Pilgrimage & Power: Can India Match China at the Roof of the World?

In this week’s Defence Mantra, Nitin Gokhale narrates his recently completed Kailash Mansarovar Yatra experience and how it serves not just as a spiritual odyssey but also illustrates India’s opportunity to deploy infrastructure as a strategic instrument.

As the 2025 Yatra resumes via Lipulekh and Nathu La routes, it underscores more than religious revival—it signals India’s intent to assert influence along high‑altitude borders.

India is fast-tracking construction of all‑weather roads from Pithoragarh to Lipulekh, with BRO-led paving of the final 80 km stretch and plans for an 80‑km two‑lane highway near the border to ensure uninterrupted access—even in emergencies.

Strategically, these routes extend India’s reach and support rapid deployment capabilities, aligning with broader border infrastructure goals such as the India–China Border Roads and Project Shivalik in Uttarakhand.

The Kailash Yatra thus doubles as soft‑power projection and a strategic footprint in a disputed frontier region.

Nitin reflects that while the spiritual journey endures, the material reality must now match China’s by scaling up roads, tunnels, medical stations, and digital connectivity. India should continue investing in border infrastructure, combining pilgrim facilitation with national security and regional development imperatives.