“Foreigners rarely visited this wild land.
In places we could look across the border of Tibet and see Mount Kailash.
Although the height of Kailash is only 6666 meters, Hindus and Buddhists
consider it the most sacred of all the Himalayan peaks.
Near it is a large lake Manasarovar, also sacred, and a famous monastery.
At all times, pilgrims from the most remote parts of Asia came here.
Tenzing Nogrey, conqueror of Everest.

Fact number 1. Many names

Mount Kailash (Kailash) is one of the most mysterious places on our planet.
It is also known by other names: Europeans call it Kailash, the Chinese call it Gandishishan (冈底斯山) or Ganzhenboqi (冈仁波齐), in the Bon tradition its name is Yundrung Gutseg, in ancient texts in Tibetan it is called Kang Rinpoche ( གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ; gangs rin p-che) - "Precious snow". Many interesting secrets and legends about Kailash do not leave people indifferent, both pilgrims and researchers.

Fact number 2. Center of 4 religions

Mount Kailash is the sacred center of 4 religions: Hinduism, Jainism, the Tibetan Bon religion and Buddhism. The dream of every Hindu is to see Kailash with his own eyes at least once in his life. Related to this desire are serious restrictions on the visa plan issued by China for Indians who want to visit these places. In the Vedas (ancient texts of this religion), Mount Kailash is the favorite place of residence of Shiva (cosmic consciousness, personifying the masculine principle of the Universe).
The Tibetan ancient religion of Bon considers Mount Kailash the birthplace of life in the universe and the focus of power. According to their legends, it is here that the mystical country of Shangshung (Shambhala) is located, and the first Jain master Tongpa Shenrab descended into the world from Kailash.

Buddhists revere this mountain as the abode of the Buddha in one of the main incarnations - Samvara. Therefore, every year during the Buddhist religious holiday Vesak (other names are Saga Dava, Vishakha Puja, Donchod Khural), dedicated to the enlightenment of Buddha Gautama, thousands of pilgrims and tourists from all over the world gather at the foot of Mount Kailash.

Fact number 3. Beginning of 4 rivers

According to Hindu mythology, four main rivers of Tibet, India and Nepal originate on the slopes of Mount Kailash: Indus, Brahmaputra, Sutlej and Karnali. Jains believe that at Mount Kailash their first saint Jina Mahavira achieved enlightenment, after which he founded his own teaching - Jainism.

Fact number 4. Swastika symbol from shadow

Swastika mountain- Another name for Kailash. The appearance of this name is associated with the pattern, which is formed by two cracks on its southern side. In the evening, the shadow cast by the ledges of the rock draws on it a huge image of a swastika. The swastika is a sacred symbol for many peoples of the world. In India, for example, the swastika is regarded as a solar sign - a symbol of life, light, generosity and abundance, closely associated with the cult of the god Agni. In the form of a swastika, a wooden tool was made to produce the sacred fire. They laid him flat on the ground; the recess in the middle served for the rod, which was rotated until the appearance of fire, kindled on the altar of the deity. The swastika was carved in many temples, on the rocks, on the ancient monuments of India. The swastika is one of the symbols of Jainism.

Fact number 5. Orientation to the cardinal points

Mount Kailash has a pyramidal shape, strictly oriented to the cardinal points. There is also evidence that suggests the presence of voids both in the mountain itself and at its foot. Some researchers who have studied the mountain and its secrets claim: Kailash is an unnatural artificial formation, erected in ancient times by no one knows who and for what purpose. It is possible that this is some kind of complex, pyramids.

Fact number 6. Deliverance from sins

In the Bon religion and Hinduism, there is a legend that says: going around Kailash (kora) allows you to cleanse yourself of all the sins committed in this life. If the bark is done 13 times, the pilgrim who has done it is guaranteed not to go to Hell, if the bark is done 108 times, he breaks out of the circle of rebirths and reaches the degree of enlightenment of the Buddha. A kora performed on a full moon counts as two. That is why there are always many pilgrims around the mountain today, making their way of atonement for sins.

Fact number 6. Climbing Kailash is impossible

Mount Kailash is closed to climbers: not a single person has yet visited its peak. This is due not only to the fact that officially climbing it is prohibited. There are legends that Kailash is able to inexplicably change the desire of climbers to climb, thereby not allowing anyone to approach him. Those who get too close to it, and those who intend to climb to its top, are suddenly set to go in the opposite direction.
Like it or not, but until now the top of the mountain remains unconquered. In 1985, the famous climber Reinhold Messner received permission from the Chinese authorities to climb, but refused at the last moment.
In 2000, the Spanish expedition, for a fairly significant amount, acquired a permit (permit) to conquer Kailash from the Chinese authorities. The team set up a base camp at the foot, but could not set foot on the mountain. Thousands of pilgrims blocked the path of the expedition. The Dalai Lama, the UN, a number of major international organizations, millions of believers around the world expressed their protest against the conquest of Kailash and the Spaniards had to retreat.

