Important and Interesting Places to visit at Kailash Manasarovar Yatra
Kailash Manasarovar Yatra is truly a divine, ultimate and ethereal experience for the blessed pilgrims!
Every year thousands of pilgrims make a pilgrimage embark on the most divine and enthralling experience of their life time- the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra. For centuries, several people have been following this tradition of visiting the holy place. It is a common belief among several religions that circumambulating Mount Kailash on foot is a holy ritual which will wash away the sins of a life time and will also bring good fortune. The circumambulation by Hindus and Buddhists is done in a clockwise direction while the followers of the Bon and Jain religions circumambulate the Kailash Mountain in an anti-clockwise direction.
According to the religious belief, the year of horse is considered to be the most sacred and right time to make the Mt.Kailash Manasarovar pilgrimage. This holy site is believed to have been initially opened in the year of horse (happens once in every twelve years) for pilgrims. 2014 is also the year of the horse and many pilgrims are expected to visit this holy place.
Mount Kailash
Mount Kailash is a peak situated on the Gangdise Mountains which is a part of the Himalayas in Tibet. The mountain is located near the source of some of the largest rivers in Asia which include the Indus, Sutlej which is a prime tributary of the Indus, Brahmaputra and the Karnali River (which is a tributary of the Ganges River). The mountain is nestled between the two lakes Lake Rakshas Tal and Lake Mansarovar in Tibet. Mount Kailash is considered to be the most venerated revered as a sacred mountain by a number of faiths and cults like Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Bon. The Hindus consider it as the abode of Lord Shiva, because its unusual contours of black granite looks like a Shivalinga. It is also considered as the ultimate destination of the holy centre and the souls of the world. The Tibetan Buddhists consider Mount Kailash to be the abode of the Buddha Demchok who is the symbol of supreme harmony. According to Jainism it is the place where the creator of their religion Rishabhadeva attained salvation. The Bons consider it as the abode of the sky goddess Sipaimen.
According to the Puranas the four faces of the mountain are believed to be made of precious stones: crystal, gold, ruby and lapis lazuli.
Many monk, yogis, monks and pilgrims from across the globe have undergone severe hardships to reach this abode of gods. In Hinduism a pilgrimage to Kailash is considered as the ultimate Yatra and the road to heaven. Climbing up the Mount Kailash is not allowed. Milarepa, a Tibetan Buddhist yogi who belonged to 11th century is the only person to have ever scaled the sacred mountain.
Kailash Parikrama
The most difficult part of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is the Kailash. The pilgrims show reverence to the mountain by circumambulating it as it is believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva and Parvati.
The path around Mount Kailash is 52 km or 32 miles long and the walk (circumambulation) around the mountain is known Kora or Parikrama. It takes normally three days and includes difficult tasks which include scaling trails that are steep, trekking rough terrain, cross beautiful streams, to jump from one boulder to another boulder and traversing a pass situated at an altitude of 19,200 feet. The Parikrama might take more days depending on the tempo of the pilgrim’s movement. It is believed that he who completes 108 such Parikramas is assured enlightenment.
Yam Dwar
The Yam Dwar which means the “gateway of the God of Death Yama” is situated in Tarboche which is approximately 30 minutes drive from Darchen. It is also known as Shorten Kang Nye meaning two legged Stupa in Tibet and marks the initial point of circumambulation of Mount Kailash.
Ashtapad
Ashtapad in Sanskrit means Eight steps where Ashta means ‘Eight’ and Pada means ‘Steps’. It is situated at the bottom of Mount Kailash at a height of 17000 ft. The Ashtapad is considered as a holy place by the Hindus and Buddhists. It is equally revered by the Jains as it is the place where “Shri Adinath Bhagwan” the first of the 24 Jain Tirthankara had attained Nirvana or salvation at this place.
Lake Mansarovar
The sacred lake of Mansarovar or Mapham Yutso( Tibetan name) creates an enchanting and beautiful backdrop to Mount Kailash with its crystal clear blue water near the shores and a deep emerald green colour at the center. It spans an area of 350 sq km and is situated at an altitude of 4556 meters. This beautiful lake of the Gods is considered to be the highest fresh water lake in the world and the lake is 300 feet deep. In the northern side of the Lake Mansarovar lies Mount Kailash and in the southern side lies the mountain Gurla Mandhata. The Rakshas Tal lies in the western side of the lake. According to Hinduism this beautiful lake got its name Mansarovar (Manas-mind, Sarovar-Lake) as it is believed to have originated in the mind of Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe. It is also believed to be haven of the celestial swan or Hamsa considered wise and sacred. The lake has a great significance for the Buddhists as they consider it to be the place where Queen Maya conceived Lord Buddha. It is also believed that Lord Buddha meditated near this lake. There are many monasteries situated near the lake. The most prominent is the Chiu Gompa Monastery. Pilgrims come to take ceremonial bath in the lake. The devotees believe that those who take a holy dip in this lake will be purified from all sins committed over even a hundred lifetimes.
Gauri Kund
Gauri Kund also known as the Lake of Compassion is another major place to visit at Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. This holy place is associated with a number of legendary tales and mythological stories. In the steep descent of the Dolma Pass lies this wonderful lake at an altitude of 5608 meters. In Shiva Puran, Gauri Kund is popularly known as Parvati Sarovar as it is the place where Goddess Parvati gave birth to her son Ganesha. One day Parvati was taking bath in the Kund and had asked Ganesha to guard the entrance and not let anyone inside. But, when Shiva came to the place to meet Parvati, Ganesha stopped him at the door as per his mother’s instructions. Lord Shiva angered by this severed Ganesha’s head. Parvati was heartbroken and insisted that Ganesha be brought back to existence. Lord Shiva sent his army and found the head of an elephant which was then placed on the severed portion. Thus, Ganesha was revived and Goddess Parvati got back her beloved son. The reflection of the Chhota Kailash peak falls on the surface of this lake.
Rakshas Tal
Near the west of Lake Mansarovar and Mount Kailash lies the Lake Rakshas Tal and is connected with Lake Mansarovar by Ganga Chhu a natural channel. The total area of the lake is 70 sq km and it is located at an altitude of 4,752 meters. From the north-western tip of the lake originates the River Sutlej. Rakshas Tal or the ‘lake of the rakshasa’ is also believed to be the abode of the ten-headed demon king of Lanka, Ravana. Lake Mansarovar is round in shape and in Buddhism it is considered as the symbol of brightness while the crescent shaped Lake Rakshas Tal is associated with darkness. In sharp contrast to the fresh water Lake Mansarovar, the water of Lake Rakshas Tal is salty. It is strictly not allowed to take a dip or drink the water of Lake Rakshas Tal as it does not nurture any fish or aquatic plants and is considered as toxic by the local Tibetan dwellers. It includes four islands namely: Dosharba, the Dola, Lachato and Topserma or Dose. The local inhabitants visit the island only during the winter season and mainly use it as winter pastures for yaks.
