3 IAF Chinooks airlift 135 Manimahesh devotees to safety in Himachal

The rescue of devotees stranded during the Manimahesh pilgrimage in the interiors of Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, began on Friday, with three Indian Air Force (IAF) Chinook helicopters evacuating 135 devotees from Bharmour to the district headquarters.

A government spokesperson said that as the weather cleared after days of intermittent rains, “it is expected that all the devotees will be evacuated safely and sent to their destination.” Revenue Minister Jagat



Singh Negi has been monitoring the rescue operation from ground zero.

The Manimahesh pilgrimage to the glacier-fed Manimahesh Lake, located at 13,500 feet in the Pir-Panjal range, coincides with Janmashtami, the festival celebrating Lord Krishna’s birth. Every year, hundreds of pilgrims from Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, and other parts of the country trek to the oval-shaped lake to catch a glimpse of Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva.