The annual Kailash Mansarovar yatra, which involves circumambulation of Mount Kailash and Manasarovar Lake in Tibet, will commence on June one. The yatra will be completed in 26 days, of which 13 days would be spent in Tibet, the epicenter of recent anti-China demonstrations.

The pilgrimage is considered extremely "arduous" and involves trekking at altitudes up to 19,500 feet, under inhospitable conditions.

"The yatra will commence on June one with around 16 batches of pilgrims and the last batch would be back in the capital by September 24", said an ITBP official whose force escorts the pilgrims ever year.

Each pilgrim batch would roughly comprise 40-45 devotees.

"The exact number of devotees in a batch is finalised just few days before the start of the yatra from Delhi. Some may not turn up at the last moment", officials told reporters.

Personnel of the mountain-trained ITBP would assist the yatra by providing telecommunication services through satellite phones; high altitude medical check-up and an overall security cover to the devotees of the yatra, a senior ITBP official at the Force Headquarters here, said.

"Apart from these duties, we also will be carrying out evacuation operations in case of emergencies", he added.

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