Nepal Formally Objects to Kailash Mansarovar Yatra Through Lipulekh, Apprises India and China via Diplomatic Channels

Kathmandu/New Delhi: Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued an official statement registering its objection to the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra being conducted between India and China through Lipulekh, reiterating that the pass falls within Nepali sovereign territory.

Nepal’s Official Position
In a post on social media platform X, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it has “taken note of questions and concerns raised by the media” regarding the yatra. The Ministry confirmed that Nepal’s government has “apprised both India and China of its consistent stance through diplomatic channels.”

Nepal has urged India to refrain from undertaking any activities in the Lipulekh region — including road construction or expansion, border trade, and movement of traffic or pilgrims.
The Territorial Dispute: Background
The dispute centres on three strategically significant areas — Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura — located east of the Mahakali River in the northwestern Himalayan region.
Nepal’s claim rests on the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli, signed between Nepal and the then British East India Company, which Nepal argues demarcated all territory east of the Mahakali River as Nepali land.

India, on the other hand, administers Lipulekh as part of Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand, and regards the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through this pass as falling within its sovereign jurisdiction.

Timeline of Escalation
November 2019: India released a new political map alongside the bifurcation of Jammu & Kashmir into two Union Territories, which included the disputed areas. Nepal lodged a formal protest.
May 2020: Tensions escalated again when India inaugurated a road link through Lipulekh for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
June 18, 2020: Nepal amended its Constitution to update the national political map, formally including Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura within its depicted boundaries.
Nepal has maintained that it seeks resolution through diplomatic channels, based on “historical facts, maps, and evidence.”
Significance for Uttarakhand
Lipulekh Pass, at an altitude of approximately 5,334 metres, serves as the primary Indian gateway for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. The pass falls under the jurisdiction of Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand, making this dispute directly relevant to the state’s border geography and pilgrimage economy.