Spiritual journey turns deadly as Nepal-Tibet floods hit pilgrims

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They came to the Himalayas seeking spiritual renewal, drawn by Tibet’s sacred, snow-capped Mount Kailash.

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Instead, many pilgrims were caught in deadly floods that tore through the Nepal-Tibet region, wiping out entire villages.

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“I saw two buses carrying Indian pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar,” said 27-year-old Laloma, a Nepali mother.

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She was rescued on Thursday from Nepal’s devastated area of Syabrubesi, along with her infant son and husband, after sheltering for a freezing night in a school. The buses were swept away, she said.

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“They are all gone,” she told AFP.

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Mount Kailash is sacred to Hindus, Buddhists and Jains.

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Hindus regard Kailash as the abode of deities Shiva and Parvati, while Tibetan Buddhists associate it with Mount Meru, which they say is the centre of the universe.

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It is forbidden to climb the 6,638-metre-high (21,778-foot) mountain.

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Instead, pilgrims undertake a roughly 52-kilometre (32-mile) contemplative circuit around its base, taking most walkers about three days.

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For those en route or returning from the isolated, pyramid-shaped peak and bathing in the frigid ice waters of nearby Lake Mansarovar, across China’s frontier with Nepal, it was meant to be a healing journey of peace.

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But climate change is causing glaciers to melt worldwide, increasing the risks of glacial lake floods and glacial collapses.

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On Wednesday morning, a tsunami-like wall of water and mud powered down, caused by a glacial collapse that sent a torrent of debris downstream, burying homes and sweeping away bridges.

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More than 470 people are dead and upwards of 1,400 others are missing in both China and Nepal.

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‘Share your pain’

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Indian spiritual leader Sadhguru this year led devotees to Kailash, an annual pilgrimage growing in popularity, especially among Indians.

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Thousands of Indians are reported to have undertaken the pilgrimage this year, as well as Hindus from other nations.

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Sadhguru’s “sacred walks”, organised by his Isha Foundation, promised a journey to a place “of divine connection, where the veil between the physical and spiritual is thin”.

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On Thursday, he wept as he described his frantic calls to missing devotees, in a video message posted from Tibet to his several million followers.

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Some 77 pilgrims were at the Nepal-China border office when floodwaters swept through the centre on Wednesday, he said in a post, alongside a terrifying video from the Chinese side of the frontier, when a wall of mud and debris crashed over the building.

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“Literally, the entire group was there in the building, this is a terrible and extraordinary event,” he said, as anguished wails from other pilgrims with him are heard over the video.

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“All of us, including the volunteers and support teams are deeply anguished,” the Hindu guru, whose real name is Jagdish Vasudev, added.

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“To the families and loved ones of those in our group and hundreds of others who are affected in the region, I share your pain,” he added.

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“All phones are off, telecommunications are down, roads are blocked, we are unable to go there,” he said, tears in his eyes.

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For Indians, the pilgrimage to Kailash and Lake Mansarovar is organised annually by New Delhi’s foreign ministry, in coordination with Chinese authorities.

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It restarted in 2025 for Indians for the first time since a 2020 border clash.

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‘Pure intention’

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Logadarrsiny Raman, 26, from Malaysia, said four members of her family were among 17 Malaysians travelling with a Nepali travel operator.

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Her parents, aunt and uncle had spent months planning the pilgrimage, which they regarded as a spiritual journey and fulfilment.

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“They felt like this was the right time for them to go for this pilgrimage,” Raman said, speaking to AFP in Kuala Lumpur.

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“It was a very pure intention, and that’s why they wanted to go together as a family.”

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She last exchanged WhatsApp messages with her father just after dawn in Nepal on Wednesday.

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After that, the family heard nothing.

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Raman said the travel agency told her its last contact with the group was at 8:18 am Nepal time, when they were travelling towards the Nepal-China border.

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The flood crashed into the area where they last were soon after.

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“I’m very anxious,” she said. “My only hope is to hear back from them that they are safe.”

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She appealed for help locating her parents and the other Malaysian pilgrims.

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“There’s nothing else that we all want as a family,” she said.

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AFP

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