New Delhi: After a hiatus filled with pandemic disruptions, diplomatic challenges, and evolving geopolitical dynamics, the Government of India’s announcement of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra 2025 marks more than just the reopening of a sacred pilgrimage route.
It reflects a deliberate blend of cultural diplomacy, soft power assertion, and domestic outreach to spiritual and nationalist sentiments. As preparations commence, the move offers critical insight into India’s broader regional strategies and internal priorities for the year ahead.
In a press release issued on Saturday, the External Affairs Ministry stated that this year’s Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will take place from June to August.
“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,” the Ministry stated. “The website at kmy.gov.in has been opened for acceptance of applications. The Yatris will be selected from among applicants through a fair, computer-generated, random and gender-balanced selection process.”
The Ministry further stated that 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.
Saturday’s announcement comes after External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a media briefing earlier this month that the pilgrimage will happen this year.
The Government of India’s announcement regarding the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra for 2025 signals a subtle recalibration in India-China ties. Coming at a time of continued regional volatility and some still unresolved tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the move invites close scrutiny of Beijing’s approach and New Delhi’s strategic thinking.
The matter featured prominently during the 33rd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs held in Beijing last month. The Indian delegation was led by Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs, while Hong Liang, Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Affairs Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, headed the Chinese side.
In a press release following the meeting, the External Affairs Ministry described the discussions as taking place in a “positive and constructive atmosphere”, with a comprehensive review of the situation along the LAC. The statement underscored that “peace and tranquillity in the border areas are essential for the overall development of bilateral relations”. The two sides explored ways to implement outcomes from the 23rd Special Representatives’ Meeting held in Beijing in December 2024 and agreed to enhance diplomatic and military communication channels. They also exchanged views on the early resumption of cross-border exchanges, including cooperation on trans-border rivers and the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra — a pilgrimage to the sacred Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in Tibet — holds immense religious significance for Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Bon practitioners. Traversing some of the most challenging terrains at altitudes up to 19,500 feet, the pilgrimage tests not only faith but also physical endurance, requiring pilgrims to endure extreme weather and rugged landscapes.
The Yatra is managed by the Ministry of External Affairs. It is open to Indian citizens holding valid passports and is conducted in coordination with several agencies, including the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN), and Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation (STDC). The Delhi Heart and Lung Institute carries out stringent medical screenings to assess pilgrims’ fitness, given the hazardous conditions involved.
The Government of India emphasises that pilgrims participate at their own risk and expense, with no liability assumed for loss of life, injuries, or property damage. Notably, pilgrims are required to sign a consent form agreeing to cremation on the Chinese side in the event of death, as repatriation of mortal remains is not guaranteed.
However, access to the Yatra has often been at the mercy of fluctuating bilateral relations. In 2017, China barred Indian pilgrims from entering through Nathu La Pass, citing adverse weather conditions, affecting around 47 pilgrims and triggering diplomatic exchanges. In 2023, reports surfaced of Beijing imposing stricter conditions, including higher fees and mandatory biometric data collection, further complicating the pilgrimage.
Such measures by China have frequently paralleled periods of heightened geopolitical tension. Restrictions on the Yatra are often interpreted not merely as logistical hurdles but as political signals mirroring the state of the broader India-China relationship.
The most recent disruptions came during the 2020 Ladakh border standoff, but ties have gradually improved following a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan in October 2024. Against this backdrop, the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is seen as a cautious yet meaningful step towards rebuilding a fragile trust between the two Asian giants.
According to Abhinav Pandya, founder, director and CEO of the Usanas Foundation think tank, the resumption of Kailsah Mansarovar Yatra is a great step which should be welcomed by all.
“It is a matter that has always been sentimental to the Hindu community,” Pandya told ETV Bharat. “The fact that China has agreed to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra shows that China respects India as a civilisational power and it also symbolises a friendship, a historic relationship between India and China that has a very civilisational dimension.”
Secondly, he said that the resumption of Yatra shows that things are going towards peace along the India-China border and de-escalation happened in the real sense.
“Thirdly, it is also very crucial as we are having a very strained relationship with Pakistan particularly after the recent terror attack in Pahalgam,” Pandya said. “It seems that there is a possibility of India going for some kind of a major offensive or retaliatory action against Pakistan. And in that backdrop, if China is resuming Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, it signals that Beijing will not act with Islamabad to sabotage India’s national interests.”
According to K Yhome, Fellow at the Shillong-based Asian Confluence think tank, China allowing the resumption of the Yatra should also be seen in the perspective of the return of the Donald Trump administration in the US.
“I think this is part of that renewed approach,” Yhome said. “At one level, both India and China see the economic challenges coming from the US. On both sides, there is a need to maintain some level of relations because of the unfolding political changes in the US.”
He said that though the Yatra will not yield any economic benefits. It is a way to minimise the hostile attitude of the citizens of the two countries towards each other.
“In a way, the two countries are trying to leverage the soft power factor that they have to address the high-pitched rhetorics used against each other in recent years,” Yhome said.
