Medical care at Shrikhand Mahadev Yatra 2025

Shrikhand Mahadev Yatra is considered one of the most challenging yatras (pilgrimages) in India. Despite this, thousands of pilgrims undertake the pilgrimage each year to reach the pinnacle rock, Shiva Lingam, to pay reverence to Lord Shiva.

The one-way trek covers approximately 32 kilometers, beginning from the Jaon village, located in the Himalayas. On the first day, pilgrims trek through steep mountain forests and traverse a steep stretch with a near 70-degree incline, often compared to a vertical stick. Many pilgrims end the first day’s trek on reaching the Thachru campsite, while some manage to go further and reach Kali Top.

On the next day, the trek continues to Bhim Dawar. As pilgrims ascend to greater heights, each step is taken with increased caution as they cross glacier-fed streams on narrow paths beside deep ravines. The final leg of the journey involves trekking over predominantly glacier-covered rocky terrain to reach the Shrikhand Mahadev peak, located at an elevation of 5,200 meters.

Each year, the yatra is typically permitted in July. Being the monsoon season, frequent heavy rains make the path slippery and difficult to navigate. The adverse weather conditions further exacerbates the inherently perilous nature of the pilgrimage.

Last year, Vishav Manav Ruhani Kendra (VMRK) served at the Shrikhand Mahadev Yatra 2024. VMRK was grateful for that opportunity and appreciated a fresh opportunity to serve when the administration presented VMRK with two requests for this year’s yatra. One request was for umbrellas for the rescue personnel deployed along the yatra route. The other was to organize a medical camp at Bhim Dawar for pilgrims on the Shrikhand Mahadev Yatra 2025, scheduled from July 10–23.

Umbrella donation

Each year, the local administration deploys emergency rescue teams along the yatra route to support pilgrim safety. Last year, VMRK donated 140 pairs of high-altitude trekking shoes to support the important rescue work. The local administration appreciated the donation that helped their rescue teams navigate the difficult terrain.

This year, the administration requested umbrellas to further support the teams when they undertake rescue operations in the rain. VMRK promptly responded to the request and dispatched a team of volunteers to find high-quality sturdy umbrellas well-suited for the yatra’s weather conditions. VMRK purchased 140 umbrellas that were donated and formally presented to the local administration on July 5.

Preparing for the medical services

Preparations for the medical camp began at the VMRK center in Nawan Nagar. Our experience with conducting pilgrimage services in challenging terrain taught us that it’s not always efficient to arrange and transport the tent materials and metal poles from Nawan Nagar to the designated site. Therefore, VMRK coordinated with a local service provider to set up three waterproof tents on-site for the medical camp, volunteer accommodation, and food preparation for volunteers. VMRK also hired generators to power the medical equipment because there’s no electricity along the whole pilgrimage path.

In discussions with the local administration, VMRK learned that more pilgrims were expected this year. Accordingly, VMRK arranged and packed:

• 27 waterproof boxes of medical supplies and equipment in anticipation of the expected higher turnout
• lightweight and foldable tables and chairs for the medical camp
• raincoats, torches, and headlamps to assist our team during the trek and poor weather conditions.

On July 7, VMRK volunteers loaded all the packed materials onto a pickup truck. The next morning, the pickup truck and two cars with nine team members departed from the VMRK center in Nawan Nagar.

Arrival and setup

That same evening, July 8, the team arrived at Jaon village. They then handed over all the materials to the local service provider to be transported by porters to the designated location. The next morning, they commenced the trek. Facing rain along the route, the team covered 15 kilometers and reached Thachru by evening, where they stayed overnight. On July 10, they continued their journey for another 10 kilometers to reach Bhim Dawar, at an elevation of approximately 3,710 meters. Along the way, they traversed three glacier patches and crossed four streams flowing from melted glaciers. Some stretches of the path were so narrow that they were barely wide enough for a single person. The team reached the designated location by evening.

The local service provider had already set up a tent measuring 20 x 12 feet for the medical camp along the steep mountainous terrain. Within this tent, VMRK volunteers arranged three beds to provide in-house medical care. Additionally, three tables were organized for patient registration, patient consultations, and dispensing medicines.