GG News Bureau
New Delhi/Gangtok, 19th May: The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, a revered pilgrimage for Hindus, will resume through the Nathu La Pass in Sikkim after a five-year suspension, marking a significant spiritual and diplomatic development. The decision coincides with Sikkim’s 50th statehood anniversary, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to join in celebrating.
Organised annually by the Ministry of External Affairs between June and September, the yatra takes devotees to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar Lake in Tibet. It is open exclusively to Indian citizens with valid passports and does not receive government subsidies.
This year, the route via Nathu La — one of two pathways, the other being through Lipulekh in Uttarakhand — will host 10 batches of pilgrims. Each batch will span 21 days, with the first group departing from Delhi on June 15 and crossing the Nathu La border on June 20. The final batch will leave on August 7 and cross on August 12. The estimated cost per pilgrim is ₹2.83 lakh.
The yatra had been suspended since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent India-China military standoff along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.
In preparation, the Sikkim government has ramped up infrastructure development around the 60-km stretch between Gangtok and Nathu La, under Bhutia’s Kabi-Lungchok constituency. Two acclimatisation centres, rest houses, and sanitation facilities are being established to address high-altitude health risks like acute mountain sickness.
The pilgrimage holds deep religious importance for Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists alike, and the resumption of the Nathu La route is seen as both a spiritual and geopolitical milestone.
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