Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is beginning today with the departure of first batch from New Delhi. External Affairs sources said, sixteen batches comprising maximum of 60 pilgrims are slated to go on the pilgrimage this year. <br/><br/>The Yatra is likely to continue till the end of September. The last batch is to depart in the end of August or beginning of September. AIR correspondent reports, the Yatra includes visit to Mount Kailash in China, the abode of Lord Shiva, and Mansarovar Lake. <br/><br/>This Yatra is extremely arduous involving trekking at high altitudes up to 19,500 feet. According to Hindu scriptures, those who take a dip in the Mansarovar and complete the parikrama around Mount Kailash are absolved of their sins and are liberated from the cycle of birth and death. <br/> <br/>