Mumbai: The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is not just a journey to reach a sacred site; it is a voyage of faith, patience, self-discovery, and spiritual transformation. Senior journalist Priti Sompura shared her experiences from her recently concluded 13-day Kailash Mansarovar Yatra with fellow journalists at the Mumbai Press Club.

Sharing her emotional journey, Priti Sompura remarked that the pilgrimage to Kailash tests not only physical endurance but also an individual’s mental strength, patience, and faith. Treacherous paths, extreme altitudes, unpredictable weather, and low oxygen levels make every step of the journey challenging. Yet, it is the divine energy of Kailash and the profound spiritual realization that empower pilgrims to press on.

Priti Sompura also recounted her experience of the three-day Kailash Parikrama (circumambulation), describing it as one of the most arduous yet spiritually enriching and memorable experiences of her life. The grueling trek, coupled with extreme cold and high altitude, compels individuals to transcend their physical limitations.

She noted that upon reaching Kailash, one begins to question oneself and finds the opportunity for introspection. The journey connects us to our inner peace, distancing us from the noise, stress, and hectic pace of daily life.

“Kailash is not just a journey; it is a divine experience,” said Priti Sompura. “Standing before Mount Kailash evokes a sense of total surrender. In that moment, one realizes how insignificant we are in the face of the power of nature and the Divine.”

She added that the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra imparts vital life lessons—patience, humility, courage, gratitude, and the willingness to shed one’s ego. According to her, the journey holds the power to instill inner peace and transform one’s perspective on life.

During the interactive session at the Mumbai Press Club, Priti Sompura shared photographs, videos, and personal anecdotes from her trip, offering the audience a chance to intimately experience the natural beauty and spiritual atmosphere of Kailash. She spoke at length about the majestic, snow-capped Mount Kailash, the breathtaking natural beauty of the Himalayas, and the profound sense of peace experienced during the journey. The program also covered the challenges pilgrims face during the expedition and the necessary mental and physical preparations required before undertaking the Kailash Yatra.

Priti Sompura remarked that while the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is physically extremely demanding, the experience and spiritual fulfillment gained at the end of the journey are priceless.

“You do not return from Kailash with mere memories,” she said. “You return with a new perspective on life. Kailash grants you strength, peace, and the courage to face challenges. It teaches you surrender, how to let go of the ego, and how to become a better human being.”

She emphasized that everyone should experience the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra at least once in their lifetime—not merely as a pilgrimage, but as a journey into one’s own inner self.

For those who undertake the journey to Kailash with true devotion and faith, the mountain ceases to be just a destination; it transforms into a divine experience that remains with their heart and soul for a lifetime.

Mumbai: A cleanliness drive was launched in the presence of Maharashtra Legislative Council Deputy Chairman Sachin Ahir at Worli Koliwada in Mumbai. The main objective of the drive is “Clean Worli, Beautiful Worli”. The drive started from the Worli seafront. During the event, Sachin Ahir told reporters that the local residents have expressed their concerns to MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde. He explained that they are facing various problems due to the dirt in the area. Dirt also poses a risk of health problems. Taking the concerns of the local residents seriously, Dr. Shrikant Shinde decided to start a cleanliness drive in the entire area. The drive started from the Worli seafront. Soon the entire area will be cleaned. Sachin Ahir said that the local people had appealed to Shrikant Shinde to solve their problems. He said that Worli is an important part of Maharashtra. Whether the local MLAs discharge their duties properly or not, it is the responsibility of the government to address the concerns and problems of the residents. Under this commitment, the entire area will soon be cleaned. Sachin Ahir further explained that a comprehensive mechanism is being created to resolve all the problems of Worli, even to resolve small issues and provide basic amenities. This campaign will not be limited to just one day but will continue throughout the year.

Sachin Ahir’s response to the opposition on SIR

Regarding the opposition’s allegation that more than 2 crore names were removed from the voter list during the SIR process, Sachin Bhau Ahir said that it is a political allegation. He questioned what the opposition BLOs were doing while the SIR process was going on. He told the opposition that there is still time. Instead of making allegations, they should work on re-registering the names of those in whose name the opposition is doing politics. He said that the process is still ongoing and efforts should be made to register all eligible individuals.

A serious case has come to light regarding the recommendations of political leaders for transfers of officers and employees of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. The available list includes the names of 225 officers and employees, along with the names of ministers, MLAs, MPs, deputy mayors and corporators. The detailed list was provided to Right to Information (RTI) activist Anil Gilgali by the city engineer’s office.

A preliminary analysis of the political recommendations related to these 225 officers and employees shows that the names of some political figures keep coming up again and again. Eknath Shinde’s name has come up the most, 10 times. He is followed by Ramdas Athawale (recommended 9 times), while Girish Mahajan and Kalidas Kolambkar are mentioned 7 times. Similarly, the names of Mangesh Kadalkar, Anna Bansode, and Takaram Ket appear 6 times. Marji Patel and Dilip Lande are mentioned five times each. Meanwhile, the names of Narahari Zerowal, Sumit Wankhede, Rahul Shivale, Prakash Sarvo, Indraniil Naik, Santosh Bangar, Ram Kadam, Kisan Kathor, and Bachu Kadu appear 4 times each. Furthermore, the names of Chandrashekhar Bawankole, Hasan Musharraf, Bharat Sheth Gogawale, Uday Samant, Priyanka Phoka, Ravindra Waikar, Prasad Lad, Sunil Prabhu, Mahesh Sawant, and Praveen Drakar are mentioned 3 times each. Finally, Pratap Rao Jadhav, Pankaja Munde, Mangal Prabhat The names of Lodha, Raosaheb Danve, Sanjay Gadi, Rahul Narvekar, Jay Kumar Gaur, and Sana Malik have appeared twice each. Meanwhile, the names of Ravinder Chavan, Chandrakant Patil, and Sanjay Bansode have appeared once each.

