Nepal plans to attract 1 billion travellers to holy site of Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet

Monday, October 9, 2023

Nepal, relying on the quickest way for Hindu pilgrims to access Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet, intends to attract 1 billion visitors to the holy site once the deal with China is in place, Foreign Affairs Minister Narayan Prakash Saud said on Thursday.

Saud’s ambitious idea is significant since thousands of Indian Hindus from throughout the world like to travel to Nepal for the famed Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.

The Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, located in the Ngari prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region, is regarded the holiest by Hindus worldwide. Buddhists, Jains, and Tibet’s traditional Bonpa sect all venerate the two natural sacred sites.

In fact, even Indians who wish to save time and avoid the grueling walk across Indian territory choose to go through Nepal via private operators. This turns into a large sum of foreign currency for the Nepalese government.

This year, following the Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns, China reopened the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage. However, the large increase in costs and many visa restrictions, particularly for Indian pilgrims, meant that the Yatra was effectively cancelled.

Kailash Mansarovar is a major draw for Hindus all over the world. All Hindus aspire to visit the sacred place in Tibet.

“For international visitors, Nepal can provide the shortest route to Kailash Mansarovar,” Saud told PTI in an interview at his house Bhaisepati in Lalitpur district after returning from an eight-day tour to China, covering areas of Tibet.

On September 30, Saud was part of a group led by Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ that returned from China.On September 28, the group visited Kailash Mansarovar to conduct “an on-site study of the area to create a suitable environment for millions of Hindu pilgrims from around the world, including India, to visit Kailash Mansarovar.”

“Our high-level delegation has conducted studies for this purpose. In the coming days, we will hold a discussion with the Chinese authorities to promote tourism in the Kailash area via Nepal. We have already asked the Chinese government to open all three routes and the government of China is positive regarding the matter,” he said.

Hilsa in Humla district, Khori in Bajhang district, and Tinker in Darchula district are the three routes from Nepal to the Kailash Mansarovar region. Mansarovar Lake is located around 160 kilometers northwest of Simikot, the district seat of Humla.

“First of all, we need to forge an agreement with the Chinese immigration (authorities) to manage easy access to visit Mansarovar for both Nepali and Indian tourists/pilgrims. For this, officials of both the countries are in regular touch,” Saud said.

“After conducting the study, we need to develop infrastructure, motorable roads and hospitality facilities. If we can properly manage this, we can open the route for around 1 billion Hindus from all over the world, which will be a milestone for the promotion of tourism in this region,” Saud asserted.

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