Nepal has lodged a formal protest against India’s announcement to resume a pilgrimage route through the disputed Lipulekh pass in the Himalayas. The Indian government said on Thursday that pilgrimages to Tibet’s Kailash Mansarovar would restart this year via the Lipulekh corridor, which connects India, China, and Nepal. The route had been closed since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement issued Sunday, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserted that the Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani regions fall within Nepal’s territory under the 1816 Sugauli Treaty signed with the British colonial rulers. Kathmandu expressed strong objection to India’s decision, calling it a violation of Nepal’s sovereignty.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs responded that the Lipulekh route has been used by Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Bon pilgrims since 1954 and dismissed Nepal’s claim as baseless and historically unfounded. According to India’s plan, 500 Hindu pilgrims will travel through Uttarakhand to Tibet this year, while others will use a separate route via Sikkim.