Kailash Mansarovar Yatra to resume in June after 5 years amid efforts to normalise India-China ties | India News

NEW DELHI: India and China will restart the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in June after nearly five years, in a move seen as a step towards restoring bilateral relations that deteriorated following the eastern Ladakh border conflict.
“Kailash Manasarovar Yatra organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is set to take place during June to August 2025,” the MEA announced on Saturday.
The Yatra will be held from June to August through two routes — Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand and Nathu La in Sikkim, they added.
The pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar Lake, situated in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, carries deep religious importance for Hindus, Jains and Buddhists.
“This year, five 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 MEA continued.
The Yatra was first suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and later because of the military standoff between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
The armed forces of both countries finalised troop withdrawal at Demchok and Depsang friction points following an agreement reached on October 21 last year.
Subsequently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping conducted discussions in Kazan, Russia, choosing to reinstate various bilateral dialogue channels.
The Modi-Xi meeting catalysed several bilateral discussions over recent months, aimed at improving diplomatic relations.
Earlier in January, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s visit to Beijing included productive talks with Chinese counterpart Sun Weidong.
During their meeting, both parties agreed to restart the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and implement specific people-centric steps to “stabilise and rebuild” ties.
The MEA confirmed that applications can be submitted via kmy.gov.in, adding that pilgrims will be chosen through a “fair, computer-generated, random and gender-balanced” selection process.
“Since 2015, the entire process commencing with on-line application till selection of Yatris is a fully computerised process. Therefore, applicants do not need to send letters or fax to seek information,” the MEA concluded in the readout.