Overview
- Nepal’s Foreign Ministry, which sent formal notes Sunday, objected to use of the Lipulekh Pass for the 2026 Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and told India and China to halt road work, border trade and pilgrimages there.
- India’s External Affairs Ministry rejected the claim as unjustified, said the Lipulekh route has been used since 1954 for the yatra and stated it remains open to talks to resolve boundary issues through diplomacy.
- India announced the pilgrimage will run June to August through two routes, Lipulekh in Uttarakhand and Nathu La in Sikkim, with about 1,000 pilgrims traveling in batches coordinated with China.
- Nepal bases its position on the Sugauli Treaty’s Mahakali River boundary and argues the river’s source at Limpiyadhura places Lipulekh and Kalapani inside Nepal, a reading India disputes.
- Preparations continue on the Indian side, and a planned visit by foreign secretary Vikram Misri to Kathmandu could set the stage for further diplomatic exchanges under Nepal’s new government.