Daily Manimahesh Yatra pilgrim count capped at 5,000, trek via Kugti restricted
Drawing lessons from last year’s devastating floods that triggered one of the biggest rescue operations in the history of the Manimahesh Yatra, the Chamba administration has introduced a series of safety measures for this year’s pilgrimage.
Mandatory online registration, daily pilgrim quotas, drone surveillance and closure of the traditional parikrama route via Kugti village are among the key steps aimed at ensuring a safer and better-managed yatra. EpaperSubscription Service
The annual pilgrimage to the sacred Manimahesh Lake will commence on August 25. Online registration and slot booking will open from August 1 through the official portal.
For the first time, the yatra will be regulated through an e-pass system on the lines of the Amarnath Yatra. Initially, around 5,000 pilgrims will be allowed each day, with the quota likely to be increased during Krishna Janmashtami and Radhashtami depending on weather conditions, security arrangements and the route’s carrying capacity.
The move follows the unprecedented disaster during last year’s yatra when incessant rain triggered flash floods that washed away several stretches of the Chamba-Bharmour highway, stranding more than 15,000 pilgrims and necessitating a massive rescue operation involving the Army, Air Force, NDRF, SDRF and local volunteers.
Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Repaswal said mandatory registration and slot booking would help regulate pilgrim movement, prevent overcrowding and enable quicker response during emergencies. He said strict compliance with National Green Tribunal guidelines would also be ensured, with special focus on scientific waste disposal and curbing single-use plastic.
Bharmour SDM Vikas Sharma said the Kugti parikrama route would remain closed to pilgrims this year due to safety concerns. However, devotees approaching from the Lahaul-Spiti side, for whom the route holds religious significance, would be allowed to use it. Seventeen of the nearly two dozen deaths reported during last year’s yatra occurred on this route.
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Manimahesh Yatra is one of North India’s most revered Himalayan pilgrimages. Devotees undertake a 14-km trek from Hadsar to the 4,080-metre-high Manimahesh Lake in the Pir Panjal range. GeographicReference
