Monday, December 31, 2007

Kailash Yatra 2007 -1





Shri Deshpande undertook the yatra thi s year (2007)these photographs are thanks to him. As he travelled during June you can note the difference in weather pattern. Those who are visiting this blog for the first time please go back and view the whole blog.







4444 steep steps from Gala camp to Lakhanpur


For acclaimataization and trekking training the yatri's on the first day of trekking trek from Mangti to Gala and stay there for the night. On the second day they climb down to Lakanpur through 4444 steps. From lakanpur they trek to Budhion the second day.








Gipti Check post





Gala Camp



(In 2005 as the yatra got delayed we skipped Gala Camp and proceeded directly to Budhi)









Mountain View with Kail River

Today we witnessed the Himalayan view from Gala to Lakhanpur.




Tuesday, January 30, 2007

KAILASH MANASAROVAR YATRA -2007

The advertisement for this years Kailash Manasarovar yatra ia published. Those who want to apply may please utilise this oppurtunity.

A copy of Govt of India notification is pasted here for reference.






GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(EAST ASIA DIVISION)
*****
KAILASH MANASAROVAR YATRA - 2007

The Kailash Manasarovar Yatra is being organised by the Ministry of External Affairs from end of May/early June to September 2007. The Yatra is open to all Indian citizens above 18 years of age who wish to proceed to Kailash-Manasarovar for religious purposes.

2. The duration of the Yatra will be 26 days. In addition, Yatris will need to spend 4 days in New Delhi to obtain visas, undergo a comprehensive medical examination and complete financial formalities.

3. In 2007, it is planned to send sixteen batches each consisting of a maximum of 60 pilgrims. The first batch is expected to depart from New Delhi in the last week of May/first week of June 2007. The Yatra is expected to continue till the end of September 2007. The last batch is expected to depart in end of August/beginning of September 2007. Batch schedule are as follows : Batch 1 : 29th May – 26th June, Batch 2 : 4th June - 2nd July, Batch 3 : 10th June - 8th July, Batch 4 : 16th June -14th July, Batch 5 : 22nd June – 20th July, Batch 6 : 28th June – 26th July, Batch 7 : 4th July – 1st August, Batch 8 : 10th July – 7th August, Batch 9 : 16th July – 13th August, Batch 10 : 22nd July – 19th August, Batch 11 : 28th July – 25th August, Batch 12 : 3rd August – 31st August, Batch 13 : 9th August – 6th September, Batch 14 : 14th August – 12th September, Batch 15 : 21st August – 18th September, Batch 16 : 27th August – 24th September 2007.

4. Applicants should ensure that they possess an Indian passport valid for more than six months.

5. The total cost of the Yatra will include the following:

(a) Rs. 15,500/- to be paid to Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN), out of which Rs. 5,000/-, is to be paid as a non-refundable deposit when confirming participation in the Yatra, and the rest on arrival in Delhi to begin the Yatra.

(b) Rs. 1,950/- to be paid to ITBP to cover costs of medical examination / tests at Delhi. In case the individual requires a Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) an additional Rs. 500/- would be charged for that particular test from the concerned Yatri only, which is also non-refundable.

(c) US$ 700/- to be paid to the Chinese side.

(d) Expenditure on adequate equipment, clothing, food stores, porters, baggage, ponies and other items required for the Yatra (a detailed list of minimum requirements will be sent to the selected Yatris).

6. Yatra is extremely arduous (more so than the Vaishnodevi / Amarnath routes), involves trekking at high altitudes upto 19,500 feet, under inhospitable conditions including extreme cold and rugged terrain and may prove hazardous for those who are not physically or medically fit. The Indian Mountaineering Foundation has recognised the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra as a trekking expedition. There is a considerable element of risk to life and property.

7. Please note that Government shall not be responsible in any manner for any loss of life or injury to the person, or any loss or damage to the property of the Yatris due to any natural calamity or due to any other reason. Pilgrims undertake the Yatra at their own volition, cost, risk and consequences. KMVN also provides insurance against accident during the Yatra for each Yatri through United India Insurance Company Ltd. for an amount of Rs. Five lakhs.

8. Applicants should be physically healthy, medically fit and should not suffer from conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, heart disease, epilepsy, etc. All selected applicants are required to undergo a comprehensive medical examination conducted by ITBP in New Delhi. Applicants found medically unfit will not be allowed to proceed on the Yatra, and will forfeit the non-refundable deposit paid to KMVN and the amount paid to ITBP. Please note that no other medical certificates or test reports will be accepted. A list of tests included in the ITBP medical examination is given at Annex-A of this circular for reference.

9. A second medical test to ascertain reactions to altitude trekking will be done by ITBP at Gunji, after 6 days of the Yatra, at a height of 3500 metres. Those Yatris who are found medically unfit here will not be permitted to continue the Yatra. The finding and the recommendations of the ITBP medical personnel both in Delhi and Gunji will be final and binding. In the eventuality of a Yatri being disqualified on medical grounds at Gunji, it will not be possible to refund the charges levied by (KMVN).

10. Complete applications in the prescribed format given below should be sent to Deputy Secretary (East Asia), Room No. 255 (A), South Block, Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi-110011 latest by Friday, March 30, 2007. For acknowledgement of receipt, please attach a self-addressed post card with the application.

