MOUNT KAILASH – TIBET NGARI REGION

Mount Kailash, (Sanskrit – Kailasa, from kelasa meaning ‘crystal’) or Gang Rinpoche (Tibetan – Gang meaning “Snow Peak”, Rinpoche meaning “Precious One”), is the world’s most revered holy site and is situated in the remote Ngari region in western Tibet.
A huge mountain of unique black rock, it towers at a height of approximately 22,000 feet. The weather conditions and terrain make it a treacherous journey for many and not easily accessible.

The mountain lies near the source of the longest Asian rivers, Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra and Ghaghara (tributary of the Ganges).

Mount Kailash is a place of sanctity of four religions, deeply revered by the Bonpos,(considered to be the indigenous people of Tibet), the Buddhists, the Hindus and the Jains.
Looked upon as the Axis Mundi of the world by the Bonpos, the origins of its sanctity, reverence and legends goes way back in time, perhaps to the beginning.

The Tibetan Buddhists call it Kangri Rinpoche, meaning “Precious Snow Mountain” and consider it to be the navel of the Universe. The Bonpos revere it as the “Nine-Story Swastika Mountain” and consider it to be the abode of the sky goddess Sipaimen. For the Hindus, Mount Kailash is the abode of Lord Shiva and symbolizes the primordial sound “OM”. For the Jains it is known as Mount Meru, where the first Tirthankara (spiritual teacher of the Dharma, (righteous path)), Rishabanatha, attained enlightenment.

There are many legends associated with the mountain.
The common belief in all these religions is that circumambulating Mount Kailash is a holy ritual of reverence and that setting foot on the mountain is a dire sin.
The Hindus and Buddhists circumambulate in a clockwise direction, while the Jains and Bonpos circumambulate in an anti-clockwise direction. The Bonpos prostrate full length on the ground and keep repeating this process, beginning each time from where their fingers are marked on the ground. This way of circumambulation takes approximately four weeks or more, requiring great physical endurance.

The outer kora (circumambulation) path is approximately 52 km long and, for the average person walking and climbing or riding a pony, it is normally done in 3 days.
One needs to first acclimatize to the high altitude gradually, by staying overnight at various stops, or else altitude sickness may prevail. The weather conditions are unpredictable, so one should be well prepared.
The actual trek around the mountain begins and ends at Darchen. The first day of the trek starts at 15,000 ft. from Yama Dwar, the doorway, at Tarboche. This takes approximately 5-6 hours, and ends at the base camp Dirapuk at approximately 16,000 ft. The second day of the trek, taking approximately 7 to 9 hours, is the most difficult and involves a tedious climb to Dolma La Pass at approximately 19,000 ft. Then a steep descent and further trekking ends at Zuthulphuk base camp at 15600 ft. On the 3rd and final day, depending on the weather conditions, the trek may be fairly simple, with not much climbing, taking approximately 2-3 hrs and arriving back at Darchen.

There is also an inner kora (circumambulation). Known to be an extremely difficult trek, here, one is able to perform the Nandi parikrama and see the Saptarishi Caves. Legend has it that one has to complete 13 of the outer kora in order to do the inner kora, or one can do it in the year of the Horse (occurring once in 12 years).

LAKE MANASAROVAR – TIBET

On the southern side of Mount Kailash lies two lakes, Manasarovar and Rakshastal, the former representing brightness, the latter representing darkness. The two lakes are connected by a short river Ganga Chhu. According to legend, the Rishis created this to allow the pure waters from Manasarovar to flow into Rakshastal in order to to purify it.

Lake Manasarovar, considered to be one of the highest freshwater lakes in the world, is at an altitude of 14,950 ft above sea level, in the Tibetan plateau.
From the Sanskrit – Manas meaning “mind” and Sarovar meaning “lake”, the Hindu legend states that the lake was first created in the mind of Lord Brahma before manifesting on earth.

It is a place of pilgrimage, like Mount Kailash, and is highly revered by the Buddhists, the Bonpos, Hindus and Jains. They worship it by bathing in it, drinking its waters and circumambulating the lake, in the belief that it will purify one’s sins.

According to Buddhist legend, Lake Manasarovar was identical to Anotatta Lake. This was the lake that appeared in the Buddha’s mother’s dream, where she saw herself bathing in its sacred waters. In the ‘Life of Buddha’, the legend says, “…The same hour that spring was born, a dream came to Maya as she slept. She saw a young elephant descending from the sky. It had six great tusks; it was as white as the snow on mountain-tops. Maya saw it enter her womb, and thousands of Gods suddenly appeared before her...”. This was the time when she conceived the Buddha.

At one time, there existed eight Buddhist monasteries around Lake Manasarovar, symbolizing the Wheel of Life. The custom was to circumambulate the lake by stopping at each monastery along the way. Now most of those monasteries do not exist. At present, only Chiu Gompa survives, but the worship and circumambulation continues, nonetheless.

Many strange sightings have been known to occur at the lake, especially in the midst of the night or the early morning hours, when mystical lights appear. On full moon days, especially the days of Buddha Purnima, Guru Purnima and Kartik Purnima, the presence of the holiest of souls is felt.

A journey to Lake Manasarovar and Mount Kailash is a journey of a lifetime.