Planning Kailash Mansarovar Yatra? MEA Issues Advisory After Indians Get Stranded In Nepal

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued an advisory after receiving several requests for help from Indian citizens stranded in Nepal while undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra without the required entry permit and visas for China.

In a statement, the ministry said the affected pilgrims had travelled through tours organised by private tour operators.

The MEA advised citizens not to begin their journey from India until they have obtained all the necessary travel documents required to complete the pilgrimage.

It said that commencing travel without confirmed documentation, or in anticipation of obtaining the required permits and visas, increases the likelihood that pilgrims will be stranded.

The ministry also strongly advised pilgrims

to verify that their tour operator is duly registered and authorised before undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.

52 Indian Pilgrims Stranded

The advisory comes amid reports that 52 Indian citizens on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra are stranded in Kathmandu and require immediate assistance to continue their journey.

The matter was flagged by Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule, who urged the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian embassies in Nepal and China to intervene.

In a post on X, Sule said, “About 52 Indian citizens travelling to Kailash Mansarovar are currently stranded in Kathmandu, Nepal, and need urgent assistance.”

She also appealed to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, the Indian Embassy in Beijing and the MEA to provide the necessary support and help facilitate the pilgrims’ safe onward journey.

The development comes just days after the first batch of pilgrims for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra 2026 entered China through the Nathu La Pass on the India-China border on June 20, marking the resumption of the pilgrimage route.