Kailash Mansarovar Yatra News and Updates

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic and the standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the people-to-people contact mechanism between India and China has resumed, allowing for the revival of the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage. Wen Tao, Deputy Commissioner of Tibet’s Ali Prefecture, said, "This grand cross-Himalayan cultural exchange is a significant consensus between the leaders of India and China."

Six years after the last Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, a group of 36 Indian pilgrims undertook the arduous trek around the 18,000-foot-high Mount Kailash and took a holy dip in Lake Mansarovar. This pilgrimage to one of Hinduism’s holiest sites marks the first restored people-to-people exchange between India and China after disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the military standoff at the LAC. The revival was decided after a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan last year. Further steps are expected, including the resumption of direct flights, the opening of visa and tourism routes, and resolving economic and trade matters through separate mechanisms.

The first batch included people aged between 18 and 69. Group leaders informed Indian journalists at the Zhuzhu Pu hostel, where the pilgrims stayed for a few nights after completing their ‘parikrama’ (circumambulation of the mountain and lake). Each group is accompanied by a doctor, and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the nodal agency for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra (KMY), coordinated with the Chinese government to allow Indian cooks to travel ahead and set up tents to serve familiar food.

Suman Lata, a recently retired schoolteacher, told reporters that the group did not feel any tension between India and China while crossing the border — a tension that has dominated bilateral ties in recent years, including clashes in Galwan and standoffs at points like Demchok, just 250 km east of Purang (also called Burang).

She said, “We have nothing to do with politics. I can only say that the Indian government gave us a wonderful send-off, and the Chinese government gave us a very warm welcome.”

This group is among 15 batches making the journey via Nathu La in Sikkim and Lipulekh Pass. Around 750 people have been selected. They will travel over 3,000 kilometers from Gangtok between June 15 and July 2, with return journeys scheduled accordingly. Others will take the longer and more challenging Lipulekh route through Uttarakhand, near the strategic India-Nepal-China tri-junction.

Facility Survey
Before the journey, local authorities reported conducting a thorough survey of facilities. While in recent years many non-resident Indians (NRIs) have been able to make the pilgrimage through private travel agencies, their numbers have declined. This has reduced employment opportunities for local Tibetan porters and affected commerce in nearby towns.

Deputy Commissioner Wen Tao, who welcomed the first batch and oversaw arrangements, reiterated that the cross-Himalayan cultural exchange was part of a major agreement between the two countries' leaders. He said Chinese authorities had worked to improve the efficiency of immigration checks at Nathu La using biometrics, provide multilingual interpreters at different stages, ensure oxygen availability, and designate special prayer areas at key sites.

Recovering from a full-day 19-kilometer trek that reached 5,590 meters at Dolma Point, Pranav Gupta from Jammu expressed gratitude to both governments for designing the itinerary in a way that helped pilgrims gradually acclimatize to high altitudes and low oxygen levels. Ms. Lata added, “It is faith, not fitness, that helps us complete each day of this trek.”

In addition to Hindus, who worship the 6,638-meter peak as the abode of Lord Shiva and the gateway to heaven, Buddhists also revere the site. They believe Mount Kailash, referred to as Mount Meru, is the source of spiritual energy. For Jains, it is believed that Rishabhdev, one of their first Tirthankaras, attained liberation after visiting Mount Ashtapad here. Followers of the ancient Bon religion of Tibet also honor the mountain and lake. Pilgrims from multiple religions undertake the ‘kora’ or circuit walk around the sites during summer.

Due to the sacred nature of the site, the Chinese government banned all climbing attempts on Mount Kailash in 2001–2002 and strictly controls access to Lake Mansarovar — one of a pair of lakes in the area. India and China had agreed to reopen the ancient pilgrimage route in 1981.

The revered Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is set to resume in the summer of 2025, ending a five-year pause that began in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and border tensions between India and China. The reopening follows successful diplomatic discussions between the two countries in January 2025.

Southern Travels has announced three special pilgrimage packages for Indian devotees eager to undertake the spiritual journey. These include:
14-day overland tour from Kathmandu
12-day helicopter-assisted tour from Kathmandu
10-day helicopter-assisted tour from Lucknow

According to Krishna Mohan Alapati, Managing Director of Southern Travels, all packages include visits to key pilgrimage sites such as Kathmandu, Kyirong, Saga, Lake Manasarovar, Darchen, Diraphuk, and Zuthulphuk.

The relaunch of the Yatra offers pilgrims a renewed opportunity to undertake the sacred journey to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, which hold deep spiritual significance in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Bon traditions.