Manimahesh yatra begins
Our Correspondent
The Tribune

Chamba, August 24
A famous state-level Manimahesh pilgrimage officially commenced from
historic `chourasi temple' complex of Bharmour today on occasion of
Janmashtami under the aegis of newly constituted the `Manimahesh
Trust' reciting hymns of Lord Shiva by devotees.

The pilgrimage would conclude on September 8 when pilgrims and
devotees will take holy dip (bath) in icy waters of the Manimahesh
lake at an altitude of 4170 m.

Nearly 1 lakh pilgrims, who included 1426 devotees from Bhaderwah
area of Jammu and Kashmir, took bath in the Manimahesh lake,
additional district magistrate of Bharmour N. K. Lath informed.

The ADM, Bharmour, told that a sum of Rs 5 crore sanctioned by the
Tourism Department was being spent for building infrastructure.

Government officials had been directed to make all possible
arrangements such as regulation of traffic, parking lots, medicines,
fuel, water and electricity for facility of devotees on their way to
Manimahesh.

The ADM informed that langars had been allowed to 15 voluntary
organisations on roadsides at different points for the facility of
pilgrims. To keep the Manimahesh lake clean, no "langar" had been
permitted to function in the precincts of the sacred lake.