Indian Pilgrims Expected to Resume Visits to Hindu Holy Sites in Tibet Autonomous Region
First Time in Five Years as China-India Relations Improve
As China and India move toward improving their relations, Indian pilgrims are expected to resume visits to Hindu holy sites in the Tibet Autonomous Region for the first time in five years.
According to Indian media such as NDTV on April 18 (local time), Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters, "We will soon announce a notice regarding the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra," adding, "The pilgrimage is expected to resume this year, and preparations are currently underway."
Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in Tibet are considered sacred sites in both Hinduism and Buddhism.
Every year from June to November, Hindu devotees climb Mount Kailash, which they believe is the abode of Shiva, and bathe in the waters of Lake Mansarovar, which are regarded as holy, to cleanse themselves of sin.
To participate in this pilgrimage, applicants must apply through India's Ministry of External Affairs, which selects pilgrims through a lottery and other methods. However, in 2020, a military clash occurred in the disputed Himalayan region of Ladakh, resulting in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and 4 Chinese soldiers. Following this incident, relations between the two countries deteriorated, with restrictions even being placed on economic cooperation. Pilgrimages by Indian Hindus to Tibet were also suspended.
However, relations began to improve after Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, in October last year. The two countries signed a border patrol agreement and agreed to withdraw stationed troops. In January of this year, they also agreed to resume direct passenger flights between the two countries.
India and China fought a war over border issues in 1962, but to this day, the border remains undemarcated, and the two sides continue to face off across the 3,488-kilometer Line of Actual Control (LAC).
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