My Kailas Manasarovar Yatra Travelogue

If my memory serves me right, it was probably around 2005. On a lazy Sunday morning, with steaming masala chai in one hand, I was flipping through the pages of “The Bombay Times”, the colour supplement of the Sunday Times of India, when a double-page colour photograph in landscape mode caught my eye. It was a picture of the Lake Manasarovar with its vibrant blue sky and crystal-clear water in its most expansive form – a pristine landscape I had never seen before. Somewhere a flame was lit. A desire stoked. Manasarovar got into my deep conscience. Not much happened after that, as years passed by on material pursuits and dealing with midlife crises. In 2020, a couple of friends embarked on the Kailas Manasarovar Yatra (KMY), and the flame was reignited, only to be quickly extinguished by the global pandemic and later by the estrangement between India and China following the Galwan skirmish.

In 2025, therefore, when the news came in of the rapprochement between India and China and the restart of the KMY, I felt elated and was eager to undertake the Yatra. As they say, for such yatras, it is not what you have in mind that matters but what “HE” has in mind for you. It is HE who ultimately issues the “Call” and determines the timing and the group with whom you travel. For me, the call came through my cousin Saritha Iyer, who is associated with Yogi Trails and Transcendence, a travel management group based in Ettumanoor, Kerala, run by the very knowledgeable and passionate duo of Sreejith Namboothiri and Subhash Bhattathiri, that focuses on spiritual, immersive tours in and around India. As soon as the green light was given for restarting the KMY, Yogi Trails, which had been organising these yatras even before 2020, quickly got into the act and announced their schedules for July and September 2025. I couldn’t join the July batch, but I managed to reserve my seat for the September group.

Now, here is some background on the KMY. According to Hindu texts, Lord Brahma first envisioned the lake Manasarovar in his mind, and then it came into existence on earth. The name Manasarovar is derived from two words: Manasa (mind) and Sarovaram (lake). Even today, in Kerala, the lake is called Manasasarovaram. The lake is considered one of the 51 Shaktipeets of Goddess Sati. The Manasarovar Lake is regarded as deeply sacred and divine; therefore, drinking its water and bathing in it are considered highly significant for Hindus.

Nestled in the heart of the mighty Himalayas, Mount Kailas is the home of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, along with Devtas, Munis, Yakshas, Yogis, Ganas, Gandharvas, and Siddha Purushas according to Hindu scriptures. There is no temple on Kailas, but the mountain itself is the abode of Shiva and is therefore considered most sacred. For devotees, the significance of the KMY lies in being able to visit the Manasarovar Lake, dip their feet in its water, sprinkle water on their head (taking a full bath is not allowed), have a good darshan and view of Mount Kailas, and if possible, complete the outer parikrama or kora (circumambulation) of Kailas and have a darshan of the mountain from all directions—south, west, north, and east.

At the same time, both Lake Manasarovar and Mount Kailas hold significant importance in Buddhism, Jainism, and Tibetan traditions as well. While Hindus regard it as the abode of Shiva, Tibetan tradition refers to Mount Kailas as Mount Meru, which is considered the cosmic axis connecting the heavens and the earth. Jains see it as the place where Rishabhadeva, the first Tirthankara, attained salvation, and Mount Kailas is also revered as the Ashtapada, the eight steps symbolising the path to spiritual enlightenment.

Focusing on Hindus, it is because of this rich background that the KMY is not seen as just another spiritual or hiking trip, but as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit the world’s holiest mountain, regarded as the “Stairway to Heaven”, and return fully enlightened, thankful, compassionate, and forgiving.

This travelogue recounts the Kailas Manasarovar Yatra I undertook with eighteen yatris as a group (Sreejith, Saritha (from Yogi Trails), Pradeep, Preetha, Pushpalatha, Rajasekharan, Sivadas, Hariharan, Jayalakshmi, Satheesan, Maya, Nitin, Anupama, Lathakumari, Savithry, Jayashree, Bindu and myself) as part of Yogi Trails from September 6th to 19th, 2025. That these highly pedigreed and well-travelled individuals made the travel highly immersive for me is beyond doubt. The purpose of this travelogue is to provide a detailed account of the entire journey—the sights, sounds, smells, and, of course, the overall experience. Please read on.

