and 9, which may increase the hardships of the pilgrims.
This rainfall activity will be a result of the shift of the Monsoon trough towards the foothills and a Western Disturbance which is moving towards the hilly states of North India. These two systems will combine and give good rains in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and particularly, Uttarakhand.
Updated on June 17, 2015: The pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibetan Autonomous Region of China was flagged off from the old route via Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand on June 11, while the pilgrimage through the new route via Nathula Pass in Sikkim will start from June 17.
The Uttarakhand route till now was the only way to reach Mansarovar. But after a memorandum of understanding was signed between India and China in September 2014, pilgrimage to Mansarovar can be taken via Nathula Pass as well.
The new route is much easier as it is motorable and takes only 8 days compared to 28 days via the old route to reach Mansarovar. The pilgrims on the new route will first travel from Gangtok in Sikkim to Shighaste in Tibet, from where they can take vans and busses to Mansarovar and Kailash.
But the number of pilgrims on the newly opened route will be limited compared to that on the Uttarakhand route. A total of 18 batches, each comprising around 60 pilgrims, will visit Kailash Mansoravar through the existing route while five batches having 50 pilgrims each will visit it through the newly opened route.
According to Skymet Meteorology Division in India, Monsoon is likely to hit Uttarakhand in the last week of June, with the area becoming vulnerable to weather activity. Amongst the hilly states of North India, Uttarakhand receives the heaviest amount of rain during the Monsoon season. The average rainfall figure for the state in June is 168 mm, while Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir observe 95 mm and 64 mm of rain, respectively.
The rainfall figures are much higher in July with Uttarakhand recording a whopping 428 mm of rain. Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir observe 307 and 192 mm of rain, respectively. Therefore, the chances of yatra facing obstacles are higher on the Uttarakhand route.
On the other hand, Monsoon has already reached Sikkim and light to moderate rain is being observed in the state, which might pose some trouble for the pilgrims. But since the entire route from Sikkim to Mansarovar and Kailash is motorable the degree of difficulty will be less.
Image Credit: kailashmansarovaryatra.net.in
