The Ministry of External Affairs has cautioned Indian citizens undertaking Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through trips organised by private tour operators, and also asked the pilgrims to verify if their tour operator is duly registered and authorised.
“This Ministry is in receipt of several requests for help and assistance from Indian citizens stuck in Nepal while undertaking Kailash Mansarovar Yatra without the required entry permit and visas for China, through tours organised by private tour operators,” the MEA said in an advisory.
The advisory, issued late on Saturday night, is for Indian citizens undertaking Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through private tour operators.
“Citizens are advised not to commence their journey from India until all required travel documents have been obtained for undertaking the complete journey,” it says.
Commencing travel without confirmed documentation or in anticipation of obtaining the necessary documentation “increases the likelihood of being stranded,” it adds.
“Pilgrims are also strongly advised to verify that their tour operator is duly registered and authorised,” the MEA said.
In April, the MEA had announced that the annual Kailash Mansarovar Yatra was set to take place from June to August this year via two routes — Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand and Nathu La in Sikkim.
The yatra resumed last year after a gap of nearly five years as part of efforts to normalise the relations between India and China.
It was suspended initially in 2020 because of the Covid pandemic and subsequently because of the military standoff between the two sides on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
