The resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra this July after a long hiatus marks not just a spiritual milestone, but a civil engineering triumph. For those unfamiliar with it, this pilgrimage is no ordinary journey. It tests faith, endurance, altitude tolerance, and even geopolitical patience. The route leads Indian pilgrims to Mount Kailash in Tibet, one of the most sacred peaks for Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Bon followers.
With the yatra now resuming via a road-based corridor, it becomes necessary to acknowledge not just the cultural and spiritual significance of this journey, but the strategic transformation made possible by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). This ancient trail, once an inaccessible footpath, now reflects India’s commitment to infrastructure, integration, and identity. It begins in the heart of a region where borders blur and heritage binds, where faith and geography together shape the identity of people – Connecting Places, Connecting People.
The Journey Begins: Dharchula – The Gateway to Faith
The spiritual trail to Kailash officially begins at Dharchula, a border town in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district. Dharchula in India and its twin town Darchula across the Mahakali River in Nepal are divided by a political boundary but united by shared language, ancestry, and festivals. Families span both sides of the border; Intermarriages are common. Markets, festivals, and languages flow freely between the two bounded by unbroken traditions. The old Sitapul Bridge continues to stand as a symbol of unity, heritage, and resilience.
Festivals like Diwali, Holi, Budhi Diwali, and the deeply spiritual Jagar ceremonies are celebrated on both sides in perfect synchrony. The Mahakali River, instead of dividing people, becomes a connector of communities and collective faith. The town also serves as a gateway to both pilgrimage and high-altitude commerce. Local marketplaces brim with Indo-Nepalese cultural exchange, and many locals have families on both sides of the border. It reflects how boundaries on a map fail to divide the collective soul of the people who have long shared customs, livelihoods, and identity.
In a world often divided by lines on maps, Dharchula and Darchula offer a lesson in unity. This region—anchored by the wisdom of the mountains, sustained by its people, and revitalized through projects like the BRO’s road to Kailash—is not just a location. It is a living testament to harmony, heritage, and hope.
Vyans Valley: Where Mythology Breathes
As the journey proceeds, the yatra enters the Vyans Valley, a stunning confluence of natural beauty, ancient legend, and living tradition. According to Hindu mythology, this valley derives its name from Maharishi Vyas, the sage who composed the Mahabharata and is believed to have meditated in these very mountains. Today, the valley remains sacred to Hindus, Buddhists, and indigenous communities alike. It is not just a route to Kailash—it is a living bridge between myth and modernity, between faith and frontier.
The Rang Community: Custodians of the Mountain Corridor
At the core of this region’s human fabric lies the Rang (or Rung) community, an Indo-Tibetan ethnic group historically engaged in trade with Tibet. Before the 1962 Indo-China conflict, they regularly traversed the Lipulekh Pass to trade wool, silk, grains, salt, rare medicinal herbs and traditional goods. Their connection to villages such as Gunji, Kuti, Nabi, and Garbyang is not just ancestral—it is spiritual and functional. These communities lived in synchronization with nature and the seasons. Their livelihoods revolved around trade, agriculture, and livestock rearing. The names of villages became part of surnames—Garbiyal from Garbyang, Kutiyal from Kuti, Napalchiyal from Napalchu—creating a deep identity rooted in geography.
Even today, despite modern education and service in the Indian Administrative Services, the Rang people continue to support the Kailash Yatra. They serve as porters, muleteers, guides, and logistic coordinators, blending modernity with age-old mountain knowledge.
Gunji: Scenic, Sacred and Strategic
Gunji, situated at an altitude of over 3,200 metres, is both a logistical pivot and a spiritual waypoint. It serves as the primary acclimatization base for pilgrims due to the rapid ascent in elevation beyond this point till Lipulekh pass. Strategically, it is where the route splits: one arm heading toward Lipulekh and Kailash, the other toward Adi Kailash at Jollingkong.
Gunji’s importance is multi-fold. It offers awe-inspiring views of the Annapurna range and provides essential resting points for BRO personnel, defence forces, and pilgrims. The village itself has now developed basic infrastructure including helipads, rest houses, and medical aid points.
Before the construction of the road, Gunji was air-maintained. Helicopters were the only means of transporting rations, fuel, medical supplies, and spare parts. This dependence added considerable pressure on operations, especially during emergencies or adverse weather.
