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Kathmandu, Nov 11:  Efforts are underway to open a new pilgrimage and tourism route linking Mustang’s Korala Pass to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in Tibet. A team of 13 local representatives from Lomanthang and Loghekar Damodarkunda rural municipalities has reached Dhongwasen in China to discuss the proposal with Tibetan officials.

Lomanthang Chairperson Tasi Nurbu Gurung said the visit, made at personal expense, aims to study the route’s feasibility through coordination with Nepal’s Home Ministry and Immigration Department. “If successful, this initiative will boost tourism, cultural ties, and economic growth in Gandaki Province and Nepal,” he said.

The proposed route would serve both Nepali and Chinese pilgrims, allowing easier travel from Korala to Mansarovar and Lhasa, and for Buddhist pilgrims from Tibet to reach Lumbini. Korala is around 300 kilometers from Mansarovar and about 1,000 kilometers from Lhasa. Local tourism leaders say the route would be shorter, cheaper, and more convenient than the existing Humla path, where Indian and Nepali pilgrims spend over Rs 200,000 each.

The Korala border point, opened for trade in 2023, now handles Nepal-China imports and exports after Tatopani and Rasuwagadhi crossings closed. An immigration office was set up there last year, improving cross-border access.

Travelers could fly from Kathmandu to Pokhara in 25 minutes, then reach Mustang via Beni. From Jomsom, it takes about four and a half hours by road to reach Korala, 96 kilometers away. On the Chinese side, modern road networks connect the Nechung-Liji customs post to Dhongwasen (58 km) and onward 300 kilometers to Mansarovar, a six-hour journey.

Korala Immigration Chief Pravesh Baduwal confirmed the delegation was the first to travel using official visas issued from the new office. Nepal plans to offer a 150-day free “on-arrival visa” for Chinese and other foreign visitors, though the $500 entry fee for Upper Mustang remains a concern.

Mount Kailash, at 6,603 meters, is revered as Lord Shiva’s abode, and bathing in Mansarovar is believed to bring spiritual liberation. The proposed route is seen as a step toward reviving ancient religious and cultural links between Nepal and Tibet.

 People’s News Monitoring Service