112 Villagers Wanted Kinner Kailash Yatra was Stopped, But High Court Orders Pilgrimage to Continue
SHIMLA, JULY 23: The Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the Kinnaur district administration to ensure the smooth continuation of the annual Kinner Kailash Yatra, rejecting an attempt to halt the pilgrimage based on a Gram Sabha resolution backed by a majority of villagers and an alleged Dev Adesh (divine order).
Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua, while hearing a petition filed by the Shree Parkashankras Kinnaur Kailash Yatra Sanchalan Committee, Powari/Tangling, and another registered society, passed an interim order restraining the Gram Panchayat, Powari, from interfering with the pilgrimage and directed the district administration to ensure that the Yatra continues strictly in accordance with law and with all necessary safety protocols.
The petition challenged the July 13, 2026 Gram Sabha resolution passed by the Gram Panchayat, Powari, which sought to permanently stop the Kinner Kailash Yatra and purported to dissolve the registered Yatra society.
According to the Gram Sabha resolution placed before the High Court, 112 villagers supported stopping the Kinner Kailash Yatra, while 62 villagers favoured its continuation. Acting on the majority view, the Gram Sabha resolved to prohibit the pilgrimage with immediate effect and also ordered the dissolution of the registered Yatra society.
The High Court, however, observed that the Gram Panchayat has no legal authority to dissolve a society registered under the Himachal Pradesh Societies Registration Act, 2006. The Court further noted that the State Government had already taken a conscious decision in a high-level committee meeting chaired by Revenue, Horticulture and Tribal Development Minister Jagat Singh Negi on June 12, 2026, to conduct the pilgrimage from July 1 to July 30, 2026, subject to extension by the competent authorities.
The Court also observed that the Kinner Kailash Yatra, a centuries-old pilgrimage attended by devotees from across the country and belonging to different faiths, cannot be stopped merely on the basis of a Gram Sabha resolution.
In their petition, the Yatra committee submitted that it had successfully organised the pilgrimage from 2022 to 2025 without any major incident and had made elaborate arrangements for the 2026 Yatra after the State Government approved its schedule.
The petition further stated that an official reconnaissance (Recce) team inspected the route on June 21-22, 2026, and while identifying a few vulnerable stretches, recommended safety measures instead of cancellation of the pilgrimage. Although the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Kalpa, temporarily postponed the Yatra on June 28 due to adverse weather conditions, the order specifically stated that the suspension would be reviewed once weather conditions improved and the route was certified safe.
The petitioners argued that despite subsequent inspections indicating that the route could be managed with appropriate safeguards, the administration failed to review the suspension objectively. They also contended that the Gram Sabha resolution and the alleged Dev Adesh could not override the State Government's decision or curtail the religious rights of thousands of devotees.
Accepting the petition for consideration, the High Court issued notices to the Gram Panchayat and other respondents, sought their replies, and listed the matter for further hearing on August 10, 2026.
Until then, the Court has made it the responsibility of the Kinnaur district administration to ensure the safe, orderly and uninterrupted conduct of the 2026 Kinner Kailash Yatra.
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