Kailash Mansarovar Pilgrimage
The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will begin on June 30 after a gap of five years. This is an important step to improve relations between India and China. The yatra is believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva, which is visited by thousands of devotees every year. China stopped it in 2020 due to the border dispute. After the Pahalgam terror attack, questions are being raised about China's attitude between India and Pakistan, but the good news is that after 5 years, the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is starting from June 30 this year, which will run till August 25. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has also opened a website for registration of pilgrims. China had halted the visit after a border standoff erupted in 2020. There was also a clash between the soldiers of India and China in the Galvan Valley due to the deadlock on the border. The resumption of visit after a gap of 5 years is an important step towards normalising relations between the two countries. It is believed that Kailash Mansarovar is the abode of Lord Shiva. Mount Kailash is a stone pyramid 22028 feet high on which a white sheet of snow is wrapped throughout the year. Every year, thousands of sages, saints, devotees, philosophers gather here to visit Kailash-Mansarovar, worship Shiva-Shambhu, which greatly increases the sanctity and importance of this place. It is believed that this mountain is self-existent. Kailash-Mansarovar is as ancient as our creation. This ethereal place is a confluence of light waves and sound waves, which echoes Om. This holy place is given the epitome of the heart of Indian philosophy, which reflects the glimpse of Indian civilization. Kalpavriksha is planted in the sediments of Mount Kailash. The south part of Mount Kailash is considered as sapphire, the east part is crystal, the west is ruby and the north is golden. According to mythological beliefs, this place is the city of Kubera. From here, the Ganges falls on the top of Mount Kailash, coming out of the karkamals of Mahavishnu, where Lord Shiva fills them in his locks and flows them in the form of a clean stream in the earth.
Mount Kailash is also mentioned in the Rigveda, one of the four Vedas of Hinduism. That is why it is a sacred place for Hindus. In Jainism, it is believed that the first Tirthankara Rishabhnath attained salvation from here. In Buddhist texts, it is described as the center of the universe. India and China had pulled out their troops from Demchok and Depsang as per an agreement signed in October last year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in the Russian city of Kazan after five years. The two countries then discussed the state of bilateral relations. After this, both countries decided to start Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and flights. Most of the area of Kailash Mansarovar is in Tibet and China has authority over Tibet. On May 20, 2013, India and China signed the first agreement to go to Kailash Mansarovar through Lipulekh pass. Then the Lipulekh Pass was opened for this journey. The second agreement was signed on September 18, 2014 on the route to Kailash Mansarovar via Nathula.
India and China completed 75 years of diplomatic relations this year. In the year 1950, the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and the then Chinese President Mao Zedong formally started political relations, but after the Chinese attack of 1962, the relations between the two countries remained cold. It is also true that China faced stiff resistance from India for the first time during the eastern Ladakh standoff, which it had not imagined. China has realised that India is now not only a major economic power, but its military power has also increased significantly. The tariffs being imposed by US President Donald Trump are creating new equations on the global scene. That is why China is now saying that India and China should cooperate with each other. The dragon and the elephant should dance together. Despite the complexity of the relationship, the two countries must come closer to each other to bring about an Asian era. In such a situation, there is a possibility that new economic equations will be created between the two countries.
If there is a war between India and Pakistan, then defense experts are not ruling out the possibility that China may be seen standing in Pakistan's side. The opinion of defense experts is pointing to the lack of trust in China. Now that China's new ambassador to India has talked about opening up China's markets more for Indian goods and services, China will have to assure India of cooperation by not standing in support of Pakistan. Global geopolitics is once again in a period of instability. In such a situation, it is necessary that the heat of India-China relations remains even further.