Fact number 7. Mirrors of Time on the surface of Kailash

Another mystery of Kailash, around which there are numerous disputes and judgments, is the mirror of time. By them is meant a lot of rocks located near Kailash, having a smooth or concave surface. Whether these surfaces were created artificially in ancient times or are a game of nature is still not known.

There is an assumption that these formations are a kind of "Kozyrev's mirrors" - concave mirrors, in the focus of which the speed of the passage of time can change. A person falling into the focus of such a mirror may experience various abnormal and psychophysical sensations. According to Muldashev, the mirrors around Kailash are placed according to a certain system in relation to each other, which creates something like a “time machine” that can transfer the initiate not only to different time epochs, but also to other worlds.

Fact number 8. Lakes Manasarovar and Rakshas Tal - so close, but so different

Two lakes located at the foot of the mountains Rakshas Tal and Manasarovar are located next to each other and are separated from each other only by a small isthmus. However, both of these lakes are strikingly different from each other, which is another mystery of Kailash.

The waters of Lake Manasarovar, revered by the Tibetans as sacred, are fresh. According to legend, Lake Manasarovar was the first object created in the mind of Brahma. Hence its name: in Sanskrit "Manas sarovara" means "Lake of Consciousness" from the words manas (consciousness) and sarovara (lake). According to one of the Buddhist legends, this lake is the same legendary Anavatapta lake, where the Mayan queen conceived the Buddha. Manasarovar, as well as Kailash, is a place of pilgrimage, around which a ritual detour is also performed - a bark in order to cleanse karma. Pilgrims come here to take ceremonial baths in the cleansing waters of Manasarovar. It is believed that this lake is a place where “purity” lives, in its bottom layer, near the northwestern shore, the water is alive. Anyone who touches the sacred land of Manasarovar or bathes in this lake will surely go to heaven. The one who drinks water from the lake will rise to heaven to God Shiva and be cleansed of his sins. Therefore, Manasarovar is considered the most sacred, revered and famous lake in all of Asia. The crust around the sacred lake is 100 km.

Near Manasarovar there is a salty dead lake Rakshas tal (also Langak, Rakas, Langa Tso (Chinese exercise 拉昂错, pinyin: Lā'áng Cuò). In Hindu mythology, this lake was created by the lord of the Rakshas demon Ravana and was located on this lake a special island where Ravana sacrificed one of his heads to Shiva every day.On the tenth day, Shiva gave Ravana superpowers.Lake Langa Tso is set in opposition to the lake Manasarovar created by the gods.Manasarovar has a round shape, and Langa-Tso is elongated in the form of a month, which symbolizes light and darkness respectively.According to local customs, it is forbidden to touch the water of a dead lake, because this can bring misfortune.
The number of legends, stories and various legends associated with this place is simply huge: hardly any other place on our planet can boast of so many secrets and mysteries.

Mount Kailash in Western Tibet is one of the most revered religious sites in the world. Four religions consider the mountain holy, so it is not surprising that it receives thousands of pilgrims and just curious climbers every year. This number would probably be even higher if it were not so difficult to get permission to visit closed Tibet. Kailash is considered in the Hindu-Buddhist worldview as the center of the world. There are many theories regarding the mountain's supernatural power. And some even claim that this is a pyramid built by aliens. Regardless of whether we believe in its mystical power or not, Kailash is worth paying attention to, because, in addition to the sacred history, it is famous for many interesting facts.

Height and other characteristics of Mount Kailash

Mount Kailash boasts a height of 6,638 m, or 21,778 feet, which makes it, although not the highest in Tibet, but the highest in the Ngari district of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Strictly speaking, disputes about the height of the peak are still ongoing. Different scientists adhere to, albeit close, but still differing figures. The most authoritative sources determine the peak at an altitude of 6,638 m to 6,890 m above sea level. Well, religious adherents and adherents of mythical theories do not get tired of claiming that this figure is 6,666 m. Also, the height cannot be considered final and for completely scientific reasons. Since the Himalayas are fairly young mountains, the weathering process is still active in them. This results in a change in altitude. Kailash increases by about 5-6 mm per year: quite a bit, but still.

There is still controversy regarding the height of the sacred mountain.

With a height of about 6,700 m, Mount Kailash cannot compete with the peaks of the nearby Himalayan range, including Mount Everest. However, its greatness, which made the hill a famous place, forcing the attention of representatives of 4 religions at once, lies not in its height, but in a clear form. The spurs of the mountains are four pure faces corresponding to the cardinal points. In addition, due to the fairly even and flat surface of the slopes and their regular shape, the hill resembles a pyramid and from some angles it may even seem like a man-made structure. Another feature is its secluded location: there are no high peaks nearby that can overshadow or obscure the mountain.

Origin of the name of the sacred mountain

In most parts of the world, the mountain is known as "Kailash": Kailāśa कैलाश in Sanskrit. The name may have been derived from the word kelāsa (केलास) meaning "crystal". In his Tibetan-English dictionary, L. Chandra first recorded this word as "kai la sha" (kai la sha), borrowing from Sanskrit.

The name of the mountain is associated not only with geography, but also with religious motives.

One of the Tibetan names is "Kang Rinpoche" (Tibetan - གངས་ རིན་པོ་ཆེ་; Simplified Chinese - 冈仁波齐峰; Traditional Chinese - =岡仁波齊峰). Gangs, or Kang, is the Tibetan name for the snowy peak. The word rinpoche means "precious," so the combined term can be translated as "precious snow stone" or "precious snow mountain." There are other options for the name of this hill:

• Bon texts have many names: Flower of Water, Mountain of Sea Water, Mountain of Nine-angled Suns;
• the Jains call the mountain Astapada and believe that this is the place where Rishaba, the first of the 24 Tirthankars, attained enlightenment;
• one of its local names is Mount Tise, which comes from the word "tize" in the Zhang-zhung language, meaning "peak of water" or "peak of the river." In fact, this version has a real basis, since the sources of the Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra and Ghaghara rivers begin in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bLake Manasarovar near the mountain - also, by the way, sacred.
• The Chinese also call the hill - Ganzhenboqi (冈仁波齐), or Gandishishan (冈底斯山).

Where is one of the most important sacred mountains in the world

Where this ambiguous mountain is located, and what role it plays in the geographical and world position, it will not be possible to immediately say. However, only for philosophical reasons. The fact is that if we consider this question from a religious point of view, there can be many answers. So, for the Hindus, this place was considered the home of the god Shiva, for the Jains, this is the place where their first leader achieved enlightenment. Buddhists went even further, believing that Kailash is in the center of the world and is the navel of the universe.

Location of Mount Kailash on the map

Mount Kailash is located in Western Tibet near the "living" freshwater lake Manasarovar and the "dead" salt lake Rakshastal, as well as near the sources of one of the longest and most significant Asian rivers:

1. Sutleja
2. Brahmaputra
3. Ghaghars

The exact coordinates of the sacred mountain

The exact coordinates of the hill are the following points on the map:

• 31°4"0"N
• 81°18"45"E

Features of the geographical position of Mount Kailash

Mount Kailash is located in the Puran district, in the southeastern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region in China. It is located near the borders with Nepal and India and is part of the Gangdise mountain system, which is located between the Brahmaputra range and the high Tibetan plateau of Changtan.

Gangdise extends for about 2000 km in the east-west direction and covers about 200 km in the south-north direction. Due to the location of the mountain range "behind" the Himalayan range, divided by the Tsangpo valley, it is also known in some languages ​​as the Trans-Himalayan. To the south, the Gangdise ridge has steep slopes, but gradually levels off towards the north.

The climate of Mount Kailash: mild by the standards of the mountains

Mount Kailash is characterized by a cold and dry climate typical of this region of Tibet. Summer here lasts from May to August and is the most pleasant time of the year compared to other seasons. The climate is temperate, the average annual temperature is about 15°C. Monsoons begin in the first half of September and continue until November. They are accompanied by precipitation and temperature drop to 10°C. Winter starts in December and continues until April. During this season the days are cold, with an average temperature around 5°C. However, the minimum temperature during storms can reach -15°C and be accompanied by heavy snowfall. Mount Kailash is always covered in snow, and Lake Manasarovar often freezes in winter.

The main characteristics of the climate of this area:

• average annual temperature: -0.7 Celsius;
• 553 mm of precipitation per year;
• minimum rainfall in November: 7 mm;
• most precipitation in August: 125 mm on average;
• the hottest month is July: the average temperature is 8.3 Celsius;
• the coldest month is January: the average temperature is -9.7 Celsius.

The weather around this mountain range in western Tibet is very difficult to predict: it changes rapidly. No one living in this area is sure whether tomorrow they will be able to see the top of the pyramid, which Kailash is so similar to. However, even strong weather fluctuations are not critical from the point of view of tourism, since climbing the mountain is prohibited at the legislative level. Well, the traditional pilgrimage around the shrine is theoretically possible in any weather.

Flora and fauna: who lives and what grows on the spurs and peak

This unusual peak also offers interesting leisure activities for nature lovers, as here you can find a large number of unusual bird species, wild plants and representatives of the animal world.
Flowers, mostly different varieties of forget-me-nots, grow on the slopes of the mountain along the trails, so they often act as food for yaks - the main mode of transport here. Also, the slopes are covered with Saussurea, better known to us as bittersweet. Near the mountain streams, the grass has a more juicy shade, and wild allium is also common, which, when flowering, turns the slopes into lilac bedspreads.

The mountain range is located in the south of Ngari Prefecture, known as a paradise for wild animals due to its mild climate, remoteness from civilization and lack of industries. Mount Kailash itself is also home to dozens of animal and bird species. So, for example, it acts as a haven for wild donkeys, Tibetan antelopes, yaks, swans, black-necked cranes and many other species.
Among all wild donkeys, the kiang animal is the largest with an average shoulder height of 140 cm. It is a “local resident” of the Tibetan Plateau and inhabits alpine meadows at an altitude of 3,600 to 5,400 meters above sea level. Since it looks more like a mule in appearance, that is, it looks much larger than domestic donkeys, local Tibetans often call it "wild horse".

