India will send its first group of pilgrims to Mansarovar via Nepali territory, Lipulekh Pass, on June 16.
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Ignoring Nepal's opposition, India is going to send its pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar via Lipulekh on Nepali soil. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday completed the selection of pilgrims for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Lipulekh.
India selected the pilgrims through a 'computerized draw'. Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had launched a 'computerized draw' for the selection of pilgrims, through which 1,000 have been selected. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday, the journey will take place from June to August 2026. Preparations are being made to make 20 groups of 50 passengers.
The pilgrims will travel via Lipulekh and Nathula Bhanjyang. The statement said that now both Lipulekh in the west and Nathula Bhanjyang in the east will be traveled entirely by vehicles. It is said that very little walking will be used in the Kailash Yatra. The website created by the Ministry of External Affairs of India for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will have 10 groups traveling via Lipulekh Pass and 10 groups traveling via Nathula (Sikkim). It is said that it will take about 22 days to travel via Lipulekh Pass and 21 days via Nathula. It is mentioned that the cost of traveling via Lipulekh is 2 lakh 9 thousand and 3 lakh 31 thousand Indian rupees via Nathula.
The travel program of the first group will begin from 16 Ashad (30 June). Four days have been scheduled in Delhi for health check-up, visa and briefing. They will leave Delhi on 20 Ashad (4 July). According to the travel schedule, the passengers will travel 330 kilometers from Delhi and reach Tanakpur on the same day. From Tanakpur, they will reach Dharchula and from Dharchula, they will reach Navhidhang via Gunji, Kalapani. On 26 Ashad (10 July), the first group of passengers will enter Tibet via Lipulekh Pass. It is mentioned that the further journey will begin after completing the immigration procedures from Taklakot in Tibet. Lipulekh Pass is at an altitude of about 16,730 feet. The Kailash Yatra guide book mentions that after completing a 7-kilometer journey there, travelers enter Chinese territory. Chinese officials guide Indian travelers from there.
Lipulekh Pass is a land within 56 kilometers of Limpiyadhura, Nepal's western border. For years, Nepal has been expressing its concerns about the land. However, Nepal's southern neighbor India and northern neighbor China have been ignoring Nepal's concerns, concerns, and opposition. India and China are preparing to allow Indian travelers to travel to Kailash Mansarovar through Lipulekh Pass and to conduct border trade between the two countries. India and China have also prepared for cross-border trade through Lipulekh Pass for four months from June 1 to September 30.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs had issued a statement on April 17 announcing that the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra would be conducted from June to August through Lipulekh Pass. The Nepal government had formally protested against it on April 20. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had sent a diplomatic note to both India and China expressing its protest.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press note stating that the Nepalese government is adamant that Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani east of the Mahakali River are integral parts of Nepal. It has been stated that the territory east of the Mahakali River has belonged to Nepal since the Sugauli Treaty of 1816. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had said that the Nepalese government had conveyed its clear stance and concerns to both India and China through diplomatic channels regarding the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, which is said to be conducted through Nepali land.
The Nepalese government has asked for activities such as road construction, pilgrimage and border trade to be carried out on Nepali land. Immediately after Nepal's response, India had said on 20 Baisakh that Nepal's claim was 'unjustified and not based on historical facts and evidence'. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs had issued a statement rejecting Nepal's claim, saying that it was not historical and not based on facts and evidence, and indicated that the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra would be conducted via Lipulekh.
Indian External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said that India's position has always been clear and consistent, saying that Lipulekh Pass has been a major route for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage since 1854. Nepal has been continuously opposing the agreement between India and China on trade and religious pilgrimage using Lipulekh Pass since 2072.
