Following a nearly five-year pause, the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra—revered by Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists—is scheduled to recommence in June 2025. India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on Saturday that the pilgrimage will take place between June and August, marking a significant step towards repairing India-China relations strained by recent border tensions.
The revered journey to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar Lake, both located in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, had been on hold since 2020. Initially paused due to the global outbreak of COVID-19, the yatra remained suspended due to a prolonged military standoff between Indian and Chinese forces along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
The MEA announced that the pilgrimage will be facilitated via two traditional routes—Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand and Nathu La Pass in Sikkim. These access points allow Indian pilgrims to cross into Tibet to reach the sacred sites.
The Ministry of External Affairs announced that the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will be held between June and August 2025, marking the revival of cultural and spiritual exchanges between India and China.
The move is being widely viewed as a diplomatic thaw, with both sides showing willingness to re-engage beyond just military dialogues. The yatra’s resumption is not only of religious and emotional significance to many Indians but is also being interpreted as a positive gesture toward restoring a working relationship between the two Asian giants.
While no additional details on group sizes or application processes have been released yet, the decision to reopen the pilgrimage routes has sparked hope among thousands of would-be pilgrims waiting to visit the iconic mountain and holy lake.
This development is a rare and symbolic shift amidst years of tension, suggesting that spiritual diplomacy may once again play a role in bridging geopolitical divides between India and China.
