Nepal’s latest diplomatic salvo against the Lipulekh Pass route for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage has reignited a decades-old border row. With India’s announcement to revive the yatra in 2026, Kathmandu is digging in its heels, labeling the pass as sovereign Nepali land.
The controversy erupted after New Delhi revealed plans for 500 pilgrims to traverse Lipulekh Darra from Uttarakhand into Tibet. Nepal’s Foreign Ministry swiftly countered, invoking the 1816 Sugauli Treaty to assert control over Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura regions east of the Mahakali River.
In an official note, Nepal informed India and China of its stance, urging cessation of infrastructure projects, trade, and yatra activities. It highlighted prior notifications to Beijing regarding its claims.
India stood firm. MEA’s Randhir Jaiswal clarified that the pass has been the yatra’s established pathway since 1954, with uninterrupted use over decades. ‘Our position remains consistent and clear. These claims are neither valid nor grounded in history,’ he remarked, criticizing one-sided narratives.
Jaiswal reaffirmed India’s readiness for dialogue on all bilateral matters, including boundary demarcation through negotiation.
Strategically located at 17,000 feet in the Himalayas, Lipulekh marks the India-Nepal-China trijunction. Indian forces have secured it post-1962, supported by pilgrimage archives dating back to the 1950s.
Flashpoints include the 2015 India-China pact to operationalize Lipulekh for commerce and transit, boycotted by Nepal. Renewed in 2025, it drew protests from ex-PM Oli during talks with Xi Jinping.
This impasse underscores deeper geopolitical undercurrents, with Nepal balancing ties amid India’s growing infrastructure push in the region. As pilgrims prepare for the arduous trek to the abode of Lord Shiva, resolution via talks appears the only path forward, preserving cultural and diplomatic harmony.
