First pilgrims visit Mansarovar, request additional spaces.

• The first batch of Indian pilgrims since 2020 visited Mansarovar Lake, marking the first resumption of a people-to-people mechanism between India and China.

• The pilgrimage, which lasts for three months, is a significant part of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, a three-month journey between India and China.

• The number of pilgrims allowed to join the yatra has fluctuated annually since the route was first reopened in 1981.

• The number of pilgrims has increased since 2015, but the COVID-19 pandemic and LAC tensions have led to a lower figure this year.

• Many yatris, who were selected through a computerised lottery, did not pass medical tests, resulting in the first batch only having 36.

• The Chinese government has also restricted visitors from bathing in the lake due to “environmental protection purposes.”

• The first batch of pilgrims, aged 20 to 69, completed the journey without medical issues, demonstrating the importance of education about eco-friendly travel and environmental behavior.