Pithoragarh, Jun 1 (PTI) The first batch of 30 pilgrims reached Dharchula on Wednesday on the way to Adi Kailash, a popular pilgrimage destination near the Indo-China border in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district.

With the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra not taking place for three years, the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam, the nodal agency for the yatra, is conducting the pilgrimage to Adi Kailash, also known as Chhota Kailash.

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The pilgrimage destination is located in Vyas Valley.

The first batch has pilgrims from Chandigarh, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand, Nigam sources said.

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A total of 500 pilgrims in 18 batches will be taken to Adi Kailash, Om Parvat and Parvati Lake during the five-day pilgrimage, Nigam official Dinesh Gururani said.

The pilgrims can reach their destination in their vehicles as the road to Adi Kailash has been built by the BRO, he said.

The pilgrimage will go on up to the last week of July, Gururani said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)