After long time this news came and this news has created an atmosphere of happiness among the people, people were waiting for this news for a long time. I want to tell you that Kailas Mansarovar Yatra finally going to start. To start this Yatra India and China agreed for this.
India and China has decide on Monday to resume Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. I want to tell you that this Yatra has stopped since 2020. This decision has been taken during meeting between foreign secretary Vikram Misri and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi.
Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will start again from this summer season. Along with this, direct flights service between India and China will also start. However, its date has not decided yet.
This information was given by the Ministry of External Affairs on Monday. It was told that two major decisions were taken in a two-day meeting between India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Mistry and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing.
Flight service and travel were closed since 2020
Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and Flight services between India and China were stopped since 2020. The reason for this was the bad relations between the two after the border dispute and the wave of Covid. There was Doklam dispute between India and China in June 2020 and the first wave of Covid came in March 2019.
Efforts to Boost Mutual Connectivity Between India and China
- Technical teams from both countries will soon discuss starting direct flight services.
Media and think tanks will be encouraged to engage in discussions to enhance mutual cooperation and understanding.
Both countries will work together to jointly celebrate the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.
An expert-level meeting will be held between India and China to resume sharing hydrological data and discuss cooperation on cross-border Rivers.
Agreement Foundation Established in Kazan
Last October, after five years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Kazan. They discussed the state of India-China relations and agreed on steps to improve them.
In the last three months, both countries have taken significant steps, including withdrawing troops from the disputed border areas of Demchok and Depsang. Following this, decisions were made to resume the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage and start flight services.
Before Corona there were 539 direct flights every month
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were 539 direct flights every month between India and China, with a capacity of over 1.25 lakh seats. Airlines like Air India, China Southern Airlines, and China Eastern Airlines operated these flights.
After flight services were suspended, passengers from both countries had to travel through connecting hubs like Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Singapore, which made the journey more expensive.
According to air traffic data from Cirium, 4.6 lakh people traveled between India and China from January to October 2024, compared to 10 lakh during the same period in 2019.
In 2024, among connecting routes, 1.73 lakh people traveled via Hong Kong, 98,000 via Singapore, 93,000 via Thailand, and 30,000 via Bangladesh.
Lord Shiva lives on Mount Kailash
Mount Kailash known as the name of Lord Shiva. In Hinduism, it is believed that Lord Shiva resides on Mount Kailash with his wife Parvati. This is why Kailash is considered a very sacred place for Hindus. In Jainism, it is believed that the first Tirthankara, Rishabhdev, attained liberation (moksha) here. Before 2020, around 50,000 Hindus used to visit this sacred site annually through routes from India and Nepal.
Since 2020, China has not allowed Indians to travel to Kailash Mansarovar. In a response to an RTI, the Indian government stated that by preventing the journey, China is violating two major agreements made in 2013 and 2014.
The two major agreements between India and China regarding the Kailash.
Mansarovar journey
First Agreement (May 20, 2013): India and China signed an agreement to allow access to Kailash Mansarovar through the Lipulekh Pass. The agreement was signed by then Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, opening the Lipulekh Pass route for travel.
Second Agreement (September 18, 2014): Another agreement was made to allow access to Kailash Mansarovar via the Nathu La pass. This agreement was signed by Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Both agreements are similar in language and took effect from the day the foreign ministers signed them. The agreements also state that the validity will automatically extend every five years.
Great pleasure !!!!