There are about five operators in Nepal authorised by the Chinese authorities to facilitate the Yatra on behalf of Indian tour companies. Yogi Travels’ counterpart was Touch Kailash, a highly experienced and long-standing operator who has been conducting this Yatra for many years. In addition to the local partner being experienced and reliable, they must also be connected with an experienced and trusted partner in Nepal to ensure last-mile reach.

There are many ways to do the Yatra. You can apply through the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which is the official government route. However, this option permitted only 750 yatris in 15 batches this year, and one must be lucky enough to be selected in the lottery and also meet the health and other criteria set by the ministry. There are two main routes: one through the Uttarakhand state crossing at Lipulekh pass and the other through Sikkim crossing Nathu La pass. The other option is to go with private operators via Kathmandu (Nepal). Mine was the latter; therefore, this post will focus on the Yatra through the Nepal route, crossing into the Tibet Autonomous Region. Regardless of the mode you choose, it is important to note that the Chinese authorities permit only individuals between 18 and 70 years old to undertake the Yatra. You also need an entry permit and a visa to travel to Tibet for this purpose, which the agency will arrange based on your documents.

This year (2025), being the year of the restart of the KMY, the season was from June to the end of September. However, I am told that starting next year, the season will begin earlier, in May and accordingly, the number through the MEA could go up. I flew from Mumbai to Kathmandu on September 6 and joined the group of yatris from Yogi Trails, who had joined mainly from Kerala. The entire yatra was themed as “Kaladi to Kailas” – retracing the footsteps of the revered Guru Adi Shankaracharya, who began his journey of discovery from Kaladi in Kerala to Mount Kailas.

Since we navigated the Kathmandu route, the Yatra involved reaching Kathmandu, travelling by road to Manasarovar, doing the outer parikrama of Mount Kailas on foot or with a pony’s help, and then returning to Kathmandu by road within 10 days. The outer Kailas parikrama covers 52 km, starting from Tarboche and passing through places like Yam Dwar, Dirapuk, Dolma La pass, Zuthulpuk, and reaching Chongdo, which takes about 2.5 days. It is important to note that one cannot climb Mount Kailas but can only do a parikrama of the same, which Hindus do in clockwise direction. The outer parikrama route encircles the entire base of the mountain at high altitude and in rugged terrain. The highest point on the route is the Dolma La Pass, at 5,630 meters/18,471 feet above sea level. The average altitude during the parikrama is around 5,115 meters. It is interesting to note here that you will not find westerners doing this as part of their trekking expeditions while they throng Nepal for other treks like the Everest Base Camp trek, Annapurna Circuit trek, Ghorepani Trek, etc.

Day 1 & 2 – September 6 and 7

We spent the days doing local sightseeing and visiting temples in Kathmandu. I will write a separate post about these days spent in Kathmandu. Just during this period, the country went through a quick churn with an eruption of public anger against the ruling dispensation. By God’s grace, we narrowly escaped the chaos when Kathmandu became unruly. By the time we returned to Kathmandu, peace had returned, and an interim government had taken over.

We were briefed about the upcoming Yatra, the dos, the don’ts and of course travel advisories. As part of the Yatra, we were given a large duffel bag, which became our constant companion until we returned. The suitcases and stroller bags we had packed from our origin needed to be unpacked and repacked into the duffel bag and a personal backpack, depending on what was required for the next leg of the yatra until we returned. By the end of the yatra, we had become experts in unpacking and repacking, as we had to do this almost daily.

Day 3: September 8

We started quite early, around 5:30 AM, from Kathmandu. As a matter of daily routine, our travel always started with a group recital of Marga Bandu stotram written by Appayya Dikshitar and other shlokas. Our plan was to cross into Tibet, reach Nyalam—a small border town in the county seat of Nyalam—and stay overnight. It felt like driving through a ghat section with hairpin bends as we steadily ascended from an altitude of 1,344 meters. The road from Kathmandu to Tibet is part of the Friendship Highway and is mainly used for the KMY.

