After Days Of Landslides And Communication Breakdowns, Maharashtra Kailash Mansarovar Pilgrims Return Home Safely From Nepal

Mumbai: After days of uncertainty, landslides and disrupted communication, Maharashtra pilgrims stranded in Nepal while returning from the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra finally reached home, with several groups making their way back through difficult and circuitous routes.

Pune Pilgrim Recalls Fear Amid Communication Blackout

Smita Pradeep Pawar, a Pune resident, was among four Maharashtra pilgrims who were stranded at Kerung (Gyirong) while returning from the pilgrimage. Following coordinated efforts from Maharashtra Chief minister, disaster management office, the four along with several others returned to Maharashtra from Kathmandu on Saturday.

“We had started from Mumbai on August 16 for the Mansarovar pilgrimage. On the way back, we got to know about the situation. Saga was quite different the day earlier. We had no access to the internet, so we and our family members were all scared,” Pawar said.

37 Maharashtra Pilgrims Rescued From Affected Region

The four were among 37 Maharashtra pilgrims stranded in the region who were brought to safety and moved towards Kathmandu.

For Mumbai resident Aarti Sharma, the journey involved navigating landslides and changing modes of transport. The group had left on August 17, travelling from Kathmandu to Saga before heading towards Mansarovar.

Senior Citizens Fell Ill During Difficult Route

“There was a way next to the river and we came across three landslides. We had senior citizens with us as well who fell sick and had to be rushed to the hospital,” Sharma said.

After reaching Mansarovar, the situation worsened, she said. “We travelled through different modes of transport and reached Kathmandu.”

Nearly 100 Maharashtra Pilgrims Return Via Bihar Route

Another group of nearly 100 Maharashtra pilgrims made its way into India through Bihar. They reached Patna and boarded a train to Nagpur, with the Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Office assisting with their onward journey to their respective homes.

For families in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the ordeal was also marked by days of uncertainty.

Thane Family Struggled To Contact Missing Pilgrim

Thane resident Sanjay Patankar’s brother Satish, who was travelling in Nepal with his wife, has now safely returned home. Sanjay said the family initially struggled to establish contact after the floods because of the lack of communication networks outside Kathmandu.

“We contacted the local office of the ‘Hills and Trails’ travel group. Mr Charuhas Joshi told us that he had also heard about the situation, but did not have specific information because there was no communication network in the area,” he said.

The experience has prompted the family to call for better systems to track pilgrims. “We are working on preparing a missing persons list and ensuring that proper identification and other details are available for each person. We should create a standard template and make it compulsory for everyone undertaking such journeys to provide these details,” Sanjay said.

The flash floods that struck Nepal on August 26 damaged roads and bridges and disrupted connectivity, leaving tourists and pilgrims stranded in several areas. Rescue and evacuation operations were launched as authorities worked to reopen routes and move stranded travellers to safety.

For the Maharashtra pilgrims, what began as a pilgrimage ended with a journey through landslides, roadblocks, multiple modes of transport and uncertain communication — before they could finally make their way home.

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