First batch of Indian pilgrims arrives at Manasarovar lake in Tibet after five-year hiatus

Beijing: The first batch of Indian pilgrims visiting Tibet to pray at Mount Kailash and Manasarovar Lake, believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva, arrived at the holy place on Thursday, according to Chinese officials.

"Pleased to know that the first batch of pilgrims has arrived at Lake Mapam Yun Tso (Manasarovar) in Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region, China,” Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong posted on X.

The journey of 36 pilgrims to Mt. Kailash and Manasarovar Lake assumed significance as they were the first group of Indian pilgrims to visit the holy place after a five-year hiatus.

The relations between the two countries were frozen for over four years following the Eastern Ladakh standoff.

The two countries agreed to resume ties after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, last year.

The resumption of the Kailash and Manasarovar Yatra is stated to be the first step initiated by the two countries to resume ties.

The pilgrims arrived in the Tibet Autonomous Province on Friday last, marking the resumption of pilgrimages.

China calls Tibet 'Xizang' and Mt. Kailash 'Mt. Gang Renpoche' and Manasarovar Lake as 'Mapam Yun Tso'.

The mountain and the lake are sacred to Hindus, Buddhists and Jains.

For 68-year-old Damina Bendya, who is making her first visit to Tibet, the mountain is a sacred place.

"China and India are neighbours. China is wonderful, and all the staff here have been very warm and helpful," she told the state-run Xinhua news agency on arrival at Lhasa, the provincial capital of Tibet.

The pilgrimage to the two sites was suspended in 2020.

On April 28, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun announced their resumption this summer under a bilateral agreement.

Mt. Kailash and Manasarovar Lake are the "sacred mountain and lake" for believers of several religions, including Tibetan Buddhism and Hinduism, Guo said, adding that these pilgrimages are an important part of cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and India.

Noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and India, Guo said that China stands ready to work with India to earnestly implement the important common understandings between the leaders of the two countries and to advance China-India relations on track of sound and stable development.

A second group of Indian pilgrims is scheduled to enter China via the Nathu La Pass this week, according to the regional foreign affairs office.