Nepal lodges protest against India over long-running border dispute

play Live Sign upShow navigation menu.css-15ru6p1{font-size:inherit;font-weight:normal;}Navigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle EastExplainedOpinionSportVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomyHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNavigation menucaret-leftTrendingUS-Israel war on IranTracking Israel's ceasefire violationsDonald TrumpRussia-Ukraine warcaret-rightNews|Border DisputesNepal lodges protest against India over long-running border disputeNepal complains after India and China agree to resume a religious pilgrimage through a contested Himalayan pass. xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoBecause of high altitudes in the Himalayas, difficult terrain and often poor weather, the Kailash Manasarovar pilgrimage if one of the most challenging in the world [File: Purnima Shrestha/Reuters]By Adam Hancock and AnadoluPublished On 4 May 20264 May 2026A long-running border dispute between Nepal and India has flared up after New Delhi announced the resumption of a religious pilgrimage through a contested Himalayan pass. Kathmandu’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs lodged a protest against India on Sunday, criticising New Delhi for resuming the pilgrimage. The Lipulekh Pass, which sits where Nepal meets India and Tibet is claimed by Nepal based on the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli, which it entered into with India’s British colonial rulers to define its western border. In its complaint, the ministry stressed that the territories of Limpiadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani are part of Nepal, “a position on which the government remains clear and firm”. India’s Ministry of External Affairs responded by asserting that Lipulekh has been used by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Bon followers for the Kailash Manasarovar pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in Tibet since 1954. “This is not a new development,” a spokesman said. “India has consistently maintained that such claims are neither justified nor based on historical facts and evidence. Such unilateral artificial enlargement of territorial claims is untenable.” The dispute reignited when India announced on Thursday that it had agreed with China that the pilgrimage via Lipulekh would resume. It was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the plan, 500 Hindu pilgrims will travel through the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand to cross into China at the Lipulekh Pass. Others will use a separate route through the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim. Advertisement AboutAboutShow moreAbout UsCode of EthicsTerms and ConditionsEU/EEA Regulatory NoticePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie PreferencesAccessibility StatementSitemapWork for usConnectConnectShow moreContact UsUser Accounts HelpAdvertise with usStay ConnectedNewslettersChannel FinderTV SchedulePodcastsSubmit a TipPaid Partner ContentOur ChannelsOur ChannelsShow moreAl Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishAl Jazeera Investigative UnitAl Jazeera MubasherAl Jazeera DocumentaryAl Jazeera BalkansAJ+Our NetworkOur NetworkShow moreAl Jazeera Centre for StudiesAl Jazeera Media InstituteLearn ArabicAl Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human RightsAl Jazeera ForumAl Jazeera Hotel PartnersFollow Al Jazeera English: