Uttarakhand government on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reconsider his proposal to China for finding an alternative route to Kailash Man Sarovar, saying an alternative route to the Sarovar was not in sync with the ancient Hindu scriptures.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat, in a letter to Modi, said though there are several routes leading to Kailash Mansarovar, the traditional route going through Dharchula and Siyalekh in Uttarakhand was the only route recognised by the age-old Hindu scriptures. He said any attempt to find another route through China was tantamount to showing disrespect to the Hindu scriptures like Manaskhand and the sentiments of people of Uttarakhand.
"The route going to Kailash Mansarovar through Uttarakhand via Chota Kailash and Om Parvat though difficult is the only traditionally acknowledged route which was taken by Rishi Permanand Ji Maharaj as many as 21 times to reach there," he said in the letter. "Even noted historian Rahul Sankrityayan preferred this difficult route rather than the one through Kathmandu in Nepal to reach Mansarovar and finding any other route via China will hurt the sentiments of people of Uttarakhand," Rawat said.
Describing it as a question related to Uttarakhand's honour, Rawat said, "We are in favour of closer Sino-Indian bilateral ties but not at the cost of our self-respect," and urged the Prime Minister to reconsider his proposal.
Modi, during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at BRICS Summit recently, had suggested Jinping the addition of one more route for the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra in Tibet, keeping in view the terrain difficulties. The Yatra involves trekking at high altitudes of up to 19,500 feet under arduous conditions.
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