Nepal objects to Mansarovar Yatra via Lipulekh, India rejects claims
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Nepal has objected to India and China conducting the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through the Lipulekh pass, renewing a long-running territorial dispute between Kathmandu and New Delhi.
The Nepalese Foreign Ministry on Sunday said it had raised concerns through diplomatic channels with both India and China regarding the pilgrimage route, which Kathmandu claims passes through Nepali territory.
“The Government of Nepal is completely clear and steadfast in the fact that Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani east of the Mahakali River are integral parts of Nepal since the Sugauli Treaty of 1816,” the ministry said.
Nepal also stated that it had consistently urged India not to carry out activities such as road construction, trade, or pilgrimage operations in the disputed area.
The issue has gained attention after India announced on April 30 that the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra would take place from June to August this year.
Responding to Nepal’s objections, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India’s position on Lipulekh has remained “consistent and clear”.
“Lipulekh pass has been a long-standing route for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra since 1954, and the Yatra through this route has been going on for decades. This is not a new development,” he said.
Jaiswal also rejected Nepal’s territorial claims, saying they were “neither justified nor based on historical facts and evidence”.
“Such unilateral artificial enlargement of territorial claims is untenable,” he said, while adding that India remains open to “constructive interaction” with Nepal through dialogue and diplomacy to resolve outstanding boundary issues.
Lipulekh has remained a point of tension between the two countries since 2020, when Nepal objected to India building a road and infrastructure in the area. Kathmandu later published a revised political map claiming Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura as part of Nepal.
Nepal again protested in August 2025 after India and China resumed trade through the pass.
Outgoing Nepalese Ambassador Shankar Prasad Sharma recently said the issue should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy and suggested that Nepal should be included in discussions concerning trade and transit through the disputed region.