11. The selection of Yatris will be done by Ministry of External Affairs through a computer-generated random gender-balanced selection process. Selected persons will be informed telegraphically about their inclusion in a particular batch 3-4 weeks before their scheduled departure. Spouses will be automatically selected (provided they apply) subject to clearing the medical test. Selected applicants will be required to confirm their participation in a particular batch by sending a non-refundable demand draft of Rs. 5,000/- in favour of KMVN to Ministry of External Affairs by a specific deadline.

12. The following conditions may please be noted carefully;

Ø It is the individual’s responsibility to ensure that applications contain accurate information and that they are complete in every detail.
Ø Incomplete applications will be rejected and will not be processed.
Ø If it is found that wrong information has been given in the application form, this will be ground for disqualification, even after selection has been confirmed /Yatra has begun. If disqualified on this ground after selection, non-refundable deposit paid to KMVN will be forfeited.
Ø After receiving the telegram announcing the preliminary selection, confirmation that the selected Yatri can travel, should be received in this Ministry before the stated deadline, otherwise it will be presumed that the selected Yatri cannot travel, and he or she will be replaced from the stand-by list.
Ø Failure to pass the medical examination at Delhi and/or Gunji will be grounds for disqualification. Medical certificates issued by any source other than the ITBP doctors at Delhi and Gunji will not be accepted.
Ø If a Yatri is disqualified on medical grounds at Delhi, he or she will forfeit the non-refundable deposit paid to KMVN. If a Yatri is disqualified on medical grounds at Gunji, he will forfeit the total amount paid as Yatra fees to KMVN.
Ø The Yatra groups will leave on the scheduled dates even if replacement called from the standby lists to fill any vacancy that may arise, is unable to join the group in time.

13. Details on the Yatra may also be seen at www.mea.gov.in or www.kmvn.org.
ANNEX-A

Tests included in ITBP conducted medical examination are as follows:

1. Hb.
2. TLC
3. DLC
4. ESR
5. BLOOD SUGAR (F & PP)
6. BLOOD UREA
7. CREATINE
8. SERUM BILURUBIN & SGOT &SGPT
9. BLOOD GROUP
10. SERUM CHOLESTROL/ SERUM TRIGLYCERIDS
11. URINE R/E
12. CHEST X-RAY
13. TMT
14. E.C.G.
15. PULMONARY FUNCTION TEST ( PFT )(optional)FORMAT FOR APPLYING FOR KAILASH MANASAROVAR YATRA-2007
( TO BE FILLED IN HINDI OR ENGLISH ONLY)


NAME (AS IN PASSPORT) :
Please provide two recent passport size photographs one to be affixed here


FATHER’S/HUSBAND’S NAME :

DATE OF BIRTH :

RELIGION :

PROFESSION :

SEX: MALE/FEMALE

PASSPORT NO. :
DATE OF ISSUE :
PLACE OF ISSUE
DATE OF EXPIRY :
(Please enclose copy of personal
particulars page of your passport.)

FULL ADDRESS OF APPLICANT :

STATE :
PIN CODE :
TELEPHONE /MOBILE (WITH STD CODE) :
FAX NO (WITH STD CODE), IF ANY :
E-MAIL, IF ANY :

NAME, ADDRESS TEL. NO.AND/OR
FAX NO./E-MAIL OF NEXT OF KIN TO
BE INFORMED IN CASE OF EMERGENCY :

EXPERIENCE OF HIGH ALTITUDE
TREKKING :

ANY FIRST AID EXPERIENCE/
MEDICAL EXPERIENCE :

HAVE YOU BEEN ON KAILASH :
MANASAROVAR YATRA BEFORE AS A
LIAISON OFFICER OR A YATRI (IF
YES, INDICATE THE YEAR, NAME
UNDER WHICH TRAVELLED AND
PASSPORT NO).

IS YOUR SPOUSE ALSO APPLYING FOR
THE YATRA? IF YES, HIS/HER NAME :

OPTION FOR BATCH (PLEASE GIVE BATCH
NUMBER WITH REFERENCE TO PARA 3 :
OF THE ADVERTISEMENT)

(a) PREFERENCE I
(b) PREFERENCE II
(c) PREFERENCE III
DECLARATIONS:

1. I understand that Kailash Manasarovar Yatra is a high altitude trekking expedition under inhospitable conditions, which may involve serious risk to the person or property of the Yatris. I am undertaking the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra at my own volition, cost, risk and consequences.

2. I understand that my application will be rejected and not processed if any column is not filled in or if it is incomplete in any other respect.

3. I understand that if I have given wrong information in my application, this will be grounds for disqualification from the Yatra and for forfeiture of non-refundable deposit paid to Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN).

4. I understand that the decision of the ITBP medical authorities either in Delhi or in Gunji is final and cannot be challenged, that in the event of my being disqualified on medical grounds by the competent medical authorities in Delhi, I will forfeit the non-refundable deposit paid to KMVN, and that in the event of my being disqualified on medical grounds by the competent medical authorities at Gunji, I will forfeit the entire amount paid to KMVN as Yatra charges and I shall not claim any refund thereof.

5. I undertake that I will bear full responsibility for expenses on emergency medical treatment as well as emergency air evacuation, if the need arises during the Yatra.


DATE : SIGNATURE
PLACE :

* For acknowledgement please attach a self-addressed post card.
** Applications should reach Deputy Secretary (EA), R.No. 255 (A), South Block, Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi-110011 latest by Friday, March 30, 2007.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For official use only
Registration No. :
Batch No. :
Remarks :