New Delhi: In a significant breakthrough in Indo-China relations, the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is set to resume from June 2025, marking the first major people-to-people initiative since the Ladakh standoff. Both India and China have agreed to facilitate the pilgrimage, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on Saturday.
The Yatra, which holds profound religious importance for Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains, will be conducted from June to August via the traditional routes through Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand and Nathu La Pass in Sikkim.
“The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, organised by the Ministry of External Affairs, will be conducted during June to August 2025,” the MEA said in an official statement.
The pilgrimage had been suspended in 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent military tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. The gradual easing of tensions, marked by the disengagement of troops at Demchok and Depsang in October 2024, paved the way for normalising ties. This was followed by a high-level meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan, Russia, where they agreed to revive various bilateral engagements.
Further progress was made during Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s visit to Beijing in January 2025, where discussions with Chinese officials led to the decision to restart the pilgrimage and introduce more people-centered initiatives.
According to the MEA, this year’s Yatra will allow five batches of 50 pilgrims each via the Lipulekh route and 10 batches of 50 pilgrims each through the Nathu La route.
Interested pilgrims can submit their applications online at kmy.gov.in. The selection will be conducted through a transparent, computer-generated, and gender-balanced system. The MEA also emphasized that the entire application process has been fully digital since 2015, urging applicants to avoid sending physical correspondence and instead use the feedback section on the website for queries and updates.
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