Manimahesh Yatra Chaos—Locals Step In as Roads Cut Off for Six Days
Bharmour: Manimahesh Yatra has turned into a test of grit and survival with thousands of pilgrims stranded for six days after cloudbursts and heavy rains washed away treks, bridges, and roads in Chamba and Bharmour.
With the Pathankot–Chamba–Bharmour highway extensively breached, yatris were forced to walk over 100 km through landslide-hit stretches, with no cash left as UPI services collapsed along with the communication network.
Locals, showing rare courage, laid makeshift log bridges and escorted devotees across surging streams and nallahs.
But there were others who are making money from the adversity, but then that cost of ferrying ration and eatables on human backs in such time is very high.
The pilgrims have to pay higher than they have to do in normal time, which is a norm in all other Dhams- be it Char Dham yatra in Uttarakhand or in Srikhand and Kinner Kailash yatra.
Stored ration is running out of stokes. No mules, no other transport work here. So labour is the last resort ferrying supplies from Bharmour, said locals.
The pilgrims end up paying more. “We are paying ₹2,700 per night for tents, and even a parantha costs ₹150. We have run out of money and have no way to contact our families,” pilgrims said.
PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh, camping in Chamba, admitted the situation was grim. “All PWD officials have been directed to restore the closed roads immediately.
He is on his way to Bharmaur to assess the ground reality,” he said, as residents urged him to pay equal attention to the disaster-hit Churah region.
Meanwhile, Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi emerged as a savior for one affected family in Bankhuri village, providing ₹15,000 as immediate relief and promising more support.
But six days on, with connectivity snapped and roads still cut off, the Yatra route remains in tatters—testing both administration and faith.
Bharmour MLA Dr. Janak Raj appealed to families not to panic, assuring that all devotees stuck between Hadsar, Dhancho, Gauri Kund, and Manimahesh Lake have been rescued safely. “Don’t believe rumors, all pilgrims are safe,” he said.
