New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar conducted the computerised draw for selection of Yatris for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra (KMY) 2026, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced Thursday.

The 2026 edition of the KMY will commence in June and conclude in August. A total of 1000 Yatris have been selected through a fair, computer-generated, random, gender-balanced selection process, according to the ministry.

“The selected Yatris will travel in 20 batches, each consisting of 50 Yatris, through the Lipulekh and Nathu La passes. Both routes are now fully motorable and involve very little trekking,” the MEA stated.

The entire process for KMY, organised by the MEA in coordination with the Government of the People’s Republic of China, commencing from on-line application till selection of Yatris is a fully computerised process.

Earlier this month, while responding to media queries regarding comments made by Foreign Ministry of Nepal on border issue in the context of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, the MEA had stated that Lipulekh Pass has been a long-standing route for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra since 1954.

“Lipulekh Pass has been a long-standing route for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra since 1954, and the Yatra through this route has been going on for decades. This is not a new development,” stated MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

The Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra, being significant to Hindus as the abode of Lord Shiva, also holds religious importance for the Jains and the Buddhists. It was suspended from 2020 till the summer of 2025 following the Covid-19 outbreak and the subsequent non-renewal of Yatra arrangements by the Chinese side.

According to the MEA, KMY is very arduous and physically challenging yatra. Yatris have to trek through areas which are as high as 19,500 feet in altitude under inhospitable conditions. It is organised with the support of the state governments of Uttarakhand, Delhi, and Sikkim; and the cooperation of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). The Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN), and Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation (STDC) and their associated organisations provide logistical support and facilities for each batch of yatris in India.

–IANS

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