New Delhi, April 26 – India and China have agreed to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra from June 2025, ending a five-year suspension. The resumption of the pilgrimage is seen as a positive step towards normalizing relations between the two countries, which had been strained following the military standoff in eastern Ladakh.
The Ministry of External Affairs announced on Saturday that the pilgrimage will be conducted from June to August through two routes — the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand and the Nathu La Pass in Sikkim. As per agency report, Mount Kailash and Mansarovar Lake, located in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, hold immense religious significance for Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, organized by the ministry, will take place between June and August 2025. The pilgrimage had initially been suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and remained halted due to the subsequent border tensions at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Following discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the two sides have engaged in multiple meetings over the past few months aimed at improving bilateral ties. In January, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Beijing and held talks with his Chinese counterpart Sun Weidong, during which both countries agreed to restart the pilgrimage.
The ministry detailed that this year, five groups of pilgrims will travel via the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand and ten groups via the Nathu La Pass in Sikkim, with each group comprising 50 participants. Applications for the pilgrimage can be submitted through the designated website, and selection of travelers will be done through a proper process as outlined by the ministry.
