India on Sunday sought additional routes and increasing the number of pilgrims for the annual Kailash Mansarovar yatra. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj made these demands during her talks with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
“She did ask for possibilities of additional routes to Kailash and Mansarovar. She did talk about the possibility of increasing the number of pilgrims,” Gautam Bambawale, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
The MEA organises the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra every year between June and September following an understanding with the Chinese government.
Every year the Chinese government allows 18 batches of 60 pilgrims each to undertake the yatra to the twin sites located in Tibet. She thanked the Chinese foreign minister for having kept the cost of the pilgrimage on their side constant over the last few years.
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