New Delhi: Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita on Saturday presided over the inaugural ceremony of the first batch of pilgrims selected for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra (KMY) 2026 at the newly constructed Jawaharlal Nehru Bhavan.
The minister congratulated the pilgrims on their selection and assured them of necessary facilities, including accommodation at newly inaugurated acclimatisation centres.
The Ministry of External Affairs appreciated the efforts of various central ministries, departments and the governments of Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh in ensuring a smooth pilgrimage experience.
The inaugural batch of pilgrims for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra 2026 was flagged off from New Delhi by Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita.
According to the External Affairs Ministry, the first batch will travel via the Nathu La route and begin its onward… pic.twitter.com/Y4SpkEfSQ1
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Earlier, Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri visited Lhasa, Tibet, to review arrangements made by local authorities for Indian pilgrims undertaking the yatra.
The MEA said the 2026 Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will be conducted from June to August, with 1,000 pilgrims selected through a computer-generated random and gender-balanced selection process.
The selected pilgrims will travel in 20 batches of 50 pilgrims each through the Lipulekh and Nathu La routes. Officials said both routes are now largely motorable, reducing the trekking burden for pilgrims.
