In one of the highest and most desolate places on earth, where the sky meets the earth - rises a sublime snow-clad pyramid of rock, formed 30 million years ago. Symmetrical and dome-shaped, the peak of Mt. Kailash towers more than 6750 m above the South-western part of the great plateau of Tibet, a striated pyramid with a diagonal gash on one of its faces.

Kailash is a rather small member of the Himalayas. They are the youngest of the earth's visible mountains, growing at the rate of several centimeters every year, as India, the sub-continent and former island moves inexorably inland. The name of this stupendous range stems from Himavat, the father of Lord Shiva's bride, Parvati. The Himalayas or abodes of snow are considered the mystical dwellings of Gods from ancient times. Ancient texts such as the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Puranas and the Vedas, all sing in unison of the glory and wonder of the Himalayas. The Ramayana says, "There is no mountain like Himachal, for in it are Kailash and Mansarovar. As the dew is dried up by the morning sun, so are the sins of mankind by the sight of Himachal."

Significance
Hindu mythology recognises Mt. Kailash as the only abode of the gods that can be visited by man in his mortal body. It is the earthly manifestation of Mt. Meru, the great mountain at the centre of the universe around which the whole creation revolves. While Brahma resides in Brahma Lok and Vishnu in Vaikunth, Shiva resides on Mount Kailash in a state of perpetual meditation, generating the spiritual force that sustains the cosmos. According to the Ram Charitra Manas, it was here that Shiva related the story of Ramayana to Parvati. Mount Kailash is also the residence of Kubera, God of Wealth. It is believed that Ganesha and Karthikeya both came into being on the Mandhata Mountain here. The offspring of Shiva and Parvati, along with other saintly and accomplished beings, able to grant the wishes of those living below, reside in these supreme mountains.

For the older, more ancient Tibetan religion of Bon this 'Nine-storey Swastika Mountain' is the mystic 'soul' of the entire region and is so named because the Gurla Mandhata range, south of Kailash, when viewed from above appears in the form of a massive swastika. Kailash is where the founder of the Bon religion, Shanrab, is said to have descended from heaven.

Tibetans have given the perennially snow-capped Kailash the dignified title of 'Kang Rimpoche', meaning precious jewel of snow and Mansarovar 'Mapham Tso', meaning unconquerable lake. The name records a magical contest between the Tibetan poet and mystic Milarepa, who wrote a hundred thousand poems on Buddhism, and the Bon priest Naro Bhun Chon, which occurred here in the tenth century. The tussles are marked in numerous sites around the region. Buddhists believe that Milarepa is the only person to have stood on its peak, a feat he accomplished by flying there. Mt. Kailash is the mythic palace of Demchok, the powerful Tibetan tutelary deity who 'tears asunder the elephant-hide of ignorance' and his consort Dorje Phagmo. The two symbolize compassion and wisdom, making Kailash and Mansarovar the perfect complement, father and mother of the earth.

The descent of the Bodhisattva into his last life is connected with Lake Mansarovar. The Jain religion considers Kailash the Mount Ashtapada where Rishabanatha, the first Tirthankar, attained spiritual liberation. It is believed that a stream from Kailash pours into a nearby lake, and as a result, four rivers flow in the cardinal directions - the Indus flows to the north, Yarlung Tsangpo or Brahmaputra to the east, Karnali, which feeds into the Ganges, in the south and Sutlej to the west. However, it is quite likely that during the geological shift in the initial stages of the formation of the Himalayan mountain chain, these four rivers arose from the area, flowing in four different directions.

Kailash - A Celestial Mountain
Kailash rises in the Nagri region of Autonomous Tibet. Standing all alone in all its glory with no other Himalayan peak near it, Mt. Kailash is one of the most isolated places on the planet, where the empty plains are crossed only by the wind or a few small bands of nomadic herders. The land is a barren wasteland devoid of any vegetation. There are a number of lakes and rivers and snow on the mountaintops with sparsely growing grass in places. Naked hills of rose, violet and flaming orange take their hues from the sky and ripple off into the distance, the blue of the sky so deep and clear that all else is pale in contrast. The pure lights and intense colours are the result of the rarefied atmosphere. The stark wind-swept plains covered by the luminous intensity of the sky with immense snow covered giants guarding the region, are a fitting back-drop for the dazzling Mount Kailash.

The Faces of Kailash
Each of Mount Kailash's faces reflects different moods. The southern face reflects majesty or splendour; it is fully covered with snow. The western face is enveloped in an aura of compassion and benevolence. The northern face is stark, forbidding and daunting, while the eastern, only visible from a long way off, is mysterious and distant.

