Kailash Mansarovar Yatra to commence on June 30 after five-year gap

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will begin on June 30, after a gap of five years, an official statement said on Monday.

The yatra will pass through the Lipulekh Pass located at an altitude of 17,000 feet in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district, it said.

The pilgrimage, which is organised every year, was postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and since then it could not be conducted. But, due to the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, it will be conducted this year, it said.

A meeting was held in New Delhi on Monday regarding the yatra under the aegis of the Uttarakhand government and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. During the meeting, the responsibility of conducting the pilgrimage was handed over to the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam, it said.

The yatra will commence from Delhi on June 30 in which there will be five groups of 50 people each, a total of 250 devotees, will take part.

The first group for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will enter China via Lipulekh Pass on July 10 and the last group will depart from China for India on August 22.

The statement said that each team will depart from Delhi and after staying one night in Tanakpur in Champawat district of Uttarakhand, one night in Dharchula in Pithoragarh district, two nights in Gunji and two nights in Nabhidang, will enter Taklakot in China.

After visiting Kailash, the passenger will depart from China and after staying one night in Bundi of Pithoragarh district, one night in Chaukori and one night in Almora, he will reach Delhi.

Thus, each team will travel for a total of 22 days.

According to the statement, the health check-up of all the pilgrims going on Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will be done first in Delhi and then in Gunji.

Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, located in Tibet under Chinese control, have great religious significance. Hindus believe that Mount Kailash is the abode of Lord Shiva and that by circumambulating it and taking a bath in Lake Manasarovar, one attains salvation.