India on Sunday rejected Nepal’s objection to conducting the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Uttarakhand’s Lipulekh Pass, saying Kathmandu’s claim to the region is not justified or based on historical facts.
Earlier on Sunday, the Nepal government sent diplomatic notes to India and China objecting to the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage route through Lipulekh Pass, which Kathmandu claims as its territory. Nepalese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lok Bahadur Podil Chhetri said that his country’s concerns were conveyed to the two neighbors through diplomatic channels.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responded to Nepal’s allegations related to border issues in the context of the annual pilgrimage to a holy mountain and lake in the Tibet region by saying that India’s position on the issue is consistent and clear.
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“With regard to territorial claims, India has consistently maintained that such claims are unjustified and not based on historical facts and evidence. Such unilateral artificial expansion of territorial claims is untenable,” Jaiswal said.
Lipulekh Pass has been a long-standing route for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra since 1954, and pilgrimage through this route is “not a new development,” he said.
“India remains open to constructive interaction with Nepal on all issues in bilateral relations, including the agreed resolution of outstanding border issues through dialogue and diplomacy,” Jaiswal said.
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The pilgrimage was also undertaken through the Lipulekh Pass in 2025, when it resumed after a five-year break as part of efforts by India and China to normalize their relations after the end of the long military standoff on the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The Hajj is scheduled to take place from June to August. Ten batches, each consisting of 50 pilgrims, will travel through Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, and another 10 batches, also consisting of 50 pilgrims, will travel through Nathu La in Sikkim.
The Nepalese Foreign Ministry spokesperson claimed that under the Sugauli Treaty of 1816, Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani districts are integral parts of Nepal. He said Nepal urged India to refrain from all activities in the region, including road construction, border trade and pilgrimage.
