In a recent development, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed before the Uttarakhand High Court, drawing attention to the inhumane treatment of equines deployed on pilgrimage routes to Kedarnath, Yamunotri, Gaumukh, and Hemkund Sahib. As per a Times of India report, since the pilgrimage season to the four Himalayan shrines began on April 22 this year, there has been a tragic death toll of approximately 115 mules and horses working on the Char Dham and Hemkund Sahib routes. The PIL highlighted the fact that each year, hundreds of equines suffer and often succumb to death due to negligent and … Continue reading In the Name of Pilgrimage: The Unseen Suffering of Himalayan Equines