Ahmedabad: An Ahmedabad-based Kailash Mansarovar tour operator cancelled the pilgrimage for 22 members just days before the Nepal floods, citing weather concerns and visa delays. Smitha Suthar, who operates tours, was scheduled to take the group on Aug 22 but decided against the journey after accompanying pilgrims to the region in May and June.“I felt we should go next year,” Suthar said. “Looking at the weather and the visa delays, I cancelled the tour.”The decision has since assumed greater significance as the route used by pilgrims passes through areas affected by the floods. “Had we gone, we would have been stuck at the same place,” she said.Suthar had taken a group of around 100 pilgrims in May and returned with another group in June. The latter trip was disrupted by visa delays, forcing the pilgrims to remain in Kathmandu for five days. The experience influenced her decision to cancel the Aug tour.One route from the Nepal-China border towards Kailash Mansarovar passes through Kyirong (also known as Gyirong), while another operates through the Kodari border. Suthar said her group travelled through Kodari last year. This year, however, pilgrims were required to stay at the Kyirong camp for immigration procedures, she said.Suthar described cancelling the Aug trip as a blessing from Lord Mahadev, saying a “sixth sense” had also prompted her to reconsider the journey.She said the timing was unusual as a major festival period in Nepal had drawn large numbers of pilgrims towards Kailash Mansarovar. The heavy movement, she said, had increased pressure at border and immigration points, with local pilgrims receiving priority.Suthar also claimed that limited visa availability for Indian pilgrims had resulted in a larger presence of NRIs among travellers, though this could not be independently verified.
