Lhasa, June 21 (IANS) India’s Ambassador to China Vikram Doraiswami on Sunday released a video message for the pilgrims of the Kaliash Mansarovar Yatra (KMY), highlighting the preparations that are being done for them, sharing parikrama experience and key travel tips.
The Ambassador and his colleagues from the embassy visited the Parikrama around Mount Kailash and all of the entry points for the official Yatra.
He also noted that it is a holy place for local people, and the pilgrims should expect to see a lot of people there as this is a once-in-12-year special year in the Chinese and traditional Tibetan calendars.
He noted that the team from the Embassy visited not only the entry points, but also the hotels where the pilgrims will stay each night, inspected the kitchens, the rooms that will be made available to pilgrims and the primary medical facilities that are on site.
He said that preparations are as complete as they can be in coordination with the Chinese government and cautioned regarding the challenges.
“It is a high altitude region. On balance, you will be at any point in time above 3,500 meters above sea level. The Kora itself touches 5,605, nearly 6,000 meters above sea level,” he noted.
“As you can see, even in talking to you, I need to catch my breath. The weather is very, shall we say, fickle, particularly around holy Mount Kailash. It can snow and be sunny and be wet more or less at the same time,” he highlighted.
The ambassador also provided advice regarding clothing, health conditions and oxygen levels for pilgrims.
The pilgrimage, one of the most revered religious journeys for devotees, marks the resumption of travel to the sacred Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.
This year, a total of 500 pilgrims will undertake the yatra through the Nathu La route. The pilgrims have been divided into 10 batches of 50 participants each. Every batch will be accompanied by a liaison officer and a medical assistant to ensure smooth coordination and provide necessary support during the journey.
–IANS
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