Madurai : The Kailash Yatra batch of 57 people from Puducherry and Tamil Nadu, whose 37 members are missing following flash floods in Nepal was originally due to leave on August 1, but an advisory from Nepal authorities pushed the journey to August 23, placing the pilgrims there when the disaster struck.
He said the authorities reserved the August 1-20 period for Jain pilgrims undertaking the yatra during the Year of the Horse. “During this year Jains would make their Kailash Yatra from August 1 to 20. Subsequently, they advised us to undertake the journey after August 20. So, we postponed the pilgrimage schedule to August 23,” he said.
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Tour operator Syed Sadiq said the company’s application was revoked after the schedule was submitted to Nepal authorities. “When we applied for the yatra, Nepal govt revoked our application citing that this year is considered the ‘Year of the Horse’ in Chinese astrology,” Sadiq told TOI. “I still have his passport and have to return it to him,” Sadiq said. He expressed shock over the incident and said he had been unaware that members of the group he had planned to accompany were missing.
The change led some registered pilgrims to withdraw as the revised dates did not suit their plans. Among them was Madurai-based YouTuber Madurai Ramakrishnan, who had planned to travel with the batch. Ramakrishnan was in Pollachi when he learnt about the flash floods. Download the TOI App.