First group of 36 pilgrims for Kailash Manasarovar Yatra arrives in Sikkim, moves to 17 Mile

Gangtok: The first group of 36 pilgrims for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra has arrive in Sikkim's capital Gangtok after six years, and moved to the 17 Mile area on Monday for acclimatisation, officials said.

The 17 Mile area is around 27 kilometres from the state capital.

The pilgrims will proceed via the Nathu La pass in Sikkim and Tibet's Shigatse city before reaching Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, they said.

On June 20, the pilgrims will cross the India-China border, an official said on Monday.

The group, also comprising two officials from the Ministry of External Affairs, reached Gangtok on Sunday evening, he said.

Tourism and Civil Aviation Department Additional Chief Secretary C S Rao said the pilgrims landed at Bagdogra airport in West Bengal's Siliguri and reached Gangtok by road.

They were welcomed by officials of the Tourism Development Corporation at a bungalow in Rhenock, he said.

This year, 750 Indian pilgrims have been selected for the yatra, with 500 travelling in 10 groups via the Nathu La route and 250 through the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand.

"The first group of pilgrims stayed in Gangtok on Sunday night and proceeded with the yatra on Monday. They will halt at 17 Mile on June 16 for acclimatisation and then move to Serathang before crossing the India-China border on June 20," the official said.

"The Nathu La-Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is a government-to-government (G-to-G) based pilgrimage, and the Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation (STDC) will be responsible for the entire yatra," he said.

The STDC will take care of the pilgrims' journey from Gangtok to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar and back, he added.