All you need to know about Kailash Manasarovar Yatra
The Kailash Manasarovar Yatra will be conducted during June and August this year through two routes, one via Uttarakhand and the other via Sikkim. In all, 750 Indian nationals will be permitted to undertake the religious pilgrimage.
Mount Kailash and Manasarovar Lake are holy sites for the Hindu religion and are located in Tibet.
The Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday issued a statement saying the Yatra is set to take place during June to August 2025.
Giving a breakdown of the 750 Yatris permitted, the MEA said 5 batches, each consisting of 50 Yatris, and 10 batches, each consisting of 50 Yatris, are scheduled to travel through Uttarakhand State, crossing over at Lipulekh Pass, and through Sikkim State, crossing over at Nathu La Pass, respectively.
The website at kmy.gov.in has been opened for acceptance of applications. The Yatris will be selected from among applicants through a fair, computer-generated, random and gender-balanced selection process.
Since 2015, the entire process, commencing with online application until the selection of Yatris, is a fully computerised process. Therefore, applicants do not need to send letters or faxes to seek information. The feedback options on the website can be used for obtaining information, registering observations or making suggestions for improvement, the MEA said.
India wanted that part of the Yatra be reverted through the Delhi-Pithoragarh-Lipulekh pass route that goes through the Kumaon region in Uttarakhand, sources said. The Lipulekh pass route would be quicker and less costly for pilgrims.
One reason for this is that India now has a fully paved road to its side of Lipulekh Pass, a 16,870 feet high mountain crossing between Uttarakhand, India and Tibet.
In 2020, the Border Roads Organisation, under the Ministry of Defence, opened the 80 km road between Dharchula and Lipulekh. This reduced the five-day one-way trek to a four- to five-hour car drive.
The Sikkim route via Nathu La onwards entails a 4- to 5-day road journey into Tibet.
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