Kailash Darshan from aircraft seat

In a novel initiative, a Nepali airline has launched an aerial tour of the revered Mt Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in Tibet, China.

The Kailash-Mansarovar region is an important pilgrimage site for Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains. More than 20,000 Indian pilgrims were taking spiritual journeys to the Kailash region before Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020. They were utilizing routes like Nepalgunj-Hilsa-Taklakot and Rasuwagadhi-Kerung-Mansarovar to reach Mt Kailash.

However, since the pandemic, Chinese authorities have prohibited Indian nationals from visiting the Kailash-Mansarovar region. Despite these restrictions, some have continued their devotions from the Nepali territory, specifically from Lapcha Pass located approximately 150 kilometers from the district headquarters of Simkot in Humla.

Before the pandemic, around 12,000 Indian pilgrims were taking the Nepalgunj-Hilsa-Taklakot route. They would take a flight to Simkot and then board a chopper to the Nepal-India border village of Hilsa. From there, after completing border formalities, they continued their journey to the Kailash region via road. The Rasuwagadhi and Kodari routes served as the two surface options to reach the sacred destination. However, the Kodari route became inactive after the 2015 earthquakes. Around 15,000 Indian nationals had been using the Rasuwagadhi route until 2019.

The new flight service offers a unique opportunity for visitors to offer prayers to Mt Kailash and Lake Mansarovar right from the comfort of their aircraft seats. Bikas Mishra, the managing director of the Indian travel company ‘Trip to Temple’ said Indian nationals were very happy to see the sacred sites.

Indira Bajrachaman, a tourist from Karnataka, India, described the experience of having the direct darshan (view) of Kailash Mansarovar from her aircraft seat as the greatest privilege of her life.

Senior Captain Prafull Baidya of Shree Air, the airline operating the flight, said that a group of Indian nationals had the unique opportunity to see Mt Kailash and Lake Mansarovar from an altitude of 22,028 feet above Limi village during the one-hour and fifteen-minute flight.

A team from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), including Suresh Khanal, Chief of Civil Aviation Office in Nepalgunj, were also in the flight. Rochesh Saxena, an Indian tourist, considered himself lucky to witness Mt Kailash Parbat and Lake Mansarovar in a single frame during the brief flight. Abhinav Tripathi, a priest from Varanasi, recited sacred scriptures inside the aircraft.

Mt Kailash is revered as the abode of Lord Shiva, and it is believed that Lord Shiva, along with his family, resides there. Devotees perform circumambulation of Mt Kailash, believing that it cleanses their sins and helps them attain virtues.

Keshab Neupane, director of Siddharth Business Group of Hospitality, said the flight has opened new possibilities for tourism in Nepalgunj. Likewise, Upendra Shrestha, the station manager of Shree Airlines at Nepalgunj Airport, expressed readiness to operate the flight based on demand from travel agencies and tourists.

Mahesh Gautam, managing director of Pathhill Holidays Kathmandu, the official travel company for the chartered flight, said they have received enthusiastic bookings and positive responses for the flight. Tourism stakeholders say the flight is cost-effective and hassle-free as it offers visitors the aerial tour of Kailash-Mansarovar region for just InRs 50,000 without the need for a passport, visa application, health tests, and an extended stay, Mishra said.