In view of China blocking the Nathu-la route for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra following a face-off between security forces of the two countries in Doklam area, the Indian Government on Friday cancelled pilgrimage tours through this side. However, the yatra through the lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand will continue as scheduled. Indians can also travel to Kailash Mansarovar through the Nepal route.
Eight batches, each comprising around 50 pilgrims, were scheduled to have taken the Nathu la route to Mansarovar in Tibet.
The first batch was to cross over to China through Nathu la on June 20 and the last batch on July 31. It would have taken a batch 21 days to complete the pilgrimage.
China had issued visas for first two batches and applications for the other pilgrims were put on hold because of the tension along the border. The first batch of Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims had to return from the Nathu la border post after China refused to open its gates following the stand-off between the Indian Army and People’s liberation Army (PlA) of China in the Sikkim sector near Bhutan border.
The pilgrims returned to Gangtok on June 23 after staying in Nathu la for three days awaiting permission from China for the onward journey. The second batch of devotees was stopped at Gangtok and the third batch was not allowed to leave from Delhi following uncertainty at the borders.
Interestingly, the face-off between the two sides has not impacted trade relations as trucks carrying goods from both sides crossed the borders even till Friday.
The Sikkim route to Mansarovar was opened for the public in 2015 following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to India. The pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar, located at an altitude of 15,160 feet, takes place from June to September each year through the two routes. Several Indians also travelled through the Nepal route by taking permit from the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. However, this year the Chinese Government stopped issuing permits for Indians from Kathmandu and asked them to take visa from its Embassy in New Delhi. The Nepal route is still open for Indians.