56 pilgrims arrive for Kailash Mansarover Yatra

DEHRADUN: The first batch of 56 pilgrims — 42 women and 14 men — for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has arrived in Uttarakhand. The Pithoragarh district administration has geared up for the pilgrimage.
Considered one of the most arduous treks in Asia, the pilgrims will trek to a height of over 19,000 feet above sea.
Mount Kailash is believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva.Drinking the water of Lake Mansarover is believed to wash off the sins of several lifetimes. The sites, in Tibet, attract Buddhist pilgrims too.
The 56 pilgrims in the first batch come from different parts of the country, and have now congregated at Kathgodam in Uttarakhand.
A senior official of the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) said, "All the arrangements for the first batch are complete. All of them have been registered in Pithoragarh."
The district administration has made boarding and stay arrangements in Narayan Ashram, Dharchula, from where the pilgrimage is set to begin on Sunday. "The pilgrims will be provided medical facilities and given necessary items including eatables and travelling kits," the KMVN official said.