The death of Indian pilgrims

[billbennettoz]

In the past few days, more than a thousand pilgrims have died in northern India in monsoon floods.

I was there, this time last year. At Rishikesh then Haridwar, both on the sacred Ganges, to observe their pilgrimage.

Whilst it's not strictly Camino related, I would ask that you spare a moment of thought, contemplation, perhaps even prayer, for those pilgrims that have died on their way.

There's more on my blog if you're interested...

Bill

 

[Jennifer1959]

Devastating. Pray for them all.

 

[Tumbleweed]

How unimaginable. Prayers for all.

 

[nreyn12]

Bill, thanks for posting this. I live in India in the winter, in Rishikesh. For those who don't know, Rishikesh is a pilgrimage destination for Hindu pilgrims, as are many of the towns in the northern state of Uttarakhand. There is a constant stream of pilgrims coming through Rishikesh, year-round, which is one of the reasons I love the place so much.

Millions of pilgrims (not just Hindu), make their way to the important temples in the Himalayas and foothills each year, during 'yatra', or pilgrimage season. With the monsoon coming early this year, and it being the largest in 88 years, many roads and been villages have been washed away.

Media estimates say that more than 100,000 people have been rescued from landslides and flooding. This is an unimaginable scale to me. The people of India have come together as one community to deal with this calamity.

Your prayers, please, in whatever form the take, for these beautiful people.