J&K mulls opening of Kailash Mansarovar route via Demchok

Officials privy to the development said that a proposal has already been made and sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs and External Affairs Ministry for their approval and to take up the matter with their Chinese and Tibetan counterparts for necessary action.

"We have decided to open a new route to Kailash Mansarovar Yatra from Demchok in south-east Ladakh through Pithoraharg, Uttarakhand. If this route is opened, age will not be a restriction (for pilgrims). It will be the safest, shortest and more economical way to undertake the Yatra," Leh Deputy Commissioner Tsering Angchok said.

However, the proposal is awaiting nod from both the Indian and Chinese governments. "Ministry of Home Affairs and External Affairs Ministry are taking up the matter with the Chinese government," he said.

The MEA organises the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra every year during June and September. People from all walks of life participate in the Yatra which leads to the holy sites of Mount Kailash and Mansarovar lake in Tibet, through the traditional route followed by saints and pilgrims since ancient times.

The 644-km-long pilgrimage, which includes a 574-km motor journey from New Delhi up to the Dharchula base camp, passes through five camps - Sirkha, Gala, Bundi, Gunji and Nabhidhang - before crossing the Lipulekh Pass to reach Tibet.