Overview
- About 52 Indian pilgrims were reported stuck in Kathmandu because they arrived without the Chinese visas or Tibet entry permits needed to continue the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, a situation flagged publicly by MP Supriya Sule.
- The Ministry of External Affairs said it has received multiple requests for help and on June 27 issued an advisory urging pilgrims not to start the journey until all required travel documents are in hand.
- The advisory targets travellers who book through private tour operators that route pilgrims via Nepal because those pilgrims must secure separate Chinese group visas or permits themselves.
- The MEA also told pilgrims to verify that private tour operators are duly registered and authorised and asked Indian missions in Kathmandu and Beijing to assist affected citizens seeking onward travel.
- The warning follows the yatra’s restart this year and highlights how renewed demand and growing private-operator activity have strained permit processes and raised compliance risks for devotees and organisers.