For 68-year-olds Jayanthi Gopinath and Rajshri Sheshnag, the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra is a dream come true. The Bengaluru-based twins had prepared for this day for months in advance, walking six kilometres everyday with a backpack weighing five kilograms. Their children also made sure that they regularly practised pranayama. “We kept giving them a pep talk all the time, telling them they can do it,” said Punitha, Jayanthi’s daughter. Punitha’s mother-in-law Lalithamma is the oldest member in the group. She is 69, and ecstatic that she is able to visit Mount Kailash at an advanced age. This week, not just the twins, but their children, nephew and the children’s spouses also accompanied them for one of the most important, arduous and challenging religious pilgrimages for the Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. Due to high altitude, rugged and harsh terrain and unpredictable weather, the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra is a test of the physical, mental and emotional strength of the devotees.“Age is just a number. The challenges are in the head. Once you prepare yourself well physically and mentally for the journey, you can undertake it. For six years, we have been dreaming of this moment,” said Lalithamma, Jayanthi and Rajshri. Their children beamed with joy, standing beside them.Mount Kailash is located in the Tibet Autonomous Region’s Ngari Prefecture in China, and rises over 21,778 feet above sea level. Its parikrama or circumambulation is considered sacred in several religions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Bon religion. It begins from Darchen, which is situated at a height of 15,338 feet. The entire circuit takes around two to three days for completion, with the highest point being the Dolma La Pass. It is situated at 18,471 feet. The tourists need to undergo prior physical tests and gradual acclimatisation. There are three primary routes for this yatra — through Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, the Nathu La Pass in Sikkim and the Kathmandu route that also offers a quick helicopter ride to Hilsa. Tibet is known as the rooftop of the world.Over 24,000 pilgrimsJayanthi, Rajshri, and their six family members are some among close to 24,000 pilgrims who have visited Mount Kailash since May this year. The pilgrimage season will continue till September 2026. The numbers are up from 20,750 last year, when the pilgrimage was reopened for Indian devotees after a gap of five years following the Galwan clashes.While the Indian government draws a lottery for selecting the devotees to travel for Kailash Manasarovar, the numbers are heavily tilted towards the ones submitted by private tour operators. Take the example of the ongoing pilgrimage season. Of the 24,000 pilgrims who have visited Mount Kailash so far, 23,000 have been brought by the private tour operators, the Chinese government said.“This is a special year for the Chinese and Tibetan devotees. It is the year of horse and fire. It comes only once in 12 years. We opened the Hilsa border for pilgrimage for the Indians only last year, since the Covid period. Last year, through the entire season, we had 16,000 devotees from this route. But this year, the season has begun earlier. So, 12,000 devotees have come from Hilsa in the two months of May and June this year,” said Tsetan Namgyal, a tour guide since 2009.