The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is a sacred pilgrimage (an act/concept) to Mount Kailash (6,638 meters) and Lake Mansarovar (4,590 meters), both located in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It is one of the oldest and most revered spiritual journeys, holding immense significance for Hindus (as the abode of Lord Shiva), Buddhists, Jains (where the first Tirthankara attained liberation), and Bon followers. The Yatra's core ritual is the Kailash Parikrama or Kora, a 52-kilometer circumambulation of the mountain.
The Yatra was historically undertaken by pilgrims for centuries, but the organized pilgrimage for Indian citizens was stopped after the 1962 India-China War. It was formally resumed on June 28, 1981, following an agreement between the Chinese Foreign Minister and then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The Yatra is managed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India, in collaboration with the Government of China.
The MEA organizes the Yatra annually, typically between June and September, through two official overland routes. The first is the traditional route via the Lipulekh Pass (5,334 m) in Uttarakhand, which has been operational since 1981 and is managed by the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN). The second, newer route, opened in 2015, is via the Nathu La Pass (4,310 m) in Sikkim, which is considered more senior-friendly due to its motorable road.
The Yatra was suspended from 2020 to 2024 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the India-China military standoff. The Yatra resumed in 2025. A significant recent change is the construction of a motorable road by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) from Dharchula to the Lipulekh Pass, which has substantially reduced the arduous trekking time on the Indian side. The Lipulekh route is, however, part of a territorial dispute, with Nepal claiming the Kalapani-Lipulekh area.