New Delhi: In a reflection of special bonding, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday announced the opening of a new safe route for Indian pilgrims visiting Kailash Manasarovar through Nathu La border point in Sikkim.
“On behalf of the people of India, I thank President Xi for opening a new route through Nathu La to Kailash Mansarovar. This will be in addition to the existing route through Uttarakhand. The new route offers many benefits. It makes Kailash Mansarovar accessible by a motorable road, which is especially beneficial to the older pilgrims. It offers a safer alternative in the rainy season, makes the pilgrimage shorter in duration, and will enable a much higher number of pilgrims to go there,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi told media after holding bilateral talks with the visiting dignitary.
The Yatra, organised by the Ministry of External Affairs, goes through Lipu Pass, Himalayan pass connecting the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand with the old trading town of Taklakot in Tibet. The route was badly damaged in last year's floods in Uttarakhand.
The journey will become more comfortable after China's announcement to open Nathu La pass in Sikkim, used for a limited border trade, as the pilgrims could travel by vans and busses up to Manasorvar and Kailash directly.
The new route, though longer, takes pilgrims from Nathu La to Shigatse also known as Xigaze, the second biggest city in Tibet after provincial Capital Lhasa by road.
From there the pilgrims could comfortably travel to Manasarovar and Kailash using well laid out highway.
Officials say the opening of the post will not affect the nature of the border dispute as the clause states that it is subject to the overall agreement of the boundary and would be specified in any new MoU.
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