Kailash Mansarovar Yatra 2025: Route, dates, guidelines and significance

After a 5-year break, the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will resume in June 2025. Between June and September, devotees will travel to the holy place. Yatra is all set to start on June 30

On June 30, 2025, the revered Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will restart after a 5-year hiatus, marking a major spiritual and cultural revival. The pilgrimage, which has been suspended since 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will once again enable the devotees to undertake the holy trek across the 17,000 feet Lipulekh Pass in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand.

 

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Saturday (Apr 26) that 5 batches of 50 devotees each and 10 batches of 50 devotees each will be traveling to the sacred location between June and August. For Hindus, Kailash Mansarovar is of the highest religious significance since it is acknowledged as the abode of Lord Shiva.

 

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra 2025: Yatra schedule and group details

On June 30, the yatra will begin in Delhi with a contingent of 250 people, divided across 5 groups of 50 devotees each. The tour for each group will last 22 days, beginning and ending in Delhi.

      

    • First group – This group will enter China via Lipulekh Pass on July 10.

 

    • Last group – This group will return to India on August 22.

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra 2025: Health checkups

To guarantee they are physically prepared to handle the high-altitude trek, all pilgrims will have required health examinations, first in Delhi and then again in Gunji.

 

The travelers will have to spend 3 to 4 days in Delhi for preparations and medical tests before the start of the yatra. They will be undergoing the medical tests at the Delhi Heart & Lung Institute (DHLI). 

 

To evaluate the body's response to high altitude, there is also a second medical examination at Gunji (3,220 meters) on the Lipulekh route and at Sherathang (4,115 meters) on the Nathula route. Only those who are deemed suitable will be permitted to continue.

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra 2025: Route and stay details

The travel itinerary includes the below key stopovers:

 

    • Delhi – Departure point

    • Tanakpur (Champawat district) – 1-night stay

    • Dharchula (Pithoragarh district) – 1-night stay

    • Gunji – 2-night accommodation

    • Nabhidang – 2-night halt before crossing

    • Taklakot (Tibet/China) – Entry point into China. 

After finishing the pilgrimage, the return route will involve stops at:

    • Bundi (Pithoragarh district) – 1 night

    • Almora – 1 night

    • Chaukori – 1 night

    • Delhi – Final destination. 

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra 2025: Required documents 

Once they have been chosen for the Yatra, the pilgrimage should report in Delhi with the following documents:

 

    • Ordinary Indian passport, valid as of September 1st of this year for a minimum of six months.

    • Photograph: Colour, passport size

    • Indemnity: A Rs 100 bond was executed on non-judicial stamp paper.

    • preparing for a helicopter evacuation in case of an emergency

    • In case of someone dying in China, a consent form is required for the cremation of their mortal remains. 

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra 2025: Official announcement and organisers

An official statement issued on Monday stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami worked together to enable the yatra's continuation. 

 

The Ministry of External Affairs and the government of Uttarakhand together organised a planning meeting in New Delhi, where Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) was tasked with organising the pilgrimage. The organisers are: 

 

    • State governments of Uttarakhand, Delhi, and Sikkim

    • Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN)

    • Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)

    • Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation (STDC).

Religious significance of Kailash Mansarovar

In Tibet, which is governed by China, Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar are of great spiritual significance. Hindus believe that Mount Kailash is the celestial abode of Lord Shiva, and that parikrama, or circumambulation, of the mountain and a ceremonial bath in Lake Manasarovar is believed to cleanse sins and bring one's soul to moksha, or liberation.

 

Often described as the ‘Stairway to Heaven’, Mount Kailash stands as a timeless symbol of faith and unity, revered across multiple religions. For Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Tibetans, the snow-capped peak is not just a geographical marvel but a spiritual epicentre steeped in legend. Countless myths and sacred stories surround this mystical mountain—each echoing a deeper sense of divine presence and cosmic connection.

 

The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is more than a pilgrimage – it represents a cherished aspiration for millions of Lord Shiva’s devotees. For them, the journey to the sacred Mount Kailash is not just about travel, but about seeking divine blessings and fulfilling a lifelong spiritual longing.

 

Mount Kailash holds a revered place in Hindu mythology, with references found across ancient scriptures like the Vedas and Puranas. According to belief, it is the divine abode of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, surrounded by celestial beings including Devtas, Ganas, Yakshas, Yogis, Siddhas, and Gandharvas. The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is seen as a gateway to moksha, with Mount Kailash believed to be where Lord Shiva meditates.

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra: Geographical details 

Lake Manasarovar lies in the remote Ngari Prefecture of China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, just north of the tri-junction where the borders of China, India, and Nepal converge. Perched at an altitude of 4,600 metres on the saline Tibetan Plateau—an area dominated by high-altitude lakes—it is the highest freshwater lake in Asia. On clear days, the sacred lake can even be glimpsed from Nepal’s Limi Valley via the Lapcha La pass.

 

The lake is round in shape, with a maximum depth of around 100 meters (330 feet) and a perimeter of about 88 kilometers. The natural Ganga Chhu waterway allows Manasarovar to overflow into the saltwater Rakshastal Lake. The Yarlung Tsangpo (sometimes called the Brahmaputra), the Indus, the Karnali, and the Sutlej are the principal rivers that emerge from this area.