Rudrapur, July 6 -- Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami flagged off the Kailash Mansarovar yatra from Tanakpur in Champawat district on Saturday, officials aware of the matter said. The first batch of 45 pilgrims arrived at Tanakpur on Friday evening and headed for Pithoragarh on Saturday morning, they added. Yatra resumed after six years after it was halted due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and was also later impacted by the Indo-China border tension. The last yatra was organised in 2019. Pilgrims reached Pithoragarh and stayed for a night and will head to Dharchula on Sunday, they added. Welcoming the pilgrims at the tourist rest house in Tanakpur, Dhami said, "The yatra is not merely a religious value but also a spiritual journey. Those who get the opportunity of the sacred yatra are the ones who get (Lord) Mahadev's invites. Uttarakhand is full of religious shrines and temples and Mahadev exists in every part of nature." The yatra is resuming after six years due to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took the initiative to start the yatra. The state government has left no stone unturned to ensure a safe and comfortable journey, he said. Dhami added, "After construction of the road, pilgrims will not have to walk on foot. They will reach Lipulekh within hours, which used to take a week earlier." After a welcome ceremony and discussion with pilgrims, Dhami flagged off the yatra for Pithoragarh. The batch comprises 32 male and 13 female pilgrims. The batch has 11 devotees from Gujarat, seven from Delhi, six from Rajasthan, five from Maharashtra, four from UP, three from Madhya Pradesh, two each from J&K, Tamil Naidu and Uttarakhand, one each from Chhattishgarh Telangana and West Bengal. A 25-year-old pilgrim from Gujarat, Saumya Patel, said, "I feel very lucky that I was selected for the yatra. I am feeling thrilled and am having opportunities to know the traditions and culture of Uttarakhand." Another devotee, Puneet Gupta, 35, from Jammu said, "Coming across Uttarakhand's culture especially 'Chholia dance' is a wonderful experience for me. It is a spiritual journey for me and I am very excited to go to the much coveted Kailash Mansarovar yatra."...