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DHARMAMSALA, INDIA, September 15, 2004: The “chhari yatra” (holy mace) of the Manimahesh pilgrimage, popularly known as Manimahesh yatra, in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh will commence from the Yogi Charpat Nath temple in the Lakshami Narayan Temple complex in Chamba town today. The yatra will be led by the pujari of the Charpat Nath shrine and the holy dip on September 22 will mark the conclusion of the yatra. The holy Mount Kailash is located at an altitude of 18,564 feet and at its bottom lies the Manimahesh Dal Lake. (HPI note: This is not the same Mount Kailash located in Tibet, and is usually referred to as the Manimahes Kailash.) This holy place falls in the Bharmour tribal valley of Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. The yatra has already been declared a state level fair by the state government. The spot gains importance on two occasions, one on Janamasthami and the other on Radhashtami. The former is graced only by sadhus while the latter is undertaken by pilgrims of all faith.



Surprisingly, Mt. Kailash has so far remained unconquered by even ace mountaineers. However, in 1968 an Indo Japanese team of mountaineers headed by Nandhni Patel tried to scale the peak but did not succeed. It is believed that this mountain possesses divine powers and as per religious belief, will remain unscaled.



The picturesque Bharmour valley located at an altitude of 8,000 feet has further been glorified by its famous cluster of 84 temples popularly known as Chauarasi of Bharmour. These temples were built as a sequel to the visit of 84 sadhus from Kurukshetta to Bharmour where they were warmly welcomed by the then King. The sadhus were pleased with the king and blessed him with an heir. The blessings worked and the king built these temples in their honor. The shrines are dedicated to different deities. However, the Manimahesh temple is truly eye-catching. The oval-shaped Manimahesh Dal Lake is located at an altitude of 13,500 ft. It may be recalled that the image of Lord Siva established on one side of the Manimahesh Dal lake was brought by Yogi Charpat Nath from Rajasthan in the 6th century. That is the reason the pujari of the Yogi Charpat Nath temple usually leads the pilgrims marching at the start of the fortnight long yatra.



On the eve of the holy dip, the Manimahesh Chowgan seething with a large number of devotees presents a colorful spectacle. For a devout Hindu the yatra is indeed a different experience. Chamba is 120 km east of Pathankot and from Chamba pilgrims have to drive to Bharmour-Hadsar for which transport is frequent from Chamba itself. While an eleven kilometers treacherous and gruelling trek from Hadsar up to Manimahesh Dala Lake makes one realize the sanctity and religiousness of the yatra. The district administration of Chamba has made elaborate arrangements for the convenient and safe journey of the pilgrims. Medical help centers, information centers, police assistance rooms and tents by the state tourism department have been set up at various places en route to the pilgrimage center. As many as ten thousand pilgrims from various parts of the country have so far taken holy bath at the Manimahesh Dal lake ever since the start of the yatra on the occasion of Janamasthami.

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