In major move to normalise ties, India, China decide to resume Kailash Mansarovar Yatra from June

New Delhi: After a gap of nearly five years, India and China will resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra from June -- a move being seen as an attempt to normalise their relationship that was severely hit by the eastern Ladakh border standoff.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday said the Yatra is set to take place from June to August via two routes -- Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand and Nathu La in Sikkim.

The pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar Lake in China's Tibet Autonomous Region holds religious significance to Hindus as well as Jains and Buddhists.

"Kailash Manasarovar Yatra organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is set to take place during June to August 2025," the MEA said.

The 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.

The militaries of India and China completed disengagement of troops at the two remaining friction points of Demchok and Depsang under a pact sealed on October 21 last year.

Two days later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in the Russian city of Kazan and agreed to revive various bilateral dialogue mechanisms.

Following the Modi-Xi talks, the two sides held a series of meetings in the last few months which were aimed at normalising the bilateral relations.

In January, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Beijing and held talks with his Chinese counterpart Sun Weidong.

In the meeting, the two sides decided to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and agreed to take certain people-centric steps to "stabilise and rebuild" ties.

"This year, five batches, each consisting of 50 Yatris, and 10 batches, each consisting of 50 Yatris, are scheduled to travel through Uttarakhand State crossing over at Lipulekh Pass, and through Sikkim state crossing over at Nathu La Pass, respectively," the MEA said in the readout.

The applications for the Yatra can be submitted at the website: kmy.gov.in, it noted.

It said the Yatris will be selected from among applicants through a "fair, computer-generated, random and gender-balanced" selection process.

"Since 2015, the entire process commencing with on-line application till selection of Yatris is a fully computerised process," according to the MEA.

"Therefore, applicants do not need to send letters or fax to seek information. The feedback options on the website can be used for obtaining information, registering observations or making suggestions for improvement," it said.