The much-awaited Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will commence this summer after a gap of five years. The yatra was stalled after the Chinese government imposed tough conditions for the Indian Pilgrims in 2020 in the wake of tensions between the two countries over border dispute.

An indication about resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Pilgrimage came from a meeting held at the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi on Wednesday in the presence of Uttarakhand tourism officials.

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Pithoragarh District Tourism Officer Kirti Chandra informed that the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra could resume in May as was evident from the meeting of the Ministry of External Affairs. He said the Uttarakhand government and the state Tourism Department were prepared to facilitate the Kailash Mansarovar Pilgrimage as the infrastructural facilities enroute to Kailash Peak have been revamped and renewed in a few years.

Chandra, who was present in the meeting of the External Affairs Ministry in Delhi, also informed that senior officials of the ministry made it clear that pilgrimage to the Kailash Mansarovar could be allowed from May as the Chinese government has agreed for the same. According to Chandra, the meeting in Delhi was called only to discuss the Kailash Pilgrimage for the upcoming season.

It’s noteworthy that the road from Dharchula to Lipu Lekh Pass, the passage point for Kailash Mansarovar Pilgrimage, has been revamped by the BRO. Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) has set up its huts at various locations for the tourists particularly those going to Kailash Mansarovar Pilgrimage. Tourism officials in Dehradun informed that the existing infrastructure en route to Kailash Mansarovar is good enough to make the pilgrimage a success even as lodging facilities and roads are in proper order.

Mount Kailash with lake Mansarovar located in Tibet is a major centre of faith for Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain devotees from India and across the world. As for the Hindus, Mount Kailash is considered an abode of Lord Shiva.

Kailash Mansarovar Pilgrimage went on smoothly every year till 2019. In June 2020, during COVID-19 pandemic, it was put on hold mainly owing to violent clashes between Indian and Chinese armies at Galvan Valley in Ladakh. China though did not bar Indians from going to Kailash, it imposed harsh conditions to prevent Indian pilgrims from entering Chinese mainland via Uttarakhand’s Lipu Lekh pass, the main entrance for Mount Kailash.