Due to overnight heavy rains and landslides, the road from Nepal to the Tibet border was severely affected, causing a delay of more than two hours. For those from Mumbai, we crossed a small place incidentally named Andheri before reaching Tatopani, a small but beautiful village in the Sindhupalchok district of Nepal, around 1:15 PM. In fact, the entire drive, despite the poor road conditions, was extremely picturesque and charming. A quick welcome lunch awaited us there. Incidentally, this place was heavily affected during the 2015 earthquake. As we saw with our own eyes, the road and land here are very vulnerable to landslides. The Kodari border, where we need to do customs and immigration, was only 4 km away. Still, because of the damaged roads, vehicles could not pass, so we had to trek nearly 1 km across a treacherous and slippery terrain, in a way, preparing us for the days ahead.

We cleared customs and immigration fairly smoothly at the Kodari border before crossing into Tibet. The day before, we had been warned that our phones would be checked on the Chinese side, and that any photos or references to the Dalai Lama or support for the “Free Tibet” movement should be deleted completely, even from the “recycle bin”, to avoid detention. We all did so, but there was no phone check that day. Due to the roadblock, there were delays, and I suppose the Chinese did not want to prolong the process further.

Once we crossed the border, the highway towards Nyalam on the Tibetan side was noticeably better, with hairpin bends designed for a gentle ascent. We reached our designated hotel, Xi Xia Bang Ma Hotel, in Nyalam by 8:15 PM local time (now 2 hours and 15 minutes ahead of Nepal time). When we arrived at the hotel at Nyalam, which was at an altitude of 3,750m, we felt the first effects of the higher altitude and lower oxygen levels. From this point on, we were advised to slow down in our usual activities, including walking and limb movements, to avoid gasping for breath. The symptoms of high-altitude acclimatisation affected us strongly for the first time, and this would be one of the challenges in the days ahead. With that in mind, we had dinner and went to bed. Sleep, though, eluded.

Day 4: September 9

We were given time until 11:00 AM to acclimatise to the new high altitudes and thinner air. I must add here that more than being athletic, acclimatisation to the high altitude is key to the whole yatra. Since we are not so used to higher altitudes, thin air, and lower oxygen levels, our bodies tend to resist, and the same is manifested in multiple ways: headache, nausea, loose motion, constipation, and whatnot. In fact, all yatris are advised to take a dose of Dymox, which helps in lessening the symptoms related to mountain sickness for hikers, from the day we left Kathmandu, and Dymox becomes an integral part of our routine till the end of the parikrama!

 After that, our plan was to head toward Saga, a small town in Saga County in southern Tibet, where we would camp that night. Saga is at an elevation of 4,640 meters and is 240 km from Nyalam. By 11:30 AM, we left Saga, and the smooth driveway on well-laid highways in Tibet opened us to new landscapes. Landscapes that were gradually changing in hue as we gained altitude and the oxygen level dropped. No longer was the lush green terrain seen on the Kathmandu-Nyalam stretch. Now, the vegetation had shrunk, and the colours faded to yellowish brown. Stretches of snow-capped mountains stared giving darshans at a distance as the drive through the Tibetan countryside brought back memories of Sharmila Tagore, Shammi Kapoor, and Kashmir Ki Kalli!

My first impression of Tibet was of expansive landscapes interspersed with small junctions that doubled up as towns, where some habitation could be seen. Just in August this year, Chinese Premier Xi Jinping made a rare visit to Lhasa to mark the 60th anniversary of China consolidating its rule over the Himalayan region of Tibet. Accordingly, large portraits of Xi and festoons were visible at these junctions. China appears to be actively improving Tibet’s infrastructure, as evidenced by many JCBs working throughout the area.

We had lunch during our stop at Qomolongma Natural Reserve, one of the scenic highlights along the way. The Touch Kailash crew prepares lunch in the morning and travels with us, and the same is served in a makeshift arrangement on the go. When we resumed our journey around 3:00 PM, we caught sight of the Brahmaputra River from a distance. Finally, after being on the road for about six hours, we arrived at the New Urban Hotel in Saga, where we stayed for the night.

Day 5: September 10

The entire day was spent acclimatising to the higher altitudes, walking around the hotel and doing last-minute shopping for items needed for the parikrama. All bargaining and conversations with shopkeepers took place through Chinese-English translation apps on smartphones! As we explored the area, we saw fellow yatris from Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev’s Isha Foundation returning after completing the KMY. Incidentally, the Isha Foundation has been organising the KMY for many years and offers different categories, including premium options by chartered planes directly to Manasarovar. As advised by the tour managers, we all got ourselves a 1,000 ML oxygen canister in case of oxygen shortage during the parikrama, especially on the second day.

