Indians travelling on the annual Kailash Manasarovar yatra will soon have another route, thanks to China agreeing to allow the yatra through the Nathula pass in Sikkim. The new route will pass through the city of Shigatse, which is part of the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
This new route will be in addition to the Lipulekh pass in Uttarakhand through which the yatra currently takes place.
A Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministries of External Affairs of India and China signed here on Thursday allows for the opening of the new route for Indian pilgrims to the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People’s Republic of China.
Addressing the media after the signing of the MoU, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the new route offers many benefits. “It makes Kailash Mansarovar accessible by a motorable road, which is especially beneficial for older pilgrims. It offers a safer alternative in the rainy season, makes the pilgrimage shorter in duration and will enable a much higher number of pilgrims to go there,” Modi said. The agreement was among the 12 inked after delegation-level talks between India and China here on Thursday.
China will be guest of honour country at the New Delhi World Book Fair 2016 something.
Pact with ISROAn MoU between the Indian Space Research Organisation and the China National Space Administration will allow India and China to encourage exchange and cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes, including research and development of scientific experiment satellites, remote sensing satellites and communication satellites.
The two countries have also agreed to enhance cooperation in the railway sector, including studying the feasibility of cooperation in a high-speed train as part of the MoU between the Ministry of Railways and Government of China on strengthening cooperation in Railways.