Key Points

Calling it an "important part" of the cultural and people-to-people exchange between the two countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said that the "sacred mountain and lake" remains extremely significant for believers of several religions, including Tibetan Buddhism and Hinduism.

"As agreed between China and India, the pilgrimage will resume this summer. The two sides are advancing relevant preparations at the moment," the spokesperson said during a regular media briefing in Beijing.

"This year marks the 75th anniversary of China-India diplomatic ties. China stands ready to work with India to earnestly implement the important common understandings between the leaders of the two countries and advance China-India relations on the track of sound and stable development," he added.

Last week, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that the much-awaited ​Yatra will take place between June to August, this year.

"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," read a statement issued by the MEA on Saturday.

It stated that the website at kmy.gov.in has been opened for acceptance of applications and the Yatris will be selected from among applicants through a "fair, computer-generated, random and gender-balanced" selection process.

​The entire process commencing with online application till selection of Yatris has been fully computerised since 2015.

"The 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," the MEA mentioned.

India and China had been finalising the modalities to resume the Yatra since the start of this year.

The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has not taken place since 2020 following the Covid-19 outbreak and the subsequent non-renewal of Yatra arrangements by the Chinese side. The Indian government organised the Yatra between June and September through the two official routes of Lipulekh Pass (since 1981) in Uttarakhand and Nathu La Pass (since 2015) in Sikkim.

It was following the meeting held under the Foreign Secretary-Vice Foreign Minister mechanism in January this year that both sides had announced plans to resume the Yatra in the summer of 2025.

The meeting, where Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri led the Indian delegation, reviewed the state of India-China bilateral relations comprehensively and agreed to take certain people-centric steps to stabilise and rebuild ties, as agreed between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting in Kazan in October 2024.

Both sides had also agreed, in principle, to resume direct air services between the two countries with the relevant technical authorities on the two sides to negotiate an updated framework for the purpose.

- IANS