Day 6: September 11

Excitement levels knew no bounds as we left Saga in the wee hours, hoping to catch our first glimpse of Mount Kailas and Manasarovar Lake that evening. The drive from Saga to Manasarovar, which was about 450 km, was very scenic, and being at the same altitude level made it very comfortable. The vast, expansive golden meadow landscapes, adorned by light blue mountains, and high-tension transmission lines in symmetry on both sides, along with yaks of all hues, are sights to behold.

Though the road was very good and could afford higher speeds, our coach travelled at an average of 60–70 km/h because the speed limit on the highway was just 40 km/h, and security cameras were installed to catch errant vehicles. Our driver often drove faster and slowed down in front of speed guns to avoid getting caught, just like most of us do on highways. Along the way, you pass small towns with neatly constructed houses on both sides, along with coffee shops and restaurants. The presence of solar panel arrays near these towns shows that even remote areas of China are adopting renewable energy.

By 3:00 PM, as we approached Manasarovar, the excitement among all of us was palpable. Although in the coming days we would have the chance to see Mount Kailas from different angles and closer up, viewing it from a distance for the first time felt special. Soon, we caught the first sight of Mount Kailas’s south view and the blue waters of Lake Manasarovar. On the other side of Mount Kailas, near Manasarovar, was the equally majestic Gurla Mandhata, a mountain in Tibet part of the Himalayas and the 34th highest peak in the world.

Within a few minutes, we reached the banks of Manasasarovaram, a dream come true for most of us. For the next hour or so, we immersed ourselves in the experience of being at the world’s highest freshwater lake. The crystal-clear, deep blue water reflecting the snow-clad Mount Kailas and the surrounding peaks is breathtaking. The image of the lake from the 2005 Bombay Times edition flashed before my eyes again as I gently stroked the water with my hands in slow motion and got consumed in the moment. In the distance was Mount Kailas’s ephemeral beauty, always in a hurry to hide behind the clouds, playing hide and seek. But during our time there, Kailas was generous and always present, offering its best view on demand whenever we wished, set against the expansive blue sky. Excitement peaked as fellow yatris connected via WhatsApp video calls with their families, sharing live views of Manasarovar with Kailas as the backdrop.

After sprinkling ourselves with holy water and collecting samples in bottles, we moved from Manasarovar to Rakshastal, a crescent-shaped saltwater lake nearby. Legend has it that this is where the Hindu King Ravana penanced and gained his superpowers from Lord Shiva. Its deep saline waters are seen as a counterbalance to the pristine fresh water of Lake Manasarovar, symbolising the existence of opposites in life.

After a long, exciting day, it was finally time to rest for the day. The stay at Manasarovar was arranged in a dormitory-style room near the lake and opposite Chiu Monastery. The accommodation was basic, with just a room containing a few beds and no attached bathroom or toilet. The public toilet was quite inadequate, lacking water and flush facilities, but it prepared us for the simple accommodations during the parikrama in the following nights.

If you want to do some puja or hawan like how another group from India did, there is a covered facility provided here for the same. The priest was quite busy carrying out pujas and hawans in batches.

The advantage of this accommodation was its proximity to Lake Manasarovar and the opportunity to see Kailas in the morning during sunrise, when it is briefly illuminated by golden rays—something we were fortunate enough to witness the next morning around 8 AM. Another benefit was the opportunity to observe some extraterrestrial activity, such as stars appearing to fall into Manasarovar after midnight. Some fellow yatris from our group stayed awake until midnight to watch the stars, which, according to legend, are Apsaras visiting the lake at midnight to bathe. Although they weren’t as lucky in seeing the stars or apsaras descend, they enjoyed a spectacular view of the lake under the moonlit sky.

Day 7: September 12

After the eventful previous day, this day was more relaxed. We lazed around until noon near the lake and subjected ourselves to a host of photo shoots. How often does one get such naturally rich, blue, unfiltered, uncluttered backdrops for Insta reels? Just after noon, we left Manasarovar for Darchen, about 40 km away, the base camp from where we start the Kailas parikrama. These areas are festered with coffee shops labelled as “Cultural and Coffee” centres!

