Kailash Yatra via Lipulekh cost up Rs 35,000 this year

Pithoragarh: The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via the Lipulekh Pass will be costlier this year, with each pilgrim expected to spend Rs 2.09 lakh -- about Rs 35,000 more than last year. The yatra is scheduled to begin on June 30.“The pilgrimage resumed last year after a six-year suspension due to Covid-19. Only five batches undertook the yatra in 2025, with the cost per pilgrim at Rs 1.74 lakh. This year, the total cost has been raised to Rs 2.09 lakh per pilgrim,” said Vijay Nath Shukla, general manager of Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN), adding that the agency had requested the ministry of external affairs to revise the amount.KMVN, the nodal agency on the Indian side, is responsible for food, lodging, boarding and travel arrangements. Of the total cost, Rs 65,000 will be paid to KMVN -- ₹8,000 more than last year’s Rs 57,000 per pilgrim.In addition, each pilgrim will pay $1,400 to the Tibetan agency upon crossing Lipulekh into Tibet. Around Rs 9,800 will be spent on medical check-ups and the Chinese visa. Expenses for porters or ponies will be borne separately by the pilgrims.The yatra will conclude on Aug 26, with 10 batches of up to 50 pilgrims each undertaking the 22-day journey. Pilgrims will halt at Gunji, located at an altitude of 10,000 feet, for two days to acclimatise.