Mount Kailash & Lake Manasarovar
Overview
Mount Kailāsa and Lake Mānasarovara together form the most arduous and most exalted of Hindu pilgrimages: the abode of Śiva and Pārvatī, and the mind-born lake of Brahmā, beyond the Himalaya in western Tibet. The Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India organises the official Indian pilgrimage, the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra, from June to September each year over two designated routes.
Sthala Purāṇa tradition · sacred narrative
In the Purāṇic vision, Kailāsa is the eternal seat of Śiva and Pārvatī, court of the gaṇas and goal of sages' austerities. Mānasa Sarovara — the 'lake of the mind' — is held by tradition to have arisen from the mind of Brahmā, its waters purifying all who bathe in them; the Himalayan māhātmyas of the Mānasa Khaṇḍa exalt the Kailāsa–Mānasarovara region as the crown of tīrthas.
Festivals pending sourcing
Observances associated with the yatra season to be added once verified from official sources.
Visiting verified official data
- Yatra Organizer
- The official Indian pilgrimage is organised by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India ('Ministry of External Affairs organizes this Kailash Yatra during June to September each year'). Yatris are selected through a fair, computer-generated, gender-balanced random draw. MEA provides no subsidy or financial assistance.last verified 2026-08-01 · official source
- Routes
- Two official routes: Lipulekh Pass, Uttarakhand (~24 days, estimated ₹1.8 lakh per person) and Nathu La Pass, Sikkim (~21 days, approx. ₹2 lakh per person). Costs as stated on the official portal; verify current figures when applying.last verified 2026-08-01 · official source
- Eligibility
- Open to Indian citizens holding valid Indian passports, travelling for religious purposes; application online at kmy.gov.in; selected yatris confirm participation with a non-refundable deposit (₹5,000 per the MEA selection-process page of an earlier cycle).last verified 2026-08-01 · official source
- Current Season pending sourcing
- 2026 yatra specifics (batch schedule, registration windows) were reported in media as running June–August 2026, but MEA's own press-release pages could not be fetched from the build environment on 2026-08-01. Season-specific details will be added only from official MEA/kmy.gov.in pages. Applicants should check kmy.gov.in directly.
Official
- Organizer
- Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India — official yatra portal kmy.gov.inlast verified 2026-08-01 · official source
- Website
- https://kmy.gov.in/last verified 2026-08-01 · official source
Book darshan, pooja or donations only through the verified official channel above. MandirPal links to no other channel.
Map
Related in the knowledge graph
Sacred to
- Deity
Shiva
Śiva
Where traditions differ, MandirPal shows each view with its sources and declares none of them absolute. Sacred narrative is labelled as tradition, history as documented evidence. Timings and rules change, so confirm with the official temple channel before you travel.