Uttarakhand tourism department in collaboration with the Indian Railways will start the 'Manaskhand Corridor Yatra' next week to popularise the ancient temples of the Kumaon region, officials said. A special train will be run from Pune to Tanakpur in Pithoragarh district for the yatra from today (April 22), District Tourism Officer Kirti Chand Arya said.
The train will carry over 600 pilgrims in two batches to the famous temples of 'Manaskhand', a phrase used in ancient Hindu scriptures to refer to the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. The tour package to Manaskhand temples will be for 7 days and 6 nights, the DTO said.
The pilgrims will have to alight the train in Khatima, about one km from Tanakpur from where they will be taken to the temples by road, he said. One train will start from Pune on April 22 and reach Khatima on April 24, Arya said.
Another train carrying pilgrims will start from Pune on April 24 and reach Khatima on April 26, he added. Khatima has been chosen as the last stoppage as it has better facilities, such as hotels, compared to Tanakpur, the officer said.
The devotees will be taken to temples and other religious places of Tanakpur, Champawat, Pithoragarh and Almora as part of the tour package and briefed on the mythological significance of these temples, he said.
Visits to Baleswar, Maneswar and Mayawati temples in Champawat, Hat Kalika , Patal Bhubaneswar temples in Pithoragarh, Jageswar and Golu devta temples at Chitai, Nanda Devi, Kasar Devi, Katarmal in Almora, Nanakmatta Sahib Gurudwara in Udham Singh Nagar and the Naina Devi temple in Nainital are part of the itinerary for the pilgrims.
(With inputs from PTI)
ALSO READ | Lok Sabha Elections: Uttarakhand govt declares public holiday tomorrow due to phase 1 polling
ALSO READ | Uttarakhand: Seven Nepalese workers among 8 dead after vehicle falls into gorge in Nainital
