- Sixty Rajasthan pilgrims stranded in Nepal due to floods.
- Road washed away at Krishnabhir, bus now their shelter.
- Facing food shortage, safety concerns, 15-day road repair.
The devastating Nepal floods, which have killed hundreds of people and left several others missing, have also stranded a group of around 60 pilgrims from Kota and Bara in Rajasthan. The pilgrims are stuck with their bus after the road was washed away at Krishnabhir, around 65 km from Kathmandu.
With the route completely cut off, the bus cannot move ahead and returning is also proving difficult. Food supplies are running low, while the group has struggled to find a safe place to spend the night. Locals are reportedly not allowing them to stay on the roadside, leaving the bus as their only shelter.
The group includes elderly people, women, girls and children, raising concerns about their safety, particularly at night. The local police administration has reportedly told them that repairing the road and constructing a bridge could take at least 15 days.
A stranded pilgrim, Badrilal Meena, said, "There are women, girls, and children on the bus. I'm at a loss as to how we'll survive 15 days in such conditions."
Another pilgrim, Hanuman Singh, said, "There's no hope of a bridge being built soon. The administration is saying the road can't open before 15 days. How will we stay here for so long and how will we care for the children and the elderly?"
The pilgrims entered Nepal on August 29 after visiting several religious sites in India, including Baba Bageshwar Dham, Chitrakoot, Ayodhya, Kashi Vishwanath and Gorakhnath. They entered Nepal through Sonauli and visited Pashupatinath before planning to return through Bihar, Jharkhand, Kamakhya, Odisha and Gangasagar.
However, their journey was disrupted after the road was cut off at Krishnabhir. The authorities have suggested that the group leave the bus and take smaller vehicles via an alternate route from Kathmandu to Hetauda.
Pilgrim Nathulal Meena said, "We're being told to leave the bus and take smaller vehicles and take the alternative route from Kathmandu to Hetauda. But where will we find so many small vehicles at once? There are so many people on the bus. Every five or six people will need a separate vehicle. Where will we get so much money?"
Kailashchand said the presence of elderly people and children has made the situation even more difficult. While the day passes somehow, the biggest concern is finding a safe place to spend the night.
The bus parked on the Gajuri road between Dhading and Galchi has now become a temporary home for the stranded pilgrims. Elderly people and children are sitting inside alongside their luggage, while the damaged road outside has brought their journey to a standstill. With limited rations and no certainty over when the road will reopen, the group is left waiting for a way out.
Badrilal Meena said, "We just want to get out of here safely."
Meanwhile, Ganesh Lal Shrestha, president of the Gajuri village municipality, assured the stranded pilgrims that they would not be left without shelter. He said arrangements were being made to accommodate the group in the newly constructed village municipality building.
The pilgrims' return journey, however, will depend on the restoration of the damaged road.