A group of pilgrims from Tamil Nadu, en route to the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, experienced a harrowing ordeal as they were caught in severe floods that swept through the Nepal-Tibet region. The pilgrims reported that they were saved by what they believe was the intervention of Lord Shiva during this life-threatening situation. The floods have caused significant disruption and danger in the area, impacting many travelers and locals alike.
Speaking to NDTV’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal at Kathmandu airport after their escape, the group claimed they saw the face of Lord Shiva on a hillside when the floodwaters hurtled down towards them on Wednesday. A drone view shows mud covering properties following a flash flood in Trishuli, Nuwakot district, Nepal Photo Credit: REUTERS Nepal police on Friday morning also issued a fresh alert after receiving information that a dam on the Tibet side has burst . “We were there to take (Lord Shiva’s) blessings. They also showed a picture, claiming that the mud and debris left behind on the hill resembled Lord Shiva. They were among hundreds of people who were on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash , a Himalayan peak in southwestern Tibet that is considered the home of Lord Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction. We came in three buses. Suddenly we saw some huge smoke near the riverbank. We thought it was some blast. Then the water came with the mud and sand,” a pilgrim, who was heading towards the Chinese border, recounted. “We escaped through the driver seat. We climbed a small hill,” she added.
But due to the disaster, we couldn’t go there. “We were a team of 60 people. The death count from flash floods in Nepal and Tibet rose to 482 on Friday as search-and-rescue operations continued for a third day. Nearly 1,500 people are still missing, including 178 Indians. More than 1,500 injured and stranded people have so far been rescued from various affected regions.
But after the disaster, on the hillside, when the flood came, we saw the face of Lord Shiva,” the women pilgrims said. “Lord Shiva came to save us,” they added. A drone view shows mud covering buildings and property following floods at Trishuli in Nuwakot district, Nepal Photo Credit: REUTERS Another pilgrim said that one side of their bus was blocked by the vehicles. “We climbed from the other side one by one,” she said, calling it a “very dangerous” situation. Thousands of security personnel and rescue and relief workers were told to stay on high alert and immediately move to a safe location if necessary.
