Doda, August 19, 2025 : The annual three-day Kailash Kund Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district, scheduled to begin Wednesday, has been curtailed to symbolic rituals this year due to recent cloudburst tragedies and an adverse weather forecast, officials said.
Deputy Commissioner Harvinder Singh appealed to devotees not to attempt joining the yatra, which usually attracts thousands of pilgrims from across the Union Territory and beyond. The pilgrimage to the 14,700-feet-high Kailash Kund is considered among the toughest, involving an 18-km steep trek across the Kailash mountain range to the sacred lake dedicated to Vasuki Nag.
“After discussions with the organisers, it was unanimously decided that only symbolic rituals will be performed this year in view of the situation in Kishtwar and Kathua,” Singh said.
On August 14, a cloudburst in Chisoti village, Kishtwar, claimed 64 lives and left 39 missing, while on August 17, another cloudburst and landslide in Kathua killed seven people, including five children.
The DC said only those carrying the traditional ‘Chhari’ (holy mace), along with bhajan singers and support staff, will be permitted to participate. Special registration cards have been issued for them, while pilgrims have been urged not to attempt joining the yatra en route.
With a 56-hour adverse weather alert, Singh added that the administration is in constant touch with the Meteorological Department to ensure timely communication and safety measures.
