NEW DELHI: The first batch of pilgrims for the 2026 Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via the Nathula route arrived in Gangtok on Monday, marking the start of this year’s pilgrimage.
A total of 44 pilgrims, 32 men and 12 women, reached the Sikkim capital along with liaison officers, support staff and medical teams.
The pilgrims come from several states, including Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Delhi, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.
According to Lukendra Rasaily, Chairman of the Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation (STDC), the group reflects a wide mix of people from across the country in terms of age and region. He shared details about the batch, including the number of pilgrims, their state-wise representation and the acclimatisation plan designed to prepare them for the high-altitude journey.
Delhi has the highest representation in the first batch with 11 pilgrims, followed by Maharashtra with six.
As part of the itinerary, they will undergo a four-day acclimatisation programme in Gangtok, 15th Mile and Sherathang to prepare for the journey.
The group will then move to Hangu Lake before crossing the Nathula Pass into the Tibet Autonomous Region on June 20.
From there, the pilgrims will proceed through Gyangze, a key transit town in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China for those travelling to Kailash Mansarovar via the Nathula route.
Rasaily said that this year, a total of 10 batches with 50 pilgrims each will undertake the yatra through the Nathula route, taking the total number of pilgrims to 500.
Pilgrims described the yatra as a once-in-a-lifetime spiritual experience and expressed excitement about the journey to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar.
