Korala route opens for Kailash pilgrims

By Harikrishna Sharma,Mustang, Nov. 10: Nepali and foreign pilgrims can now travel to Tibet’s sacred Mount Kailash and Mansarovar Lake directly through the Korala border point in Mustang, following the operation of a new immigration office at Nechung.

Although the route through Korala Pass is shorter and easier, Nepali travellers had not been allowed to cross into Tibet from there because the immigration office at Nechung, Chhoser in Lomanthang Rural Municipality-1, was not in operation. 

Now, with the office functioning, Nepali citizens can enter Tibet via Korala if they have a Chinese visit visa and the required immigration documents.

For the first time, a team of 13 representatives, led by Lomanthang Rural Municipality Chairperson Tashi Nhurbu Gurung and Vice Chairperson Chhyumi Bisht Gurung, along with Vice Chairperson Chhiring Lhamo Gurung from Lo-Ghekar Damodarkunda Rural Municipality, entered Tibet with one-month visit visas.

According to Pravesh Baduwal, chief of the Immigration Office, this marks the start of easier access for Nepali, Indian and third-country nationals through the Korala border. “Now, with visas and necessary documents, people can enter Tibet from Korala. We have started services despite limited infrastructure and staff,” he said.

Currently, the Chhoser office is operating temporarily from Lomanthang due to electricity and internet disruptions caused by heavy snowfall.

Baduwal also said that Chinese and foreign nationals entering Nepal through this border will be granted a 150-day free ‘on-arrival visa’. However, foreign visitors still need to complete other formalities, including paying a USD 500 fee for entering the restricted area and an additional cap charge.

Gurung said this new development is a major milestone for Upper Mustang. “Now that the Korala border is open for religious tourism, it will bring more visitors and support our local economy,” he said.

Travellers can now easily reach Upper Mustang via Pokhara or Kathmandu -- by air or road -- and continue through Korala to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar. 

In the past, Chinese officials visiting the Korala area had expressed interest in helping make this route operational for pilgrimage.

According to Raju Lalchan, President of the Mustang Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the ability to cross into Tibet with a visa is a big achievement for the entire Gandaki Province. “Until now, only residents of the five rural municipalities of Mustang were allowed to go up to the Chinese customs point for trade, but others were not. This new arrangement is a breakthrough,” he said.

From Kathmandu, travellers can reach Pokhara in about 25 minutes by air, and from Pokhara, it takes another 25-minute flight or a 400-kilometre drive via Beni in Myagdi district to reach the Korala border in Mustang.

From Jomsom, one can drive 96 kilometres to Lomanthang and reach Nechung in about four and a half hours. From the Nechung-Liji Customs point, it is 58 kilometres to Xiong Wazhen in Shigatse Prefecture, and from there, a 580-kilometre drive (around six hours) leads to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar.

With modern roads and vehicles on the Tibetan side, the journey is smooth and comfortable. Travellers can stay overnight in Lomanthang and reach the Nepal-Tibet border at Korala within half an hour the next morning.

Compared to the Indian route, where pilgrims spend more than Rs. 200,000 per person, the Mustang-Korala route offers a much cheaper way to reach Kailash and Mansarovar.

The reopening of Korala Pass, officially launched on November 13, 2023, was made possible through continuous lobbying by local representatives, including former Member of Parliament Yogesh Gauchan.

With the regular operation of the border, officials expect this route to attract many more religious tourists who previously used other routes to reach Kailash Mansarovar.

In Hindu belief, Mount Kailash, at an altitude of 6,638 metres, is considered the abode of Lord Shiva. Pilgrims believe that circumambulating the mountain brings great spiritual merit, and bathing in Lake Mansarovar grants liberation.

Korala Pass is the only customs point in Gandaki Province connecting Nepal with China and is considered a vital trade and tourism lifeline.