But the Tibetan antelope is called the "sacred unicorns of the roof of the world." Living in mountain meadows and in alpine deserts at an altitude of more than 4000 meters, they have a thick undercoat and dense coat, since the temperature here often drops below zero. Currently, Tibetan antelopes belong to the protected animals in China. To protect them, nature reserves have been established, such as the Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve.

People who have traveled to Tibet at least once have certainly seen yaks, which can be found here literally at every step. Carrying heavy loads and supplying milk and meat, yaks play an important role in the daily life of Tibetans. However, the wild yak is slightly different from the domestic yak mentioned above, used by the locals on the farm. With an average height of up to 2 meters, which is almost twice as high as that of domestic yaks, wild yaks are always brown or black. They are also endangered and vulnerable species of animals, therefore they are protected by law.

Wild yaks, living on mountain ranges and in alpine steppes, where even scientists rarely appear and where tourists do not reach, can migrate to higher mountainous regions at an altitude of more than 5000-6000 meters, which are located just below the edge of the snow line. Being well adapted to the harsh conditions of the alpine steppes, wild yaks can reach the lands of shrubs and mountain meadows, which are difficult for other wild ungulates to access.

Being the only crane species that lives and breeds here, black-necked cranes are also considered quite rare birds living in the freshwater wetlands of the highlands. Black-necked cranes are also called holy birds because they are very popular with Buddhist Tibetans. These birds usually spend the winter in Tibet: at this time, tourists can see their flocks in the meadows. In addition to the above-mentioned animals, other representatives of the fauna can be found here, for example, the gazelle, the Tibetan long-horned antelope or the water pigeon.

The history of climbing the mountain: did the conquest succeed?

In the 1920s, British climbers Hugh Ruttledge and R.S. Wilson made the first expedition to Mount Kailash, but each of them chose his own route. Ruttledge was convinced that he could climb to the top along the north side of the mountain, but as soon as he was at the bottom, he realized that the option he had planned was a failure, since the path would be extremely difficult. Despite the adverse weather conditions, the climber continued the route - only to the east and, finally, found a way to the top. However, unexpectedly low temperatures and atypical fog for this time of year forced Ruttledge to return to base.

Colonel Wilson, who traveled to the opposite side of the mountain, to the southwest, had the same experience of the sudden appearance of inexplicably strange weather. Just as he found an easy path to the top of the mountain, heavy snow began to fall, making the ascent impossible.

A few years later, Herbert Tichy, an Austrian geologist, asked permission to climb the mountain. It is said that he was refused with the following explanation: "Only an absolutely sinless person can climb Mount Kailash, and such a person does not exist on Earth."

In 1980, the Chinese government gave the famous Reinhold Messner, who was called "the climber with two hearts", the opportunity to conquer an unusual and alluring peak. For unknown reasons, Messner abandoned this idea at the last moment. The Italian is said to have changed his mind after being warned by higher powers that the attempt could have adverse consequences for him. Also in the 80s, a group of American climbers decided to take the invincible peak. Everyone was physically prepared and well equipped, however, their attempt was also unsuccessful.

“If we conquer this mountain, then we will conquer something in the souls of people,” Messner said in 2001 when asked about the Spanish team's plan to climb Kailash. “I would advise them to go and climb something more difficult, because this mountain is not as high, although in many ways it is more brutal than other peaks.” After an outcry from believers around the world, the Spanish climbers abandoned the plan. The Chinese administration took note of the general outrage and banned any future attempts.

Does the sacred peak have a history of its "cemetery" of climbers

There is no official information that anyone died during the ascent to Kailash. However, the sacred mountain, the sacred place of four religions, nevertheless took its share of lives. In general, this case put an end to the massive attempts to conquer. This happened a few years after the unsuccessful ascent of a group of climbers from America. According to local legends, members of another group of American climbers, whose average age was about 30 years old, grew old overnight after trying to climb. Their nails grew unnaturally long and their hair turned white in just two weeks. What is even more terrible, they all died within the next year from diseases common to the elderly.

Mysterious history and legends

Mount Kailash is considered sacred in four religions:

• Buddhism;
• Hinduism;
• Jainism.

How long do people come to this sacred hill? The answers are lost in ancient times, even before the rise of modern religions. Cosmological myths about the origin of each of these religions speak of Kailash as a mythical peak. Meru, the Axis of the world, the center and birthplace of the whole world - these are its main sacral characteristics. She was legendary even before the great Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, were written. Indeed, this place is so deeply rooted in the myths of ancient Asia that it may have been considered sacred by another era, another civilization, long gone and forgotten.

Hindus believe that it is the abode of Lord Shiva. According to legend, the immortal God lives on the top of a hill, where he spends his time practicing meditation and yoga, as well as making love to his divine consort Parvati and smoking ganja: a sacred herb known in the west as marijuana.

