Pithoragarh, June 3 -- A record 27,911 pilgrims from across the country visited Adi Kailash and Om Parvat in Pithoragarh district in May 2026, marking the highest monthly footfall since the pilgrimage route was opened to tourists, officials said on Tuesday. Dharchula sub-divisional magistrate Ashish Joshi said that 10,267 pilgrims visited the shrines in May 2025, while the corresponding figures stood at 9,554 in 2024 and 2,858 in 2023. Officials attributed the surge in visitors to the growing popularity of the pilgrimage circuit following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Adi Kailash in October 2023. "The number of pilgrims visiting Adi Kailash and Om Parvat has increased significantly after the Prime Minister's visit to the holy site," an official said. District magistrate Ashish Bhatgain said the pilgrimage emerged as a major source of livelihood for residents of the border region. "The Adi Kailash Yatra has generated substantial local employment and contributed to reducing migration from villages along the Indo-China and Indo-Nepal borders," Bhatgain said. The Adi Kailash Yatra for the current season began on May 1 following the opening of the Lord Shiva temple at Jolingkong. The pilgrimage is scheduled to continue until October, subject to weather conditions....