The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, that the annual Kailash Manasarovar Yatra will recommence in June and continue through August, marking its resumption after a five-year hiatus. The pilgrimage had been suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent tensions with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
In preparation for the Yatra, a computerised draw was conducted to select the pilgrims. Kirti Vardhan Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs and Environment, Forest and Climate Change, oversaw the selection process. Out of 5,561 registered pilgrims, comprising 4,024 men and 1,537 women, 750 Yatris, including liaison officers, were chosen through a fair, computer-generated, random selection process. The draw was designed to be gender-balanced and fully transparent.
Selected participants are being informed via SMS and email, and they can also check their status on the official Yatra website (https://kmy.gov.in) or by contacting the MEA helpline.
The Yatra will take place along two routes: the Lipulekh route and the Nathu La route. A total of 15 batches, each comprising 50 pilgrims, will make the journey – five batches via Lipulekh and ten via Nathu La. Both routes are now fully motorable, significantly reducing the need for strenuous trekking. Detailed information about the routes and batch schedules is available on the Yatra website. The Lipulekh Pass route, via Uttarakhand, will proceed through Delhi, Almora, Dharchula, Gunji, and then into Tibet (China). This route will consist of five batches, with each journey taking approximately 22 days and costing an estimated INR 1.74 lakh per person. The Nathu La Pass route, via Sikkim, will go through Delhi, Gangtok, Nathu La, Lhasa, Manasarovar, and Kailash (by road within Tibet). This route will have ten batches, each lasting approximately 21 days and costing around INR 2.83 lakh per person.
During the draw event, MoS Singh highlighted the government's ongoing efforts to make the pilgrimage more accessible, safer, and more environmentally conscious. He emphasized the importance of undertaking the Yatra with responsibility, humility, and care – not only for fellow pilgrims but also for preserving the sacred environment of the region.
The resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is viewed as a step towards normalizing relations between India and China, which were strained by the border standoff in eastern Ladakh. The pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar Lake in China's Tibet Autonomous Region holds immense religious significance for Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists. The External Affairs Ministry organizes the pilgrimage.
In January 2025, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Beijing and engaged in talks with his Chinese counterpart, Sun Weidong, where both sides agreed to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and take steps to "stabilize and rebuild" ties.
The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra was suspended initially in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequently because of the military standoff between the two sides on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
