My Kailas Manasarovar Yatra with Yogi Trails (September 2025)
By Anand Kumar R S / October 17, 2025 In 2025, when news broke of the rapprochement between India and China and the restart of the Kailas Manasarovar Yatra (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 one. 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 Shaktipeeths of Goddess Sati. The Manasarovar Lake is regarded as deeply sacred and divine, and 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 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, Lake Manasarovar and Mount Kailas hold significant importance in Buddhism, Jainism, and Tibetan traditions. 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 where Rishabhadeva, the first Tirthankara, attained salvation. Mount Kailas is also revered as the Ashtapada, the eight steps symbolising the path to spiritual enlightenment. Focusing on Hindus, this rich background is why 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. There are many ways to do the Yatra. You can apply through the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the official government route. However, this option permitted only 750 yatris in 15 batches this year, and you must be fortunate enough to be selected in the lottery and meet the health and other criteria set by the ministry. The ministry also stipulates the age limit between 18 and 70 for undertaking this Yatra. Otherwise, you can go through private operators via Kathmandu. I opted for the September batch of Yogi Trails’ Kailas Yatra, which commenced from Kerala on September 5 and concluded on September 19. On September 6, I flew from Mumbai to Kathmandu and joined a group of yatris from Yogi Trails, mainly from Kerala. The entire yatra was themed “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 followed 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 it, which Hindus do in the 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 path 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. From Kathmandu, we left by road to Nyalam, a quiet border town in Tibet. Sitting at an altitude of 3,450 m, it is a significant climb from Kathmandu’s elevation of 1,344 m, and the initial effects of high altitude are experienced here. Therefore, we are given time to adapt ourselves a bit at Nyalam before moving on to Saga in Tibet. At Saga, a full day is allotted for acclimatisation to the lower oxygen levels and thinner air. I must add here that more than being athletic, acclimatisation to the high altitude is key to the whole yatra. Saga is at an elevation of 4,640 meters, and as we left Saga, the smooth driveway on well-laid highways in Tibet opened us to new landscapes. Landscapes that gradually changed 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 appeared, offering distant views as the drive through the Tibetan countryside continued. The drive from Saga to