Tour Details

The New Link Road to Kailash-Mansarovar Will Cut Down Travel Time by 80 Percent

This route will let pilgrims drive up to within five kilometers of the border with China at Lipulekh Pass

The Uttarakhand government has made Darshan of Kailash Mansarovar more easy for the Pilgrims with an easy and economical alternate routes to offer devotees a glimpse of Mount Kailash & the descriptive poses of Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati, from the old Lipulekh peak, as China is making it difficult for pilgrims to visit the holy place.Situated on the western side of the Lipulekh Pass, which serves as the gateway to Tibet, the old Lipulekh peak stands at approximately 17,500 feet above sea level.The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is resuming this year after being suspended for several years due to various reasons from 2024.

The Kailash Range, is manifested as one of the most sacred by Hindus, is said to be 30 million years old, formed during the initial stages of the formation of the Himalayan mountains. Its highest peak, the 6,675-m-high Kailash, is said to be the holy residence of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. The mountain has is significant for the people following Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism and among Tibetans as well and has been attracting pilgrims from various religions for centuries.The holy mountain and the sacred lake, Mansarovar, are located in Tibet, routes from Uttarakhand connect it with India. Pilgrims from India can reach Mount Kailash through the Lipulekh pass in Kumaon. The region is well managed by the Army and the Uttrakhand Government.

From Tanakpur or Kathgodam one can reach Kailash Mansarovar via Pithoragarh - Dharchula, Tawaghat, Lipulekh Darma and Johar valleys. From the Lipulekh Pass Mount Kailash is around 100 km away. The Dharchula-Lipulekh road is an extension of the Pithoragarh-Tawaghat-Ghatiabagarh road. The road starts from Ghatiabagarh and terminates at Lipulekh Pass and the altitude on this road rises from 6,000 feet to 17,060 feet. There is Parikrama of Kailash for about 38 km. (on foot or by Pony) to go around the Mount Kailash, which is also known as the centre of the universe in the Hindu Puranas and Buddhist texts, Astpaad in Jain texts and Yungdruk Gu Tseg (nine-storey Swastika Mountain) in Bonpa tradition. Its highest point is Polmapass. The circumference of Mansarovar Lake, which is about 30 km from Mount Kailash, is approximately 112 km. The lake is iced / freezes in the winters and melts with cold water only in spring. One can go only through the government-chosen route and join the pilgrimage conducted by the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (Indian Territory) and Tourist Co. of Ali (in Tibet), from June to September, after completing all formalities. However, the Yatra has been closed due to pandemic.

Key Points

- The Link Road is named as the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra Route under which the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) achieved road connectivity from Dharchula (Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand) to Lipulekh.

- Lipulekh Pass also known as Lipu-Lekh Pass/Qiangla or Tri-Corner is a high altitude mountain pass situated in the western Himalayas with a height of 5,334 metre or 17,500 feet.

- It is an International mountain pass between India, China and Nepal.

- The road was made under directions of the China Study Group (CSG) and is funded by Indo-China Border Road (ICBR).
 

Advantages:

It is the shortest and cheapest route with just one-fifth distance of road travel as compared to other old routes. The other route is via Sikkim.

There is no air travel involved and the majority of the travel (84%) is in India and only 16% in China compared to other routes where 80% road travel is in China.

Except for a 5-km trek, whole travel will be on vehicles reducing the 5-day trek to 2- days road travel.

The road ends at the 17,500 feet high Lipulekh pass. From there, Mount Kailash is located around 100 km north of the pass in Tibet. The Lipulekh pass, close to the Tri-junction of India-China-Nepal, is the lowest point in this section of the high Himalayas.

Interestingly, the major travel would be in India -- 84 per cent -- and only 16 per cent in China.

The 80 km Ghatiabgarh-Lipulekh section has been made under the directions of the China Study Group (CSG) and it is funded by the Indo-China Border Road (ICBR).

This route will reduce the usual travel time for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra by some six days.

However, despite resumption of the Yatra, pilgrims have been forced to explore alternate routes for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through the Lipulekh Pass due to stringent visa rules and an increase in yatra expenditure by China.

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Reviews

Narendra Singh

Family

Great experience to take a dip in the holy lake which is cold in summer season. Take care of the wind as it blows water into your ear. The trip with NTP Tourism is an excellent experience. The sherpas and the cooks were so awesome and friendly.

Yours faithfully
Narendra Singh