NITN | @notintownlive | 29 Jun 2026, 05:52 am
Kailash Mansarovar
The Indian government has issued an advisory for citizens undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Nepal. Photo: Unsplash
The Indian government has issued an advisory for citizens undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Nepal, urging them not to begin their journey without obtaining all the required travel documents, following reports of Indian pilgrims being stranded in the neighbouring country.
The advisory is particularly aimed at pilgrims travelling through private tour operators.
Around 52 Indian citizens travelling to Kailash Mansarovar are currently stranded in Kathmandu, Nepal and are in need of urgent assistance.
— Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) June 27, 2026
Requesting Hon. @DrSJaishankar Ji, @IndiaInNepal, @EOIBeijing, and @MEAIndia to kindly look into the matter and extend the necessary… pic.twitter.com/3WtB4JYGEL
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it had received several requests for assistance from Indian nationals stranded in Nepal after attempting to undertake the pilgrimage without the mandatory Chinese visa and entry permit.
"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 organized by private tour operators," the ministry said.
The MEA advised pilgrims not to commence their journey from India until they have secured all the necessary travel documents for the entire pilgrimage.
"Citizens are advised not to commence their journey from India until all required travel documents have been obtained for undertaking the complete journey," the advisory said.
The ministry cautioned that travelling without confirmed documentation, or in the expectation of obtaining the required permits later, significantly increases the risk of being stranded.
Pilgrims were also urged to ensure that their tour operator is duly registered and authorised before booking the pilgrimage.
The advisory comes after Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule said that around 52 Indian pilgrims were stranded in Kathmandu and sought urgent government intervention.
"Around 52 Indian citizens travelling to Kailash Mansarovar are currently stranded in Kathmandu, Nepal and are in need of urgent assistance," Sule posted on X.
She appealed to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, the Indian Embassy in Nepal, the Embassy of India in Beijing, and the MEA to extend necessary assistance to ensure the pilgrims' safe onward journey.
The first batch of Indian pilgrims undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra 2026 crossed into China through the India-China border at Nathu La Pass on June 20, marking the resumption of the pilgrimage after a gap of several years.
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