Govind Singh Kunjwal, Speaker of the Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha, flagged off the first batch of pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar near the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) in Almora on Saturday. The pilgrims had come from Delhi. “Every year, hundreds of pilgrims visit Mt Kailash (22,027 ft),” he said, adding that, “The state government is providing the best amenities to tourists to make pilgrimage hassle-free and a pleasant experience.”
KMVN has provided three buses for this yatra. Three teams of SDRF have been deployed in different areas. This yatra is organised by the Ministry of External Affairs. The Nigam has been conducting this yatra since 1981. In the first batch, three pilgrims are from <g data-gr-id="17">home</g> state, including one local legislator – Surendra Singh Jeena. More than 1,000 people are expected to participate in this yatra in 18 batches. According to KMVN, 910 pilgrims had visited the shrine last year.