NEW DELHI, INDIA, May 21, 2008: The Chinese government is refusing to issue visas to Hindus trying to make the traditional summer pilgrimage to what they hold to be the home of Lord Shiva in Tibet, forcing thousands to delay or cancel the trip. Starting in June, Hindus from Nepal and India embark on a multi-week journey to the 22,000-foot Mount Kailash in the Himalayas and nearby Lake Mapam Yutso, known in India as Lake Mansarovar. The trip, a once-in-a-lifetime event for most who make it, includes treacherous off-road drives and several days of arduous trekking.
This year, though, the Chinese government is refusing to grant any visas for travel to the Tibetan sites from Nepal, tour operators in Nepal say. India’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the Chinese government had cited unspecified “domestic reasons.” At the same time, Beijing has retracted permission previously granted to Indian pilgrims who were planning to make the trip in early June (HPI note: via the extremely arduous route from India).
“I was planning for the last 10 years for this trip,” said Rajendra Goyal, 48, a Mumbai-based hardware trader whose trip has been canceled. Mr. Goyal said he was on a rigorous diet and exercise schedule for the last two months to make sure he was fit for the mountain hiking involved. “A pilgrim is a pilgrim, not an activist or a politician,” he said. “I am going there for religious faith, not to do any violence.”