The Jains call the mountain Astapada and believe that this is the place where Rishaba, the first of the twenty-four Tirthankars, attained enlightenment. Followers of Bon, the Buddhist, shamanistic religion of Tibet, call the mountain Tiese and believe that it is the habitat of the heavenly goddess Sipaimen. Tibetan Buddhists view the summit as the home of Demchog and his wife, Dorje Phagmo.

Attractions and interesting places near Kailash

One of the most picturesque places in the region is Lake Manasarovar with a circumference of about 88 km. It has crystal clear water and is considered holy, which is why thousands of pilgrims come to bathe in its waters. Lake Manasarovar, which is at an altitude of 14,950 feet, is considered the highest freshwater body in the world.

Flocks of birds - gulls and various types of ducks - inhabit its shores, densely covered with numerous flowers growing right on the water's edge. One of the most common species of wild birds here is the swan. In summer, numerous flocks of swans gather on Lake Manasarovar, enlivening the area and making it as picturesque as possible. The sight of hundreds of graceful swans flying over the lake against the backdrop of snow-capped peaks attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world.

The hill is surrounded by five monasteries, namely:

• Nyari
• Dirapuk
• Sunchu
• Ganja
• Taylun.

Each monastery is endowed with different legends and stories related to local religious beliefs. All buildings, although quite badly damaged by time, are decorated with sacred sculptures, statues, frescoes and other markers of Tibetan culture. Monasteries can offer modest accommodation to pilgrims and travelers, providing shelter and food.

How to get to Mount Kailash

To begin with, it is worth deciding how you would like to get to Tibet? From mainland China or from Kathmandu to Nepal?
First, the only international flight that arrives in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, departs from Kathmandu. Trains to Lhasa are available from some major cities in mainland China such as Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shanghai and more. There are also daily flights from Kathmandu to Lhasa.

There are several ways to get to Mount Kailash from Lhasa. The most popular and fastest is to travel along the Nepal-Tibet highway to the city of Lhasa, and from there along the national road No. 219. This is a good paved road and it usually takes about 4 days to reach the destination.

There is also a daily direct flight between Lhasa and Ali, the capital of Nagri Prefecture, which is the closest major city to the summit and is about 4-5 hours away.

Climbing the sacred mountain

Climbers from all over the world made many attempts to climb to the sacred abode of Shiva, but none of them were successful. In attempts to come to a solution to these failures, the most unusual versions were put forward. One of the most popular is the conclusion that Mount Kailash is indeed the axis and nodal point of our world.

According to another idea, it is a human-built pyramid that is the center of a whole complex of smaller pyramids, hundreds in total. Also, some scientists believe that this mountain range can also be the center of a worldwide system that connects many other monuments or places where secrets and inexplicable phenomena were observed. However, one way or another, climbing this mountain is prohibited by law, so pilgrims and curious tourists can only travel around the mountain, in general, it is also not the easiest.

Routes: is it possible to travel independently

Every year, thousands of people from India, Nepal and Tibet make a religious pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, following a tradition that goes back thousands of years. Pilgrims of several religions believe that walking around the mountain is a sacred ritual that will bring good luck and purify karma. The pilgrimage is made by Hindus and Buddhists in a clockwise direction, while the Jains and Bons circle the mountain in an anti-clockwise direction.

The length of the route around Mount Kailash is 52 km. Some pilgrims believe that the entire journey must be completed in one day, which is especially difficult given the cold and high altitude. A Tibetan who is in good shape and walks fast will need about 15 hours to complete the entire journey. However, many believers, while making their journey, bow down to the ground at every step. At this rate, it takes at least 16 days to complete the entire circle. But most foreigners make it in 3 days, crossing the Dolma-La pass at an altitude of 5,636 m, starting and ending the journey in the tiny town of Darchen. Theoretically, you can walk the route yourself: you won’t get lost, since there are quite a lot of people along the trail. However, it is worth using the services of a guide by joining a group following the optimal three-day route.

It can take up to 4 weeks to receive a travel permit. It is best to contact the travel agency in Tibet at least 8 weeks before you plan to visit to allow sufficient time to organize your travel. Contrary to popular belief, group travel to Tibet is not a requirement, however, joining a small group can reduce costs as the mandatory costs of transport, driver and guide will be shared between all travelers.

Tourism - infrastructure, how best to climb

Since the hike lasts only 3 days, and there are tea houses, hotels and cafes along the route, hikers do not need to carry too much equipment with them. It is worth taking a 50-80 liter backpack with you to fit one warm sleeping bag, nutritious snacks, basic toiletries and extra clothing such as socks or underwear.

For those who want to lighten the burden a bit, there is the option of hiring a porter or pack animals in Darchen village. To do this, you should first find a local guide or a representative office of a travel company via the Internet and discuss with them all the details of the route. It is also possible to make part of the journey on horseback. However, it is worth noting that it is forbidden to ride on horseback along the steep back side of the Dolma-La pass, about 3 km long, as it is too risky: both the traveler and the horse can be injured. During the peak months of the Hindu pilgrimage season (June to September), horses and hotel rooms may be in short supply as demand is higher.

