Mumbai, August 28: Concerns are rising for families of individuals from Gujarat who went on the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage following a devastating natural disaster in Nepal. Three members of a family from Surat—Paresh Patel, his wife Jyoti, and their daughter Meenakshi—have lost contact. Similarly, relatives of Amit Amin, Tejal, and Jitendra Patel, who also embarked on the pilgrimage from Gandhinagar, are anxiously awaiting news.
Paresh Patel’s mother, Sushila Patel, shared that her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter left for Nepal on August 23. They were scheduled to depart for Kailash Mansarovar on August 25. The last communication with the family occurred when they informed that their immigration was complete and they were heading further, stating that contact would not be possible afterward. After hearing about the disaster in Nepal, the family attempted to reach out to relatives and acquaintances for information, but no concrete updates have emerged.
Sushila Patel revealed that Paresh resides in Florida, USA, working as a computer engineer. His wife Jyoti is a homemaker, while daughter Meenakshi is a doctor. She made an emotional plea to the government for timely information regarding the safety of her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter.
Paresh and Meenakshi’s uncle, Sureshbhai Patel, mentioned that they received a call from Nepal after a conversation in Mumbai. Paresh confirmed that their immigration was complete and they were moving up, which would hinder further contact. Sureshbhai noted that they have been trying to reach out continuously, but to no avail. He also mentioned Meenakshi’s husband, who was planning to join them but was advised against traveling due to the circumstances.
According to Sureshbhai, their relative had previously faced administrative issues during a trip to Kedarnath, which is why they recommended postponing this journey.
In Gandhinagar, Kaushik Amin reported that family members left for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage from the USA on August 22. This group included his grandmother, Amit Amin, along with Tejal and Jitendra Patel. Since the disaster struck on August 25, they have been unreachable. Kaushik noted that they spoke to the family about an hour before the disaster, when they mentioned being at Friendship Bridge and preparing to advance towards Kailash Mansarovar. Shortly after, communication was lost.
He stated that the family has shared all relevant information with the toll-free number provided by the Gujarat government. Following this, the Gandhinagar collector also reached out to the family, and the available information was relayed to the authorities. The Gujarat government is providing continuous support to the family. They have chosen to coordinate through a single government channel to avoid confusion or duplication of information.
Kaushik added that his aunt has previously completed the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage seven times, making this her eighth journey. The family remains hopeful that, with the administration’s efforts, they will soon receive updates on their loved ones’ safety and bring them back home.
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