Chandigarh, Sep 5
The rescue of devotees stranded during the Manimahesh pilgrimage in the interiors of Chamba in Himachal Pradesh for the last many days began on Friday, with three flights of the Indian Air Force (IAF) Chinook helicopters evacuating a batch of 135 devotees from Bharmour to the district headquarters.
A government spokesperson said as the weather was clear after days of intermitted 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 a height of 13,500 feet in the Pir-Panjal range, coincides with Janmashtami, the festival celebrating Lord Krishna’s birth.