Features of climbing and traveling around the mountain

The best season to visit Mount Kailash is from mid-May to June and also from September to mid-October. Theoretically, weather forecasters distinguish the rainy season in this area, which occurs in July and August. However, this name is rather formal: tropical showers and hurricanes do not happen here, high humidity will not be a problem during a visit. Temperatures begin to rise significantly from June. From this time on, it is hardly possible to see that the thermometer drops below zero. Also, it is during this period that the chance to see (albeit from afar) the peak is greatest before the onset of rainy seasons. The rainy season ends in September. At this time, it is still relatively warm here, but this will not last long: until the temperature drops below zero in October.

If you are going on a trip in June or September, it is better to book at least a month in advance, because usually very large groups of Indian pilgrims sometimes book entire hotels during this period.
From April to October, it is recommended to take warm clothes with you on a hike, because there is snow around, and the weather can suddenly worsen. Especially if the route passes through the difficult Dolma-La pass at an altitude of 5,640 meters. It is not recommended to visit the region from the third week of October until the beginning of April, as the weather during this period is as unstable as possible.

1. It is believed that a pilgrim who makes 108 journeys around the mountain becomes enlightened.
2. According to Buddhist and Hindu scriptures, around Mount Meru there are ancient monasteries and caves in which holy sages dwell in their material and subtle bodies. Only the enlightened can see them.
3. It is believed that Kailash is Axis Mundi, in other words, the cosmic axis, the center of the world and the point where the sky meets the earth.
4. Lake Manasarovar is one of the three most sacred lakes in Tibet and is considered the cradle of world civilization. In addition, it is also the highest freshwater lake in the world.
5. Chinese control of Tibet continues to influence religious practice in the sacred peak region. While the Chinese constitution allows for freedom of religious belief, the government tightly controls the issue and is quick to crack down on religious activities that could be seen as avenues of political dissent. Because of its ties to the Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism is a particular target of government suspicion.

Legends of Mount Kailash - video

Mount Everest is 8,848 meters high and has been summited by over 4,000 people. The height of Kailash is 6,638 meters, but its peak is still untouched. Because of the bans, travelers can only walk around the mountain, filming stunningly beautiful and atmospheric videos.

How many copies were broken, how many pundits came together in the “battle for truth”, how many scientific, pseudo-scientific and non-scientific theories were born thanks to the mysterious and unknown Mount Kailash. How many religious movements have merged together and converged at one point of being. Let's try to figure it out (well, or even more confused).

As we always say (and we will say) - every square centimeter of our planet is worthy of attention. Naturally, we simply do not have the right to pass by the sacred mountain Kailash. Especially considering how much is mixed around her.

Let's start with some geography. The Kailash mountain range is located in the southern part of Tibet (today Tibet is an autonomous region of China, but disagreements periodically arise between them). Mount Kailash is the most significant and beautiful peak of the eponymous range.

Mount Kailash on the map

• Geographic coordinates (31.067112, 81.311697)
• Distance from the capital of China Beijing is about 3300 km in a straight line
• The nearest airport is Simikot, about 130 km south.

Mount Kailash has an interesting and geometrically correct pyramidal shape with a permanent snow cap on top. Its faces are almost oriented to the cardinal points. It turns out a sort of giant compass, visible from space.
The height of the pyramid is one of the subjects of dispute among scientists. Different groups of researchers measured the same different heights, but all measurements fell within the interval from 6,638 to 6,890 meters. This is a fairly high mountain, although it is inferior to the famous Everest (8848 meters) and the highest mountain on the planet in absolute terms, Mauna Kea (10203 meters). At the expense of height, there is an opinion that it is equal to 6666 meters. At least, in many sources of esoteric subjects, this height is indicated.

The southern part of the mountain has a flat crevice in the middle from top to bottom. Like it was cut with a knife. In addition, this crevice is again crossed in the middle by a horizontal crack. As a result, when the Sun sets, the shadows from these cuts form a swastika. Therefore, Kailash is sometimes called the "Swastika Mountain".

There is an important addition to be made here. The swastika is an ancient image that symbolizes the sun or solstice. In many nations, it is associated with our luminary. The Slavs also had a kind of swastika called Kolovrat. Please do not confuse the well-known Nazi swastika from Hitler's time with ancient runes.

The features of Mount Kailash include its stepped structure, which makes it even more like a pyramid.

Mount Kailash in religion

The most ancient religions of the surrounding countries endow Kailash with supernatural power and consider it a sacred place. Hindus, Buddhists, followers of Jainism and Bon (these are also currents in religion) call it the "heart of the world" or the "axis of the Earth." The mountain is prayed to, worshiped, and ritually circumambulated around it. This pilgrimage is called Kora.

Hindus claim that Shiva lives on the mountain, and Kailash is the image of Mera - the great mountain in the center of the Universe.

Buddhists say that the top of the mountain is the abode of the Buddha. Every year, Buddhist pilgrims from all over the planet gather at the mountain for the Saga Dawa holiday, which is dedicated to the Buddha.

Followers of Jainism believe that the Kshatriya Mahavira himself, the founder of this religious movement and the main saint, achieved liberation and enlightenment on the mountain.