At Darchen, we checked into a hotel called Yi Hao, which seemed new and was one of the best in terms of facilities and comfort. Our plan for the day was to visit Ashtapad, where we could see the South View of Kailas along with Nandi Parvat. With the weather playing truant, the sky was cloudy, and we lost all hope of visiting Ashtapad that day. However, by 6:00 PM, the sky magically cleared, and we immediately left for Ashtapad in a coach.

As mentioned earlier, Ashtapad is a revered site for Jains located on the south face of Kailas in Tibet. It is the place where the first Jain Tirthankara, Rishabhdeva, attained salvation. Thanks to the clear weather, we were able to get a good close darshan of Mount Kailas and Nandi Parvat. We duly offered the soil we had brought from Kaladi at the feet of Kailas, there.

In preparation for the upcoming crucial three days of the Kailas parikrama, we had to unpack and repack once more, focusing on the essential items we needed in our backpacks and sending the rest in the duffel bag. Sleep eluded us that night due to the palpable excitement of beginning and completing the parikrama smoothly over the following days.

Day 8: September 13

We checked out and left the hotel after breakfast by 10:00 AM to reach Tarboche, the starting point of the outer Kailas parikrama. One can complete the parikrama on foot or with a pony’s help. This is the place where sherpas and ponies wait, and they are assigned strictly through a lucky draw system. There is no way to select your own sherpa or pony; it is solely decided by the lucky draw. I chose to have a pony as a backup while essentially intending to do the parikrama on foot. The idea was to use the pony if I encountered difficulty or felt tired during the parikrama.

After completing the allotments for your respective sherpa and pony, we began the parikrama, treading the path slowly as the sun’s rays blazed down and daytime temperatures hovered around 6–8°C. The first stop was Yam Dwar, which is almost the starting point of the parikrama. One passes through a small door believed to be guarded by Lord Yama himself, the guardian of Lord Shiva’s abode. Tibetan people also revere this place; in fact, wherever Tibetans hold reverence, colourful, attractive festoons are often tied around the area. As part of wish-making practices (mannat), you will see pebble stones arranged in various shapes and sizes around these places.

The parikrama path, covering about 14 km from the starting point to Dirapuk, is relatively easier on the first day. The entire stretch is scenic, with a clear blue sky and the sounds of the Lha Chu River flowing nearby enhancing the journey’s rhythm. The altitude increases gradually from 4,670 m to 4,900 m. The water is crystal clear, and the reflection of the blue sky on its surface makes it a photographer’s paradise. One could see a lot of JCBs trawling the path and making motorable ways for Pajeros and Pradas that doubled up as ambulances.

Faith has no limits or boundaries. These thoughts dawn upon you when you see some fellow Buddhist yatris doing the parikrama not by foot but performing continuous sashtanga namaskarams the entire way. While we are huffing and panting, trying to walk the distance, there are those who, under the influence of faith, undertake the parikrama in the most challenging way possible. We were told that they may take more than 10 days to complete it, and have to spend nights in makeshift tents along the route! That the sight of these yatris all along the way truly humbles you is an indisputable fact.

After a few bites from the packed lunch provided, we continued the journey, getting a very close view of Kailas from the West side. By 4:45 in the evening, after a walk of about 6 hours with hydration breaks, we reached our night halt—Dirapuk Monastery.

At Dirapuk, we settled into our dormitory-style accommodation, which offered a very close view of the North side of Kailas. During sunset, as the yellow rays of the Sun stared down on the snow-covered Kailas, we briefly immersed ourselves in the golden hour. The accommodation here, too, arranged and provided by the Chinese authorities, is primitive, and one has to put up with it.

Dirapuk is the place where you undertake the Kailas Charan Sparsh part of the yatra. The Kailas Charan Sparsh is a profoundly spiritual act of touching Mount Kailas’s feet. This sacred journey involves a holy walk from Dirapuk Monastery, located on the North Face of Mount Kailash, covering approximately 7 to 8 km. The route includes rugged, high-altitude terrain along the banks of the Sutlej River, amid thin mountain air. Compared to the standard Kailash parikrama, the Charan Sparsh trek takes pilgrims closer to the mountain itself. Undertaking this journey is not only a physical challenge but also a profoundly spiritual experience. However, this part of the Yatra has been banned by the authorities recently, so we could not include it as part of the parikrama.

