Jammu

The three-day Kailash Kund Yatra, scheduled to start in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district on Wednesday, was curtailed to symbolic rituals this year owing to recent cloudburst incidents and inclement weather forecast, a senior government official said on Tuesday.

Doda Deputy Commissioner Harvinder Singh requested the intending pilgrims not to make any attempt to join the annual yatra which is usually drawing thousands of devotees from within and outside the Union Territory.

The pilgrimage to 14,700 feet high Kailash Kund is considered as one of the toughest as pilgrims have to trek 18 km steep Kailash mountain range to pay their obeisance at the high altitude temple, where they take a dip in the ice-cold lake called ‘Kund’ and take the blessings of deity Vasuki Nag.

“We had meetings with the organizers of the yatra and it was unanimously decided that this year’s yatra will be reduced to symbolic rituals given the situation in the two bordering districts of Kishtwar and Kathua,” the deputy commissioner told reporters in Doda.

While 64 people, mostly pilgrims, were killed and 39 others missing in flash floods triggered by a cloudburst in Chisoti village of Kishtwar on August 14, seven persons including five children lost their lives in cloudburst and landslide in Kathua district on August 17.

“Only those carrying the 'Chhari' and performing 'bhajans' with it and the supporting staff will be allowed to perform the yatra and all necessary arrangements including special registration cards have been made for them,” Singh said, requesting devotees not to make any attempt to join the yatra enroute.

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The deputy commissioner said there is an adverse weather forecast for 56 hours. “We have decided to keep in contact with the Meteorological department to get information about the local weather patterns so that if there is any adverse weather, we can alert the staff and security on the ground for necessary action,” he said.