Followers of the Bon religion endow with divine properties Lake Mapam-Yumtso, located 34 kilometers south of the mountain. They consider the lake to be the center of the ancient country of Shangshung, in which Bon appeared. They call Mount Kailash the Nine-Storied Swastika Mountain. She is the soul of the whole religion, and here Tonpa Shenrab, the founder of the religion, descended from heaven.

It is noteworthy that representatives of the first three religions go around the mountain clockwise, and the followers of Bon, on the contrary, counterclockwise.
The length of the route around the mountain is 52 km. To overcome it, you need a very good physical preparation. It is believed that by making a kora (bypassing the mountain), a person is enlightened and gets rid of sins. Moreover, it is desirable to go around the mountain in one day, which is very difficult. Kora performed 13 times is considered especially honorable.

In religious books about Kailash there are such inspiring lines: “None of the mortals dare to enter the peak where the gods live. Whoever sees the faces of the gods must die." Legends say that the mountain will throw off any daredevil who dares to climb to the top. And even if you just touch it, then ulcers that do not heal for a long time appear.
All of the above religions also revere two lakes 34 kilometers south of Kailash. These are Mapam-Yumtso and Langa-Tso. The first - fresh - is considered the lake of Life, and the second - brackish - this is the lake of Death.

In the vicinity of the mountain, 4 main rivers of this region flow - Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra and Karnali. The myths say that they all begin with Kailash. But in fact, the streams from the mountain range initially fall into Lake Langa-Tso, and the Sutlej River flows out of it.

Near-scientific and non-scientific hypotheses and myths of Mount Kailash

Some sources indicate the mystical number 6666 and claim that it is at this distance from the mountain that Stonehenge, the North and South Poles are located. It is said that Kailash lies on the same line with the Egyptian pyramids and the mysterious Easter Island.

We sat over the map for a while and realized that there was some confusion with the distances, for example, to Stonehenge 6920 km in a straight line. If the poles were at the same distance from the mountain, then it should be located on the equator - and this is not so. Yes, and the pyramids with Easter Island are not quite on the same line. Therefore, we attribute such data to the category of unconfirmed. But, if we made a mistake somewhere, please let us know.

There are many more pseudoscientific hypotheses. Here are stories that time near the mountain goes several times faster, so much so that men in a few hours become overgrown with weekly stubble. And that Kailash is the entrance to parallel worlds. And that the mountain is hollow inside, and many saints rest in it (among which they even mention Jesus Christ, Buddha and Krishna), and all in one place. They rest for a reason, but until the moment when humanity completely goes crazy and reaches the verge of self-destruction. Then no one, except for higher powers, can protect a person from himself.

Let's be honest that these hypotheses still have little in common with science, and are more related to myths and legends.

How to conquer Mount Kailash

No point. Remember at least the highest point on the planet, Mount Everest. It is conquered by all and sundry and deep elders, and teenagers and even people with disabilities. And this height is almost 9 kilometers, there is almost nothing to breathe there, but people stubbornly make ascents to it. What about Kailash? Has no one conquered the summit? This is true. Mount Kailash has never been conquered by anyone. And there are two main factors. The first (mystical) factor is that for reasons unknown to science, the vast majority of climbers, right before the ascent, "lost their nerves", they simply gave up their desire to climb up. And even if someone, having overcome internal resistance, nevertheless began to climb, then he either immediately returned back or died.

Local residents revere the mountain as a shrine, and of course they don’t even think of conquering it. All who wanted to do this were foreigners. So, for example, the Italian Reinhold Messner, who received permission to climb, arrived at the place in 1985, but changed his mind at the last moment. An incomprehensible feeling of fear and hopelessness covers everyone who thinks to encroach on Mount Kailash.

The second factor hindering the conquest is the locals. They literally block the path of daredevils with their breasts. In 2001, an expedition from Spain, having paid a lot of money just for the opportunity to climb the mountain, was stopped by a group of pilgrims. Thousands of believers stood in the way of the Spaniards. The Dalai Lama himself and even the UN protested against climbing Kailash, and the climbers had to give in. Thus, to this day the mountain has not been conquered.

Reinhold Messner later said to the Spaniards: “If we conquer this mountain, then we will conquer something in the souls of people. I would suggest to go and climb something a bit harder. Kailash is not so high and not so heavy.” Recall that he himself still did not dare to climb.

• The ridge where the mountain is located is considered young, so it is still “growing”. Its height increases annually by 5-6 mm
• Scientists have found that the age of the Tibetan mountains is about 5 million years, but Mount Kailash itself is only 20,000 years old.
• The name of Mount Kailash is translated from Sanskrit as "crystal"

Mount Kailash is considered one of the most unusual in Tibet, therefore it is of unflagging interest among adherents of Eastern religions and lovers of everything mystical. It is part of the Gangdisse mountain range that separates this autonomous region of China from the Indian Ocean. Before the trip, you should find out the exact location of Kailash on the world map: it is located in the southern part of the Tibetan Plateau and effectively stands out against the background of the surrounding area due to its impressive height of almost 6700 m.

