A tragic incident unfolded during a religious pilgrimage in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, where two devotees lost their lives after slipping on snow-covered tracks while circumambulating the sacred Drilbu Ri Kora mountain. The accident also left 15 other pilgrims with minor injuries. Lahaul-Spiti disaster management authorities confirmed the developments, prompting immediate rescue and relief operations by the local administration in the high-altitude terrain.
Details of the Deceased and Immediate Relief
Disaster management officials identified the victims as 74-year-old Dawa Doma Bhutia, a resident of Darjeeling in West Bengal, and 64-year-old Yangjin, the daughter of Kunu Ram from Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti. The district administration acted swiftly, providing an immediate relief amount of 25,000 rupees to the bereaved family of each deceased person. Officials noted that the incident occurred at around 4:30 AM when unexpected snowfall struck the area, turning the high-altitude mountain path extremely slippery and treacherous.
Rescue Operations and Medical Treatment
A specialized team comprising district administration personnel and the National Disaster Response Force rushed to the site to recover the bodies and assist the injured. Authorities stated that the injured pilgrims were immediately transported to a hospital in Keylong for medical attention, where the post-mortem examinations of the deceased are also being conducted.
Official Statements and Environmental Factors
Superintendent of Police Shivani Mehla stated that approximately 300 people participated in the sacred Drilbu Ri Kora pilgrimage, resulting in two fatalities. Former minister Ram Lal Markanda expressed grief over the tragic deaths of the two women during the circumambulation of the holy Drilbu Ri mountain. It is believed that the deaths were caused by extreme cold and the fall, as temperatures plummeted sharply following heavy snowfall. Such extreme conditions are referred to as hypothermia, a medical state where the body loses heat rapidly and experiences severe chilling.
Religious Significance and Historical Background
Located directly above the Chandrabhaga confluence at Tandi in the Lahaul valley, the Drilbu Ri mountain is revered as the seat of Acharya Matisar Guru Ghantapa. Historical accounts note that Acharya Matisar of Nalanda University visited the Lahaul valley in the 7th century and performed rigorous meditation inside the caves of Drilbu Ri. Additionally, the mountain is considered the seat of Chakrasamvara, the principal deity of the Kagyu sect. Given its profound spiritual importance, revered figures such as the Dalai Lama, Galdan Tripa, Gelong Drukpa, and Taktsung Rinpoche have undertaken journeys to this site, drawing numerous devotees for the circumambulation.
Altitude and Spiritual Beliefs of the Peak
The sacred Drilbu Ri peak is situated at an elevation of roughly 15,000 feet after a steep and direct ascent of about nine kilometers. In Buddhist tradition, completing a single circumambulation of Drilbu Ri Peak is considered spiritually equivalent to completing 13 circumambulations of Mount Kailash, driving pilgrims to brave the challenging altitude despite unpredictable weather hazards.
