Boats and helicopters have been flying for a week to transport Indian tourists going to Kailash Mansarovar through Humla. On Friday alone, about 700 pilgrims went to visit Kailash Mansarovar through Hilsa in Humla, while on Saturday and Sunday, about 600 pilgrims reached Simkot, the headquarters of Humla.

After the increase in the number of pilgrims, Tara, Sita and Summit Airlines made 20 flights from Nepalgunj to Simkot Airport on Sunday. There were 51 flights on Saturday and 82 flights on Friday. Currently, up to 6 planes are taking flight at Simkot airport at the same time. 5 helicopters are also ready at Simkot Airport. A helicopter is making up to 15 flights a day.   

According to the District Police Office, 1,271 Indian pilgrims including 622 women and 649 men have visited Kailash Mansarovar in China till Friday. According to the police, nearly 1,300 people entered on Saturday and Sunday. Likewise, 70 women and 79 men from other countries have reached Mansarovar. Due to Indian pilgrims, hoteliers, tour operators and porters are also busy. The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, which was closed since March 2077 due to the Corona epidemic, has started again. Two years ago, China did not open the entry permit to Mansarovar even after opening the Hilsa border crossing. "Due to Corona, the tourism business of Humla was stopped for almost four years," said Mim Lama, a tourism businessman, "now two hundred to one thousand pilgrims are coming to Humla daily."

At present, Simrik, Fistel, Mountain, Prabhu and Kailash helicopters are kept ready at Simkot Airport. Mahendra Bahadur Singh, Head of Simkot Airport, said that due to the increase in pressure due to the flight of ships and helicopters, there is also a problem in air traffic management. According to him, only 6 ships can be parked at the airport. "A large number of flights are being allowed under the responsibility of one air traffic controller," he said.

Kamal Gautam, manager of Simric Airlines, said that after the increase in the number of Indian pilgrims, there is also a problem in helicopter management. According to him, a helicopter is making up to 15 daily flights from Simkot to Hilsa. "Because the condition of the road is not good, everyone tries to go by helicopter, only four people can go at a time," he said. Some pilgrims travel 6 hours by car to reach Hilsa.  

Vijay Lama, the owner of Vijay Hotel in Simkot, said that up to 70 tourists are staying in his hotel every day. "All hotel rooms have been booked for the next three weeks," he said.

After China banned pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar due to the Corona epidemic, tourism businessmen had arranged Doordarshan for some time from Lapcha in Namkha Rural Municipality of Nepali Bhoomi, and for some time Indians also visited Mansarovar by mountain flight. In that sequence, 781 Indian pilgrims and 489 foreign tourists visited Kailash Mansarovar from Nepali land Lapcha, while 350 people visited Kailash Mansarovar by mountain flight. 

Sange Lama, another tourism businessman, said that most of the pilgrims from South India, Talimanadu, Kerala and Karnataka booked packages this year. One day the tourists are put in Simkot and the next day they are taken to Hilsa . After visiting Mansarovar-Kailash, they stay one night at Hilsa and one night at Simkot. He informed that as the pilgrims take local products such as walnuts, beans, hemp etc. as koseli, the agricultural products are also getting price and market. The hotelier has made a package for Indians including one night stay and food for two thousand five hundred rupees per passenger. 

Namkha Rural Municipality Vice President Takdir Lama said that the tourism business of Humla, which has been closed for a long time due to the Corona epidemic, has picked up speed. "At present, 35 hotels in Hilsa are full, local products have got a market due to pilgrims," he said, "locals have got jobs by working as porters and tourist guides." He informed that 60 percent of the amount will be collected in Simkot and 40 percent in Namkha Rural Municipality.

Mansarovar is a center of faith for Hindus and Buddhists. Every year from April to September is the season of Kailash Mansarovar darshan . An Indian pilgrim says that he is happy to come for Kailash Darshan after a long time. Kailash Patel, who came from Ghatkoya, Mumbai, India, said, "Darshan of Mansarovar was possible after a long wait due to the Corona epidemic. "It was a dream to visit Kailash once in a lifetime, and it has been fulfilled." Govind Gupta, who came from Uttar Pradesh, also said that he got satisfaction from seeing Mansarovar on Saturday. "A long time ago has been fulfilled, the love and welcome of the locals has also given us satisfaction," he said, "I hope Shankarji will fulfill our wishes." According to him, traveling by Hilsa is shorter and easier than traveling by Kerung.

Now the hotels in Nepalgunj are full due to Indian pilgrims. Tenzing Norbu, another tourism businessman, said that nearly 600 tourists are staying in various hotels in Nepalgunj. According to him, the big hotels of Nepalgunj have been booked for about three weeks. He informed that about 6 thousand pilgrims will visit Mansarovar this year.  

Indian pilgrims do pilgrimage from Baisakh to October. Indian pilgrims started using the Hilsa route since 2006 . After the earthquake of 2072, when the Tatopani crossing was closed, the number of people traveling to Mansarovar through Humla's Hilsa increased suddenly. According to the data of the district administration Humla, about 18 thousand Indian pilgrims visited Mansarovar during the period of almost 4 years until the corona epidemic. The chief district officer of Humla, Narayan Pandey, informed that security arrangements have been made for the pilgrims, including the management of transport means. "We hope that as many pilgrims as possible can easily visit Kailash," he said, "This has a positive effect on the tourism business and economy of Karnali as a whole."

Pilgrims returning from Tatopani

Non-Resident Indian (NRI) pilgrims returning from the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage have started entering Nepal through the Tatopani crossing after the Rasuwagadhi crossing to China's Tibet was closed due to heavy rains.

Pilgrims who entered China through Rasuwagadhi crossing at the beginning of June started returning to Nepal through Tatopani crossing after the Timure-Kerung road connection was severed due to Tuesday's flood.

Although the Chinese government opened the Rasuwa-Kerung border for Kailash Mansarovar, they were brought back by an alternative route after the flood blocked the route.

According to Tatopani Kodari Immigration Office  As of Saturday, nearly five hundred pilgrims have returned to Nepal. Only last Wednesday, 198 people, 72 people were sent to Kathmandu via Kodari crossing by 4 helicopters of Manang Air on Tuesday . Similarly, the remaining 64 people were sent to Kathmandu from the same point by bus, according to the police. "Now more than 70 tourists have started returning from Mansarovar every day, initially they returned by helicopter, but now they are going to Kathmandu through vehicles," said Jagat Bahadur Rai, head of the area police office, Kodari.