Kailash Mansarovar Bhawan ready to host pilgrims in Ghaziabad

Principal Secretary for Tourism, Culture and Charitable Affairs, Mukesh Meshram, visited the Bhawan on Wednesday to review preparations

After a five-year gap due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is set to resume, and the Kailash Mansarovar Bhawan in Indirapuram’s Shakti Khand-4 in Ghaziabad will be officially used to host pilgrims for the first time since its construction in 2020. The first group of pilgrims is expected to arrive by June 11, The Times of India reported.

The central government, on May 21, moved forward and selected 750 people from a pool of over 5,500 applicants for the yatra, according to an Indian Express report.

Principal Secretary for Tourism, Culture and Charitable Affairs, Mukesh Meshram, visited the Bhawan on Wednesday to review preparations. He instructed officials to ensure all facilities, including transport, food, rest areas, and cleanliness, are ready before the pilgrims arrive.

"Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims should not face any problem in any form. All necessary arrangements must be in place, including transportation, food, rest and cleanliness," TOI quoted Meshram as saying.

Ghaziabad District Tourism Officer Suresh Rawat said pilgrims will stay at the Bhawan for four days to complete formalities before the Yatra, and will return there again after completing the pilgrimage before heading home. “This building was made specifically for Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims. It will now finally serve its true purpose,” he told TOI.

This year, five batches of 50 pilgrims and another 10 batches of 50 are expected to travel during the Yatra, which will run from June 11 to August 26.

Ghaziabad DM Deepak Meena added that officials have been directed to ensure all lighting, air-conditioning, food, and first-aid arrangements are functional. The four-storey Bhawan, built at a cost of Rs 57.9 crore on a 9,000 sqm plot, can house up to 272 people and includes parking space for 188 vehicles.