The three-day Kailash Yatra commenced in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district on Monday as over 12,000 devotees left for the annual pilgrimage from the ancient Vasuki Nag temple here, officials said. The pilgrimage to the 14,700-foot-high Kailash Kund, depicting ancient ‘Nag’ culture, was seen off by Doda Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Paul Mahajan along with Senior Superintendent of Police Abdul Qayoom and Additional Deputy Commissioner Dilmir Chowdhary.
The Yatra is considered one of the toughest as pilgrims have to trek the 18-km-steep Kailash mountain range to pay their obeisance at the high-altitude temple, where they take a dip in the ice-cold ‘Kund’ (lake) and take the blessings of their deities Vasuki Nag and Lord Shiva. “Last year, over 35,000 devotees paid obeisance at the holy Kailash Kund and this year we are expecting manifold increase in the turnout as we have promoted this ancient and unique pilgrimage at the Union Territory and national level simultaneously,” Mahajan said.