Throughout the parikrama route, connectivity is no problem thanks to the 5G booths that also doubled up as “smart toilets”!

It was time to hit the bed early that night, as the most challenging part of the parikrama awaited us the next day. You need to cover 22 km, reaching the highest point of the journey at 5,630 m at Dolma La Pass, followed by a steep descent. By now, night sleeps have become a formality.

Day 9: September 14

The Sun rises pretty late in these parts of the world. Till about 8 AM, it’s pitch dark, and it was in those wee hours that we set walking for the 2^nd day of the parikrama. We started by 8.00 AM with a steep climb to Dolma La. The terrain is treacherous and slippery, with snow-clad rolling stones providing no grip. Taking the help of the pony in this stretch, we reached the highest point where we were warned of a shortage of oxygen in 2 hours. None of us in the group needed additional oxygen that day, and we could climb the peak reasonably smoothly. Once again, the entire climb was scenic passing by Shivasthal, with stretches of snow-clad mountains reminding us of many film songs that were shot in exotic locales. “Puthu Vellai Mazhai” from Roja was indeed ringing in the ears.

Once you reach Dolma La, it is a steep downhill climb through narrow paths, which everyone must walk. Because the terrain is very slippery, even pony riders have to do this walk themselves. As we turned left from Dolma La, we saw the Gauri Kund, a sacred freshwater pond, the smaller Ganesh Kund and then Kuber Kund, which was completely frozen. One of the sherpas quickly trekked down and collected water from the holy Gauri Kund for all of us. While descending, we also got a brief view of the east side of Kailas. After a slow but careful descent for about three hours, we reached the Shapje Datok valley, where we could rest a bit and have our packed lunch.

Continuing the trek across flat terrain for about three hours, we finally reached Zuthulpuk, our stop for the day after the exhausting second day of parikrama. There was a feeling of relief and gratitude as the most challenging segment was completed smoothly for all of us. Imagine what might have happened if it had started raining, as it did the previous evening, with a brief hailstorm hitting the ground. Although we were prepared for rain during the trek, it becomes much tougher on the already slippery terrain when the ground turns slushy and your shoes and clothes get soaked despite all protections.

That night’s stay was once again in a dorm-style accommodation, and with everyone’s priority to rest well after the long day, it was an early turn to bed.

Day 10: September 15

The third day of the parikrama would be relatively more straightforward, we were told. It was indeed easier compared to the steep climb and downhill the previous day, but it was not a complete cakewalk. We left quite early, around 7:00 AM, just after tea, and started trekking in pitch darkness with torch lights in tow. The climb was mostly moderate; the stretch from Zuthulpuk to the final stop in the parikrama – Chongdo – took about two and a half hours to cover about 5 km. There was a last steep climb towards the end, but otherwise, it was a fairly easy stretch. By 9:30 AM, we had reached the terminus at Chongdo, where our coach waited for us to return to Darchen. It was time for some group pictures and refreshments.

We reached Darchen quickly and had our breakfast. The feeling among everyone was one of fulfilment and gratitude for completing the parikrama successfully and smoothly as planned, without any major issues such as weather disruptions or last-minute restrictions by the Chinese authorities.

We checked into the same hotel at Darchen again, where some of the family members who had opted out of the parikrama were eagerly waiting for us. The rest of the day was spent relaxing, catching up with our families back home, and sharing the joy and contentment of the yatra. The mind, though, started preparing for the long return journey by road to Kathmandu.

Day 11:  September 16

After a sumptuous breakfast, we checked out of the hotel and left Darchen by 9:00 AM. Driving from Darchen and catching a final glimpse of Lake Manasarovar and Kailas, the journey back was quiet and reflective. With a quick lunch break on the way at the same national reserve, we reached the hotel in Saga town for the night by 6:00 PM. It was a long drive of about 9 hours to cover 400 km with a few breaks. Our night stay was at Lunbu Gangri Hotel, Xizang, Saga, a fine hotel with top-class facilities. After a quiet dinner, we retired early as a long day awaited us the next day. Our plan was to directly reach Kathmandu from Saga, without any stop at Nyalam, and then cross the Kodari border, covering over 650 km in a day.

