Aerial pilgrimage

Shree Airlines has inaugurated its first 1-hour chartered sightseeing flight from Nepalganj for a view of holy Mt Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in China. The first flight on Monday carried 30 Indian aerial pilgrims on the carrier's CRJ 72 jet that flew at 27,000ft over Nepal's northwestern border with China in Humla district. From that altitude, the lake and the mountain are clearly visible as well as other Himalayan peaks including Mt Api and Mt Saipal in Nepal, Gurla Mandhata in Tibet, and Trishul and Nanda Devi in India. China has not yet opened the Kailash pilgrimage to Indian nationals, so pilgrims are making the flight to pay their once-in-a-lifetime respect to the holy site.