Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra will start again, agreement signed between India and China
India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met last Wednesday. During this, talks were held between the two to resolve the border dispute. The two sides reached a six-point consensus, including taking further steps to maintain peace and tranquility on the borders and promote healthy and stable development of relations.
The consensus includes topics like cross-border tourism in regions like Tibet, cross-border river cooperation, Nathu-La border trade and resumption of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. This was the first special-representative level meeting after the flare-up of incidents on the border in the last few years.
Taking a major step towards improving relations between the two countries, both the countries on Wednesday decided to take concrete steps to restart the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra. Both sides said that cross-border exchanges and cooperation will be strengthened. Also, the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage will be restored for Indian pilgrims, which has been closed since 2020.
It is noteworthy that Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra is considered extremely sacred for the followers of Hindu, Buddhist and Jainism. This journey passes through the Tibetan Plateau, in which Mount Kailash is considered the abode of Lord Shiva. This holy place is located in Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Routes available for travel include Nepal’s Kathmandu and Simikot, Tibet’s Lhasa, and India’s Lipulekh Pass (Uttarakhand) and Nathula Pass (Sikkim).
