The resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage after a five-year suspension is expected to bring fresh momentum to Nepal’s tourism sector, with a large number of Indian pilgrims expected to travel through routes in Nepal.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs announced on Saturday that it will take 750 Indian pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar between June and August this year.
The pilgrimage had been halted since 2020, first due to the COVID-19 pandemic and later because of a deadly clash between Indian and Chinese troops at the Galwan valley in Ladakh. In January last year, both sides agreed to reopen the route.
According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, five groups of 50 pilgrims each will travel via the Lipulekh route, and ten groups of the same size will travel via the Nathula Pass in Sikkim.
Despite the Indian government’s arrangements, Nepalese tourism entrepreneurs report that a large number of Indian pilgrims are booking trips through Nepal. One of the major routes passes through the Hilsa checkpoint in Humla, accessed via Nepalgunj, where helicopter services—especially popular among Indian pilgrims—are widely used. Another key route goes through Rasuwagadhi to Kerung, which tourism operators say handles about 50 percent of the pilgrims entering Nepal.
Hotels and businesses in Nepalgunj are seeing a surge in bookings, with entrepreneurs noting that along with Indians, the number of Nepali pilgrims traveling to Kailash Mansarovar has also increased.
Krishna Dhakal, first vice-president of the Association of Kailash Tour Operators Nepal, said that the demand from India is rising steadily.
“While the Indian government plans to take only 750 people, there are reports that China will issue visas for up to 20,000 Indian pilgrims by 2025,” he said. Nepali tourism operators said there is no quota for pilgrims traveling through other countries.
Narayan Prasad Pokharel, managing director of Fishtail Tours and Travel Pvt. Ltd., said Nepalese travel companies are preparing for a significant increase in the number of pilgrims. “Now that the pilgrimage has reopened after five years, bookings could exceed 20,000, and managing the flow will be a challenge,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nepali tour operators have opened bookings with discounts and special packages covering travel and accommodation. The pilgrimage season is considered ideal from mid-May to late September.
Although China stopped issuing visas to Indian passport holders in 2020, it continued welcoming pilgrims from other countries, including Nepal. According to tourism entrepreneurs, more than 18,000 Indian pilgrims traveled to Kailash Mansarovar via Nepal in 2019.
