AHMEDABAD: It’s the time of the year for the holy pilgrimage to Kailash Manasarovar. On June 12 the first batch of 60 people will leave New Delhi for Kailash Manasarovar Yatra 2013 with eight Gujaratis in it.

The sojourn of love and devotion from Gujarat to Kailash Mansarovar is ancient. And, over the years this connection has only deepened. Statistics of Union ministry of external affairs reveal that about 25% of the devotees who complete the yatra are from Gujarat. This is despite the fact that the yatra involves trekking at high altitudes of up to 19,500 feet under inhospitable conditions, including extreme cold and rugged terrain, demanding extreme physical and mental fitness.

Not just that, back in 1937, the first all-women group of pilgrims to reach this Himalayan pilgrimage had consisted mostly of Gujarati women.

This fact came to light when APS Nimbadia, DIG at the ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) authored a book 'Kumaon & Kailash Ek Sanskriti Ek Satya'. Nimbadia said that while doing a research for his book he had found out that in the year 1937, one Narayana Swami of Narayana Swami Ashram Dharchula, Pithoragarh had arranged the yatra and the 35 travelers were women. Out of these, a majority of them were from Gujarat.

Nimbadia said it was the first women's group to take the yatra. "We are still searching for more documents to get details of all the travelers. The government of India only took on the job of facilitating the yatra from 1981. Prior to that, individuals use to take up the yatra on their own," he said.

Vijay Kumar, deputy secretary, East Asia, Union ministry of external affairs, said, "Every year, 2,500 people apply to the ministry of external affairs. Till last year, 16 batches with 60 people took up the yatra. But from this year, 18 batches will leave for the yatra. Out of the 2,500 applications, 1,080 people were selected through a computer draw."

Last year, 16 batches had left for the yatra and 769 people had completed the yatra out of which 571 were male and 198 female and out of this, 150 were Gujaratis.

Gita Patel, a resident of Ahmedabad, who has taken up the yatra five times, said, “The experience is divinity in itself. Though one needs to be mentally tough as the terrain is full of hurdles, one draws strength from the Divine itself. It's so mesmerizing to see the abode of lord Shiva."

Hiren Shah, another resident of Ahmedabad who undertook the pilgrimage last year, echoed: "The entire experience is worth all the physical and mental toil."