Final batch of Mansarovar Yatris returns

The fifth and final batch of Yatris who took the Kailash Manasarovar pilgrimage via Nathula for the year 2015 returned to the capital on 20 August. The Tourism & Civil Aviation Department, along with the Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation hosted a dinner for the 48 Yatris and the five supporting staff at the Conference Hall of the Tourism & Civil Aviation Department on Thursday. [from an IPR Deptt Press release]

STDC to manage Kailash Mansarovar luxury Yatra through Nathula

With India and China having exchanged notes on modalities for opening Nathula as a second route for pilgrims undertaking the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra, the state nodal department, Tourism & Civil Aviation Department, has handed over the responsibilities for the entire management and coordination with Ministry of External Affairs for pilgrims to Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation [STDC]. The Yatra through Sikkim is scheduled to begin from June. This is the first luxury route to Kailash Mansarovar from India and pilgrims, after crossing over from Nathula, will travel on to Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet, from where they will take the Kailash-Mansarovar highway. Thus far, from India, the only route to Kailash involved an arduous and dangerous trek through Uttarakhand. The only vehicular travel option was via Nepal.