Commenting on the list, Right to Information (RTI) activist Anil Gilgali said, “Transfers within the municipal corporation are expected to be made on the basis of administrative necessity, seniority, and transparent criteria. However, a list has surfaced in which the names of 225 officers and employees have been linked to the names of ministers, MLAs, MPs, and public representatives.” Gilgali said the municipal commissioner is expected to take disciplinary action against officials who exert political pressure in the matter as per the existing rules. The list includes officers and employees holding the posts of Assistant Engineer (AE), Sub Engineer (SE), Executive Engineer (EE), and Junior Engineer (JE). The names and related policy recommendations are as follows: They are: Ravinder Ghatge (Santosh Bangar); Sunil Shethe (Prakash Sarvo, Old Phookey); Deepak Nagasuge (Marji Patel); Gajendra Kakar (Mahendra Dalvi); Ravinder Drikkar (Anna Bansude, Prakash Sarvo); Anjali Dhore (Kishor Appa Patil); Sachin Mendhe (Varsha Gaikwad); Prashant Jagtap (Andarnel Naik, Hasan Musharraf); Nilesh Prab (Manisha Chaudhary, Girish Mahajan); Hemant Pant (Parveen Drikkar); Padmakar Chavan (Makrand Patil); Vishal Patil (Anna Bansude); Prakash Shingare (Meghna Bordekar); Sandeep Ghogre (Dr. Pankaj Bhuveer); Narayan Menghare (Santosh Bangar); Sagar Gaikwad (Sanjay Dina Patil); Rajendra Rathod (Shivendraraje Bhosle); Harish Chavan (Anna Bansude); Chetan Patil (Ram Kadam); Venkatesh Ole (Bachu Kiddo); Shubham Chavan (Marji Patel); Neha Nitin Sankhe (Uday Samant); Prasad Dhumle (Ravendra Waikar); Sunil Yamgar (Marji Patel); Prasad Patwardhan (Dhananjay Gadgal); Harshal Pimple (Kishan Kathore); Purnima Bhavir (Kali Das Kolambkar); Santosh Bhadwekar (Praveen Dariker); Vidyasagar Bhamawale (Prasad Lad); Nitin Chaudhary (Rahul Shivale); Jayant Borshe (Prakash Solanke); Sameer Samb (Sanjay Ghadi); Sachin Hanmadhar (Marji Patel); Siddhi Vinayak Khadapkar (Dilip Lande); Yogesh Parthi (Tikram Kate); Rupesh Bhandge (Sanjay Kelkar); Ramesh Sonawane (Ram Kadam); Kishore Khetri (Babasaheb Patel); Mayur Patil (Bharat Sheth Gogawale); Renuka Patil (Indarnel Naik); Vijay Shyamothy (Dilip Lande); Dinesh Nanche (Ramdas Athawale); Chetan Patil (Sanjay Dina Patil); Anoop Thakur (including Wankhede); Mahesh Nandkar (Radha Krishna Vikhe Patil); Sandeep Desai (Sanjay Sarasat); Abhay Sankhe (Chandrasekhar Bawankole); Sachin Dudh Bhate (India Sheth Gogawale); Ravindra Gawade (Kalidas Kolumbakar); Usman Sadiq (Sana Malik); Deepak Chogole (Dilip Lande); Siddharth Aggarwal (Harun Shaikh, Ranjana Patil); Sachin Dur (Suresh Koparkar); Sandeep Salunkhe (Kalidas Kolumbakar); Keshu Owe (Ramdas Athawale); Rahul Nagul (Captain Tamil Selvan); Vikas Sonone (Uday Samant); Vicky Salunkhe (Sanjay Rathore); Sainath Galwad (Dr. Bhagwat Karad, Girish Mahajan, Abu Azmi); Jameer Pathan (Sunil Prabhu); Roshan Jhamse (Eknath Shinde); Akshay Dudhan (Eknath Shinde); Prashant Pathare (Eknath Shinde); Angraj Ganpat (Eknath Shinde); Anand Jadhav (Eknath Shinde); Amit Gahane (Eknath Shinde); Praveen Turkikar (Eknath Shinde); Vivek Patil (Madhuritai Misal); Ravi Gupta (Chandrasekhar Bawankule); Yogesh Kokani (Prakash Sarva); Praveen Maluk (Prakash Sarvo); Madhav Bachwad (Ashok Chavan); Sheetal Kale (Sana Malik); Omkar Mane (Dr. Bhagwat Karad); Shalka Khade (Sanjay Bansode); Bhushan Gawli (Ramdas Athawale); Shahbaz Pirzadeh (Hasan Musharraf); Sandesh Wankhede (Kalidas Kolumbakar); Santosh Ghawre (Eknath Shinde); Sharita Thakur (Kishan Kathoor); Sagar Thet (Ravendra Vaikar); Khabbil Devrokhkar (Ramdas Athawale); Kartik Gandhi (Ram Pandagale, Indranil Naik, Meghna Bordekar); Sachin Sonawane (Manoj Jamsutkar, Manisha Chaudhary); Ramdas Kavdekar (Prasad Lad, Ramrao Vidkote); Walsangikar Abdul Mati.