Mansarovar - Magical Depths
Close by is the majestically calm and dignified Mansarovar Lake, like a bluish green emerald or a pure turquoise set between two mighty mountains, Mt. Kailash in the North and Gurla Mandhata in the South. The word Mansarovar is derived from the Sanskrit word "Man" meaning mind and "Sarovar" meaning lake or body of water. Legend states that Lord Brahma's sons spent twelve years performing austerities on the land at Mansarovar, but, lacking a sufficient site to perform their rites, they appealed to their Father for help and Lord Brahma created the sacred lake. The Gods are believed to bathe every morning in the lake between 3 am and 5 am and this time is called "Brahmamuhurta."

Mansarovar is situated at a height of 45588 m with a circumference of 90 km and a depth of 90 m. The lake freezes in the winters and melts only in spring. Mansarovar is the highest body of fresh water in the world. Its waters glisten a clear blue near the shores and a deep emerald green in the center and are believed to possess miraculous healing properties. Bathing in Mansarovar is said to guarantee passage to heaven and drinking its waters is said to release the sins of 100 births.

The poet Kalidas wrote about Mansarovar in the third century, "When the earth of Manasarovar touches anyone's body or when anyone bathes therein, he shall go to the paradise of Brahma, and who drinks its water shall go to the heaven of Shiva and shall be released from the sins of 100 births. Even the beast that bears the name of Manasarovar shall go to the paradise of Brahma. Its water is like pearls."

Buddhists associate Mansarovar with the legendary Anotatta Lake, (the Pali name for Mansarovar), where Buddha's mother, Queen Maya, conceived him. A ring of eight Buddhist monasteries once surrounded the lake and were visualized as the Wheel of Life. A complete circumambulation of the lake, passing all eight monasteries, represents a symbolic turn of the Wheel. Through this act, a pilgrim accumulates a variety of blessings and benefits.

Rakshas Tal
East of Mansarovar lies Rakshas Tal, also called Ravan Kund. Rakshas Tal is the lake where Ravana is said to have done penance to invoke Lord Shiva. The legend associated with its creation goes like this - Ravana, the Demon King, practiced austerities and asked a boon of Lord Shiva. Ravana asked that the Lord should come and reside in his kingdom, Lanka, leaving the Kailash valley. The Lord agreed and offered Himself to Ravana as a Lingam (sacred phallus) subject to one condition - that Ravana could not keep Him down on the earth anywhere on the way.

The Gods in the heavens were worried. How could they let the Lord leave His Abode? They instructed the God of Water, Varuna, to enter Ravana's stomach. When he started walking with the heavy Siva Lingam, Ravana felt that he had to ease himself urgently. But how could he do so without putting down the heavy lingam? He searched for someone to carry it for him for a time. He spotted a young Brahmin and requested him to hold the lingam. The Brahmin lad, who was none other than Lord Ganesha, agreed. But since the God of Water himself had inhabited Ravana's belly there was a continuous flow of water out of Ravana, which formed the lake Rakhsas Tal. Since Ravana was delaying his return, the Brahmin could not hold the lingam any longer and put it down. Thus the Holy Lingam in the form of Kailash remained in its original place. Perhaps this legend is good reason for the locals to believe that the water from this lake should never be drunk!

Lying beneath the symbolic temple of Kailash, Mansarovar and Rakshas Tal represent the water tanks present at the entrance to every Hindu temple. Mansarovar's aspect is often clear and bright whereas Rakshas Tal is frequently moody, overcast and dull. Because of this Mansarovar is likened to the sun and forces of light whereas Rakshas Tal is compared to the moon and the forces of darkness.

Purpose of the pilgrimage
The primary purpose of one's pilgrimage to the Kailash region is the ritual circumambulation of the sacred mountain and lake. Called parikrama in Sanskrit or kora in Tibetan, this is an ancient ritual of devotion. Pilgrims to Kailash believe that spiritual merit is gained by circumnavigating its 53 km path. A single circuit wipes out a lifetime's worth of sins while 108 circuits bring enlightenment or nirvana. The parikrama is done either on foot, horses or yaks. Most pilgrims prefer to perform 3 parikramas while for the hardy ascetics, 13 is considered an auspicious number. Hindus and Buddhists travel in a clockwise direction, while the Bon travel counter-clockwise.

Some extreme enthusiasts perform the most strenuous sashtanga danda pradakshina (circumambulation while crawling) of Mt. Kailash in a month's time and that of Lake Mansarovar in less than a month on a regular basis, performing prostrations for the entire journey (they travel the route on their hands and knees). The most devout or the more dedicated practitioners perform a succession of outstretched full prostrations using wooden boards to ease their way. However, even those who do not make full prostrations perform the circumambulation or kora. Pilgrims have a holy ceremonial bath on the shores of Mansarovar and make offerings to their ancestors.

In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, circumambulation of Kailash and Manasarovar in the Year of the Horse, especially during Sagadawa, brings far greater merit than at any other time. The next Year of the Horse is 2014.

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