India to resume Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after 5 years

The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is set to resume after a five-year hiatus after easing India's tensions with China. Preparations for the Yatra are in full swing, and a public notice is expected to be issued soon by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We will soon issue a public notice regarding it, and there is a strong possibility that the yatra will begin shortly.”

This development comes after the easing of tensions between India and China, which had reached a peak following the Galwan Valley clash. After a dialogue between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in Kazan in October 2024, both nations agreed on disengagement in critical areas of Eastern Ladakh such as Depsang and Demchok.

Following consultations with China, India is also considering reworking the routes for the yatra. Sources suggest that besides the Lipulekh pass, the route via Demchok could be considered after an assessment.

When asked about the new route, Jaiswal clarified, “I do not have any visibility



on the granular details that you have asked for. What I do understand is that the yatra will happen this year. And, you know, we are making preparations, and more information will be put out for the public soon.”

The resumption of the Yatra coincides with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and China. In March 2025, foreign ministry officials from both nations met in Beijing to review the progress made in earlier discussions held between India’s Foreign Secretary and China’s Vice Foreign Minister.

The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, usually held between June and September, has been on hold since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent tensions in Eastern Ladakh. The matter was brought up at the G-20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro in November 2024, where External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed it with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

It was further discussed between the Indian Foreign Secretary and the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister in January 2025, when it was decided that the Yatra would resume in 2025.