Kalapani, Om Parvat & the Sacred Geography
Beyond Gunji lies Kalapani, an area of spiritual, strategic, and geopolitical importance. Historically, it has served as a vital point on the Kailash route. Among the region’s most revered landmarks is Om Parvat, a natural wonder where snow deposits form the divine ‘ॐ’ symbol. Revered by Hindus, this mountain peak attracts pilgrims who pause for worship and reflection. It is often considered a divine sign, reaffirming their purpose and spiritual resolve. Kalapani is not just a point on the map but a landscape where devotion, diplomacy, and national duty converge.
The Traditional Yatra: A Gruelling Expedition
Traditionally, the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra was a physically demanding journey that unfolded in multiple challenging stages. Pilgrims would first travel approximately 490 kilometres by road from Delhi to Pithoragarh, navigating through the heart of Uttarakhand. From there, a further 130-kilometre drive via Dharchula would bring them to Ghatiabagarh — the last motorable point before the trek began. What followed was a strenuous 5-7 days high-altitude trek of 80 kms from Ghatiabagarh to Lipulekh, passing through remote and rugged terrain including Gunji. After reaching Lipulekh Pass, pilgrims had to undertake a 5-kilometre cross-border walk into Tibet (China), from where they would continue with a 97-kilometre vehicle journey to reach the vicinity of Mount Kailash.
The spiritual highlight of the pilgrimage was the 43-kilometre parikrama (circumambulation) around the sacred mountain, performed entirely on foot at altitudes exceeding 15,000 feet. Despite the formidable physical strain, this route was followed by thousands of pilgrims each year, driven by unshakable faith and devotion. Despite the dangers, thousands of pilgrims, many elderly, undertook this yatra annually. Their devotion showcased not only faith but also resilience and spiritual discipline.
BRO role as Connecting Places, Connecting People
Before 2018, the Kailash Mansarovar route was not just a logistical challenge—it was a strategic vulnerability of national concern. Located at the critical tri-junction of India, Nepal, and China, the region lacked reliable connectivity, severely restricting both civilian and military mobility. This limited access had far-reaching implications: it hampered border patrols, delayed infrastructure response during emergencies, and compromised defence logistics vital to securing India’s frontiers.
At the same time, the route held immense cultural and spiritual importance, being the sacred path to one of the holiest pilgrimage sites for Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Bon followers. Yet, despite the harsh conditions and high altitude, thousands of Indian pilgrims—many of them elderly—braved the elements each year, driven solely by their faith and devotion. Their perseverance underscored the urgent need for a permanent, safe, and accessible road network—something that BRO eventually undertook with resolute focus.
Recognising the formidable challenges faced by pilgrims and the strategic significance of the region, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) undertook the responsibility of transforming this treacherous trek into a motorable corridor. The task was not merely about building a road—it was about enabling access, enhancing safety, and asserting India’s infrastructural presence in one of its most sensitive frontiers.
As the then Director General Border Roads (DGBR), Project Hirak was the first field project I personally visited within 24 days of taking over my appointment. That visit marked the beginning of a deep engagement with the region and a mission I took up with both strategic intent and personal commitment. In the months that followed, I undertook multiple on-ground visits to key locations—Munshiyari, Gunji, Jollingkong, and Lipulekh—to assess the terrain, oversee progress, and drive critical decision-making directly from the field. These were critical operational reviews in some of the toughest terrains, conducted to ensure that work progresses at the speed and quality such a mission demanded.
BRO commenced the systematic development of road infrastructure in the area. This involved cutting through vertical cliffs of hard rock, stabilizing glacial moraines, addressing limited working windows, and coordinating across multiple agencies for logistics, permissions, and stakeholder support. The goal was not simply to lay road, but to build an all-weather, high-altitude access route that could safely carry not only pilgrims but also border forces and essential supplies.
The stretch from Ghatiabagarh to Lipulekh approximately 80 kilometres, was a completely undeveloped route with an altitude rise from 6000 feet to 17,060 feet. BRO had to carve an entire corridor through mountains where there was no existing road, only treacherous footpaths.
The challenge faced by the BRO laid in the sheer remoteness and complexity of the route’s topography. The journey from Tanakpur to Dharchula traversed from the plains into the lower Himalayan foothills, with narrow roads frequently impacted by landslides and erosion. From Dharchula to Ghatiabagarh, the road continued but marked the last motorable point. Beyond Ghatiabagarh lay an entirely trek-only region, accessible only on foot until the BRO’s intervention. This stretch passed through critical yet remote points such as Budhi, Gunji (which served as the primary logistics, supply, and medical base), and onward to Kalapani, Nabhidang, and the Lipulekh Pass—the gateway into Tibet. Another strategic offshoot led from Gunji to Jollingkong, forming the route to Adi Kailash, the Indian-side counterpart of Mount Kailash. While these names are now part of common strategic and infrastructural vocabulary, they were once isolated and largely inaccessible Himalayan outposts, barely known outside defence or pilgrimage circles.
