Context: India and China are speeding up efforts to restart the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage. It was suspended from 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022) & India-China tensions after the Galwan clashes (2020).
About Kailash Mansarovar
- Kailash Mansarovar is a sacred pilgrimage site in the Western Himalayan ranges of the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
- It includes Mount Kailash (highest peak in Kailash Ranges) and Lake Mansarovar (world’s highest freshwater lake).
- It is considered a holy mountain by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Bonpos.
- The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is accessible through 2 different routes:
- Lipulekh Pass (Uttarakhand)
- Nathu La Pass (Sikkim).