This is the traditional government-organized route, run by India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in coordination with the Chinese government. It was suspended for five years (2020–2025) due to COVID-19 and India–China border tensions following the Galwan Valley clash, and resumed in June 2025 following a diplomatic thaw (Modi–Xi talks, October 2024).
2026 season details
- Batches: 10 batches of 50 pilgrims each (500 total) — double the 5 batches (250 pilgrims) run in 2025, as India and China agreed to expand the program's scale.
- Duration: approximately 22 days per batch.
- Cost: approximately Rs. 2.09 Lakh per person (roughly $2,500 USD). Costs and batch counts change year to year and should not be treated as fixed.
Registration
Applications go through the official government portal, kmy.gov.in — this is the only legitimate booking channel for this route; there's no private-operator alternative for the India-organized batches. For the 2026 season, the online application deadline was 19 May 2026, which has already passed. 2027 registration details aren't out yet as of this writing; check kmy.gov.in directly closer to the season.
Eligibility and how selection works
Selection, eligibility, medical clearance, and fees are the same process for both India routes — see the Applying to the Yatra page for the full detail, including the current BMI threshold and what the medical clearance process actually involves. In short: it's a computer-generated, random, gender-balanced lottery, not first-come-first-served. For 2025, 5,561 people applied for 750 spots; for 2026, the draw selected 1,000 pilgrims across both India routes.
A live geopolitical flag
Nepal has formally protested India's continued use of the Lipulekh route, which passes through the disputed Kalapani–Lipulekh–Limpiyadhura territory claimed by both countries. India has rejected the objection and the 2026 Yatra proceeded as planned, but this is an unresolved dispute worth watching — it hasn't affected the route's operational status so far, but could become relevant in future seasons.
Sources
- kmy.gov.in — official MEA registration portal
- MEA press release, June 2025 — resumption announcement
- Kathmandu Post, May 2026
- Swarajya Mag — 2026 expansion details