Unhappy with the calendar of government holidays issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Administration, the residents of three districts across the Union Territory, demanding holiday on account of ‘Kailash Kund’ pilgrimage, have approached Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha appealing him to consider their long pending request on priority.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Thursday issued a list of holidays for an upcoming 2021 year.
However, residents of Doda, Kathua and Udhampur districts have been demanding holiday on account of ‘Kailash Kund Yatra’ as the pilgrimage is of religious importance and a large number of people annually perform this yatra.
The pilgrimage is held in the first week of August every year but could not take place this year due
to COVID pandemic.
“Holiday on account of Kailash Kund Yatra was one of our long pending demands and we were hopeful that this year, the government will definitely consider our demand and enlist in calendar but yet again it remained unfulfilled,” a local leader said.
He said that holiday on this occasion for Dudu and Bani Sub Division was required, adding, “the pilgrimages to Kailash Kund are undertaken from Sarthal-Bani and Dhagger in Kathua District and Dudu in Udhampur District and in Bhaderwah tehsil of Doda district.”
“People across the region have religious faith in Lord Vasuki Nag and many souls are connected with this pilgrimage,” he said and appealed to the LG Manoj Sinha to reconsider their long pending demand and declare holiday in Jammu Province.
Another resident of Bhaderwah said, “With tourism viewpoint, Jammu and Kashmir has rich potential in pilgrimage tourism and focus on such pilgrimages, the destination can be noticed on tourist maps worldwide thus inviting more people to visit the scenic ‘Kailash Kund’, which is God’s own place.”
Former MLA Ranbir Singh Pathania, who have been raising this concern, said, “Every year we request the local administrations in respective districts to declare holiday and they do respect our request.”
“But, why is there a need to make this request every year. The government should declare a holiday and enlist in calendar of government holidays,” he expressed.
The annual 10-day pilgrimage to the holy Kailash Kund lake located at an altitude of 14,700 feet and is performed via twin tracks of Chattargala and Hayan in Jammu region’s Bhaderwah.
The first glimpse of the Seoj Dhar and majestic Soan Bain Dhar on the left is enough to fill a visitor from the plains with a sense of awe and adventure.
Simultaneously people undertake the yatra from Bhaderwah-Bhalessa, Bani- Sarthal, Dudu-Basantgarh and Chamba in Himachal.
For centuries the people of the region have congregated at Kailash Kund. The pilgrimage is the epitome of the Naga Cult whose presiding deity is Vasuki Nagaraja.
Locals believe that Kailash Kund was the original abode of Shiva, who gave it to Vasuki Nag and himself went to live at Manmahesh in Bharmour in present Himachal Pradesh.