The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra links religion, physical geography and diplomacy. Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar lie on the Tibetan Plateau in Chinese-administered territory and are revered by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and followers of the Bön tradition. Indian pilgrims therefore depend on agreed routes and bilateral arrangements with China.
The pilgrimage has been interrupted or reshaped during periods of political tension, while difficult high-altitude terrain and Himalayan weather add a separate layer of vulnerability. Recent flooding in Nepal again underlined how access routes can be affected by hazards that have nothing to do with diplomacy.