Munish Sood
MANDI: The Kinnaur district administration in Himachal Pradesh has suspended the ongoing Kinnaur Kailash Yatra-2025 with immediate effect, citing continuous rainfall, heavy landslides, dense fog and unsafe weather conditions.
The authorities invoked Section 34 of the Disaster Management Act-2005, stressing that the pilgrimage route had become too dangerous for devotees and tourists.
The Kinnaur Deputy Commissioner appealed to pilgrims to honour the suspension order and not to attempt the trek independently, warning that any violation could lead to serious mishaps.
Kinnaur Kailash Yatra started on July 15
The 2025 edition of the Kinnaur Kailash Yatra started on July 15 and was scheduled to continue till the end of August. From day one, the district administration implemented strict rules for participation, limiting the daily number of pilgrims, ensuring online and offline registration and making medical fitness certificates mandatory.
Thousands of devotees had already set out for the sacred journey, many reaching the base camp at Tangling village, from where the steep and arduous trek to the revered Shivling rock formation begins.
What’s yatra all about and the challenges
Kinnaur Kailash, often called Kinner Kailash, is one of the five great Kailash pilgrimages of the Himalayas. The trek leads to a 79-foot naturally formed Shivling-like rock standing at an altitude of over 4,500 metres, with towering snow-clad peaks in the background.
The site is held sacred by both Hindus and Buddhists, making it not just a spiritual journey but also a symbol of cultural harmony. The path itself passes through Ganesh Park, Parvati Kund and other high-altitude sites, testing the endurance and devotion of every pilgrim.
Unlike other well-established pilgrimage routes, the Kinnaur Kailash trek is known for its steep gradients, narrow ridges and exposure to unpredictable Himalayan weather. Even under normal conditions, trekkers require high levels of physical fitness and acclimatisation to cross the rocky paths and high-altitude zones.
During the monsoon season, the region becomes especially vulnerable to landslides blocking or sweeping away trails; cloudbursts and flashfloods damaging temporary bridges and shelters and dense fog drastically reducing visibility.
This year, the pilgrimage had already faced multiple setbacks before today’s suspension. Earlier in August, a cloudburst and flashflood near Tangling left hundreds of pilgrims stranded, forcing emergency rescues by security forces. At least one death was reported during those operations and additional casualties were later confirmed due to weather-related incidents in the district.
Since then, persistent rains have continued to destabilise slopes along the route, with repeated landslides and fog making the trail hazardous. Officials concluded that allowing further movement would be too dangerous and thus imposed a blanket suspension on the yatra until conditions improve.
