Mount Kailash pilgrimage delayed

New Delhi: China is delaying an annual Hindu pilgrimage to a mountainside shrine in Tibet by three weeks, the foreign ministry said yesterday.

China gave no specific reasons for the delay, saying only that "on account of domestic reasons, they would not be in a position to receive pilgrims before June 21," the ministry, which organises the trips, said in a statement.

One reason for the delay could be the Olympic torch relay, which is scheduled to reach the Tibetan capital of Lhasa on June 20.

Tibetan activist groups had, earlier this month, taken strong objection to the torch's journey to Mount Everest. Security for the event was tight, with all of Tibet sealed off to foreigners since anti-government riots broke out on March 14 in Lhasa.

Expeditions to Everest from the Nepal side were suspended as authorities sought to head off any of the protests that have periodically plagued the flame on its round-the-world relay ahead of the games' August 8 start.

Each year, about 1,000 pilgrims trek across the Himalayas and into Tibet - crossing passes up to 5,940 metres high - to visit the revered Hindu shrine of Kailash Mansarovar. Mount Kailash, where the shrine is located, is believed to be the home of the Hindu deity Shiva.

This year's pilgrimage, originally scheduled to begin in late May, will now begin in mid-June, the foreign ministry said. There was no immediate comment from Beijing.

Apart from Hindus, Mount Kailash is also considered holy to Tibetan Buddhists, Indian Jains and the Bon, who follow a religion that predates the arrival of Buddhism in Tibet.

Official sources said the government had known about the possibility of China not allowing foreigners in Tibet during the Olympic torch relay as early as March but had hoped to convince the Chinese authorities to change their mind. Serious negotiations to allow Indian pilgrims began about two weeks ago but the request was turned down.

Surprisingly, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on May 7 that the pilgrimage would go on "as scheduled" from June 1. The "government has begun preparations for this year's Yatra (journey) along with China", it said.

The pilgrims are now slated to start their journey on June 13.