Kolkata: A visa rejection that left a 64-year-old woman heartbroken just days before her planned journey to Mount Kailash has now left her reflecting on how narrowly she escaped being caught in the devastating flash floods in Nepal.
Tapati Singha, a beautician from Konnagar in Hooghly, was preparing to travel with a group from Kolkata when her Chinese visa was rejected four days before departure.
She had waited for years to visit Kailash
Tapati had hoped to visit Mount Kailash following the death of her husband last year. She joined the group through Cholo Jai Travel Club and had been preparing for the 13-day journey since May.
The travellers attended meetings, went shopping for the trip and underwent trekking training. Tapati said she was devastated when she was informed that her visa had been rejected without an explanation.
She was told that the reason could be disclosed only after the group reached Nepal.
Instead of travelling with the group, Tapati changed her plans and went to Ladakh.
Now she is worried about fellow travellers
Tapati could have been among at least 33 people from Kolkata who travelled to Nepal as part of the group’s journey towards Manasarovar.
The group was among those reported to be untraceable after a massive flash flood originating in Tibet swept through parts of central Nepal on Wednesday.
Samrat Tours and Travels, the Nepal-based counterpart of the Kolkata travel agency, had reportedly been unable to establish contact with the travellers until late Wednesday.
For Tapati, the visa rejection has therefore taken on a painful new meaning.
“I was shattered then. Now I am thinking about all of them,” she said.
Her account captures the anguish of families and fellow travellers waiting for news as rescue efforts continue in the flood-hit region.