The Terrain: An Engineer’s Nightmare
The route from Tanakpur to Dharchula spans narrow, landslide-prone mountain roads. From Dharchula to Ghatiabagarh is the final segment that was previously motorable. Beyond Ghatiabagarh, the terrain is some of the harshest on the subcontinent—steep ascents, glacial streams, moraine fields, and unstable cliffs.
These were not mere engineering obstacles—they were life-threatening zones for workers and pilgrims alike. Creating a motorable road meant battling geological, meteorological, and logistical enemies simultaneously.
Engineering Under Extreme Conditions
The challenges were enormous. BRO had to cut through vertical rock walls with compressive strength above 100 MPa. The route had gradients as steep as 2,000 feet over short distances. Seasonal nallas (streams) carried glacial debris, and landslides were frequent. In many places, the slope was so fragile that even placing equipment risked collapse.
With only a 2-3 month window available for construction due to snow and monsoons, each hour was valuable. Yet, safety could not be compromised.
Multiple Attack Points: Operational Necessity
In road engineering, an “attack point” refers to a location from which construction activities (like excavation, formation cutting, and paving) can begin and be extended forward or backward. The fewer the attack points, the slower and more difficult the progress, especially in hostile terrain. Only two attack points—Ghatiabagarh and Gunji—were available for launching operations. Gunji, being air-maintained, added more complexity. Helicopters carried everything: people, cement, food, fuel, and communication devices. Any failure at one end could halt progress across the corridor.
To deal with this, we introduced cross-country movement of light vehicles, modular tools, and fly-in construction crews to create multiple attack points. Temporary helipads were built to allow strategic drops and quick personnel movement.
Logistics: The Backbone of Progress
In such unforgiving terrain, logistics becomes not just a support function—it becomes the lifeline of the entire operation. The supply chain stretched from Tanakpur to Pithoragarh (150 km), then to Dharchula (90 km), and onward to Gunji (60 km) before reaching the final outposts of Lipulekh and Adi Kailash (30-35 km). This entire 300+ km corridor passed through high-altitude, landslide-prone, and narrow roads, making transportation of materials and personnel extremely difficult. With no road connectivity in upper reaches until recent years, locations like Gunji and Lipulekh were entirely air-maintained, relying on helicopters for the delivery of critical supplies such as fuel, rations, construction materials, equipment spares, and even medical support for casualty evacuation. BRO had to manage long, fragile supply lines in an environment with a narrow construction window of only 2–3 months per year. This demanded rigorous planning, advanced stocking, precise inventory control, and real-time logistical coordination. The use of modular loads, sling-based airlifting, and optimal turnaround strategies enabled continuous progress in an otherwise inaccessible zone. The slide underlines the fact that successful road construction in such extreme conditions was made possible not just by engineering expertise but also by meticulously executed logistics—one of BRO’s most formidable achievements in the region.
Integrated Strategic Actions by BRO
BRO responded to each terrain challenge with focused solutions. In rocky zones, we used state-of-the-art equipment for safe blasting. For steep slopes, we adopted single-lane designs with safety buffers. With limited attack points, we enabled cross-country mobility using modular, lightweight machinery.
Administration was streamlined. Stakeholder management involved continuous liaison with local civil bodies, defence establishments, and religious organisations. Working plans were drawn in weekly cycles. Weather reports were monitored daily. This precision ensured smooth progress.
Gunji: From Outpost to Operational Hub
Gunji’s transformation has been a major success. What was once a remote, air-maintained detachment is now a functional node with road connectivity, supply storage, and defence capability. It supports pilgrim flow, border operations, and emergency services.
This milestone demonstrates the strength of coordinated, mission-driven infrastructure planning in high-altitude border zones.
A Sacred Road, A Strategic Resolve
Today, the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is not just a test of faith—it is a celebration of engineering, cutting edge leadership, and national determination. Where once a seven day trek through glacial cliffs was the only option, there now stands a road—a road that connects not only places but also generations, beliefs, and aspirations. Thanks to BRO’s perseverance for creating a road-based spiritual corridor — accessible, safe, and efficient to take the first batch of pilgrims on wheels through Lipulekh to Kailash – the sacred abode of Lord Shiva, holy centre of the planet and manifestation of heaven.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry (Retd), Former DGBR, doubled the pace of work to meet stringent targets post Galwan clash and ensured desired dignity, social security and visibility to the unsung BRO Karmyogis.