Day 12: September 17

Since the day was deemed to be long, we left Saga quite early, around 5:15 AM. We crossed Nyalam and, during an hour-long, incredibly scenic and comfortable drive dotted with waterfalls of all hues and sizes, reached the Zhangmu border by 10:20 AM. Zhangmu is a customs town and port of entry in Nyalam County, Tibet, China, near the Nepal-China border, just uphill and across the Bhotekoshi River.

What had been a smooth travel until now took an unexpected turn from here. As we neared the Nepal border, we saw a long line of coaches waiting for clearance to cross. We were asked to wait for reasons that were not very clear. The wait, initially expected to last 2 hours, stretched on, and by the time we received the go-ahead, it was 2:30 PM, China time. This caused a delay of about four hours. Eventually, we completed the immigration and customs formalities on the Chinese side smoothly and reached the Nepalese side.

Due to heavy rains and landslides in the previous days, the roads on the Nepalese side near the border were severely damaged. The large coaches had no chance to travel on those roads, so we were transported in small pickup trucks for a few kilometres to Tatopani, where lunch awaited us. After lunch, we continued in the pickup trucks for a few more kilometres, but the road conditions then prevented even the small trucks from passing. The only option was to trek on foot and navigate the badly damaged roads for a few more kilometres, after which another coach was waiting to take us to Kathmandu. By now, it was 4:45 PM in Kathmandu, having gained 2 hours and 15 minutes. After travelling on arduous roads for the next four hours, we finally reached our hotel in Kathmandu by 8:45 PM. It was indeed a long day, but the only consolation was that we were on our return journey, and the next day was a free day to relax and rest in Kathmandu.

Day 13: September 18

Rest in Kathmandu and did a bit of local sightseeing and shopping. Some of the fellow yatris had planned visits to local temples. It was very nice on the part of Yogi Trails and Touch Kailash to give a KMY completion certificate to the yatris.

Day 14: September 19

After a relaxed breakfast at the hotel, it was time to pack our bags one last time and leave Kathmandu for our respective destinations after what had been a fascinating, adventurous, and successful Kailas Manasorovar Yatra.

For those with questions about food arrangements, the Touch Kailas crew travelled with a mobile kitchen, setting up wherever we stayed and providing us with freshly cooked hot food, tea, and coffee throughout the trip, for which one is eternally grateful.

We were also fortunate to have another group of yatris from Pune and Hyderabad who were travelling as part of the Touch Kailas entourage, which had a few doctors. They were always immensely helpful to attend to some of us who had a few health issues in the initial days, trying to cope with altitude sickness.

On the return flight from Kathmandu to Mumbai, as I was reflecting on the whole trip, I couldn’t help but mull over the following thoughts and questions:

1. How does one explain how faith inspires people to step out of their comfort zones, or as seen in the Tibetan practice of completing the parikrama through “Sashtang Namaskarams”?
2. What does it mean to reflect on the lives of sherpas and horses who perform the parikrama daily for a living, while it is something great for us to do once in a lifetime?
3. Isn’t the collective Karma of the group more important than just your individual karma, which ensured a totally event-free, smooth trip?
4. Aren’t there more reasons to be contented and satisfied than to complain in life?
5. What explains why China would have nice highways and accommodations but be bereft of basic functional washrooms?
6. Is “being flexible” the least taught or celebrated virtue in our society? In this Yatra, one needs to be flexible. Plans keep changing by the hour and day, thanks to weather conditions, political conditions (as we saw in Nepal), team members’ conditions, and, of course, directives from the authorities. The best way is to keep calm, remain flexible enough to re-work the plan and keep moving forward.

Truth be told, I didn’t realise the magnitude of the Yatra when I signed up for it. But today, having completed the trip successfully, I do understand its significance. Kailash Manasarovar Yatra is indeed an arduous but transformative journey one can pursue in one’s lifetime. We were indeed fortunate that we could be among roughly the 19,000 Indians who undertook the Yatra this year, right after its restart.

Thank you for the patient reading!

Pictures Courtesy: Mine + Fellow Yogi Group Yatris.