Gangtok: Indian pilgrims would be able to visit Kailash Mansarovar in the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China through the new route of Nathula in Sikkim from next year, state tourism department officials said on Saturday.
Things are progressing at a very fast pace and that the Centre and the Sikkim government are aiming at having the first batch of pilgrims visiting Kailash Mansarovar using this new route in June 2015, the official claimed.
India and China had signed a bilateral agreement on the Nathula alternative route September 18 this year. The agre-ement provides for conducting the Yatra through Nathula in addition to the existing Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand.
The route will augment the capacity and reduce the hardship and journey time enabling many more pilgrims, in particular aged pilgrims, to undertake the Yatra, the official said.
More than 1,600 pilgrims, moving in ten batches, are expected to take the new route.