The mountain has other names as well. Among the Chinese, it is known as Ganzhenboqi or Gandishishan, and in the sacred books of the Tibetans, Kailash is referred to as Yundrung Gutseg or Kang Ringpoche (“precious snow-capped mountain”).

What does Kailash look like?

The peak has practically no analogues in the mountain systems of the planet due to its tetrahedral shape, reminiscent of an ancient Egyptian pyramid. The top of Kailash at any time of the year is covered with a thick snow cover, which almost never melts. If you look at the photo of the mountain taken from the satellite, the exact orientation of its four slopes to the cardinal points immediately catches your eye.

Kailash is located in Western Tibet - an area inaccessible even for experienced climbers. The four largest water arteries of the region flow in this area: Indus, Karnali, Brahmaputra and Sutlej. Hindus, for whom these rivers are sacred, believe that their sources are located precisely on the slopes of the mountain.

The mysterious halo of the mountain

The secrets of ancient Kailash, which has dominated the adjacent territories for more than one millennium, excite the imagination of many travelers. The following interesting facts about this unique peak are worth mentioning:

Some researchers claim that the height of Mount Kailash in Tibet is exactly 6666 m. For this reason, many followers of Christian denominations perceive it as a dangerous place where, according to rumors, dark forces, led by Lucifer himself, live.

For adherents of Buddhism, Hinduism, the Jain and Tibetan religions, the Bon peak is one of the most sacred places. In Eastern religious traditions, the mountain is considered the "heart of the world", where divine power is concentrated, and is an object of cult worship. Hindus call Kailash the mountain of the gods, because, according to local legends, it is here that the great Shiva spends most of his time. The peak itself is the embodiment of the cosmic mountain Meru - the mythological center of the universe. According to Buddhist beliefs, Kailash is the abode of the Buddha, who came to our land in the form of Samvar. In the traditions of the Jains, it was on this mountain that the first saint freed himself from everything worldly and from earthly bonds. Bon followers believe that the life force of the entire planet is concentrated here, and while climbing Kailash, you can get to the legendary country of Shangshung.

According to Tibetan legends, most expeditions to the mountain end in the death of daring daredevils who dared to disturb the peace of the supreme deities. Those who decide on such an extreme simply disappear without a trace in the local gorges. Many climbers dreamed of conquering Kailash, but at the last moment, unforeseen circumstances necessarily prevent this. So, in the mid-1980s, the famous Italian climber Messner received a climbing license from the Chinese government, but for unknown reasons he soon abandoned this idea. In 2000, Spanish climbers also tried to climb the mountain, but numerous pilgrims and Tibetan monks surrounded it with a living ring, blocking access to it. Therefore, a trip to the Kailash peak is still only an unattainable dream for climbers around the world.

Many legends are associated with this pearl of the Tibetan mountains. One of them says that a person who has just touched the slope of Kailash will suffer from non-healing ulcers for many weeks. Also in the myths of Tibet there is a mention of the phenomena of the most supreme deity Shiva. His image can be seen in flashes of lightning in cloudy weather, when the top is completely shrouded in clouds.

Along the southern slope of the peak, right in its central part, there is a vertical crack, which is crossed by a shallow horizontal split. When the shadows thicken at sunset, in this place of Kailash they form a clear likeness of the swastika - the symbol of Nazism. According to scientists, cracks (vertical width reaches 40 m) are the result of an old earthquake.

Some fans of esoteric teachings argue that the mountain is an artificial formation created in ancient times either by a civilization such as Atlantis that disappeared forever, or by aliens from other planets. However, even if we accept that Kailash is an ancient ritual structure, its purpose remains incomprehensible to us.

Ritual detours around Mount Kailash

The sacred books of Hinduism and the Bon religion say that bypassing the perimeter of the base of Kailash allows you to atone for all the sins of earthly life. Such a detour is called a bark. A person who has made a bark at least 13 times will be forever delivered from hellish torments. And if you have the patience to go around 108 times, your soul will forever leave the circle of rebirth and reach the highest degree of enlightenment. This makes it possible to come close to Buddhahood.

Buddhists and Jains circumnavigate the peak in a clockwise direction, in the direction of the sun, while Bon followers always go in the opposite direction. There are rumors among climbers about colleagues who pretended to be pilgrims and, during a ritual detour around the mountain, secretly descended from the sacred path to make the ascent. After some time, they returned to the camp of tourists in a semi-mad state and less than a year later died in a psychiatric hospital as old men.

Although, when traveling to Tibet, Kailash remains inaccessible for climbing due to the active resistance of the ministers of local cults, it is quite possible to approach it a short distance. In the surrounding area, chains of rock formations with ideally smooth or concave surfaces deserve attention. At the moment, it is not known whether they were formed under the influence of natural factors or are the result of human activity.

It is believed that these rocks are the so-called “Kozyrev mirrors”, capable of distorting the spatial and temporal continuum. The traveler who finds himself near them experiences unusual physical and psychological sensations. "Mirrors" have a special arrangement in relation to each other, so the researchers suggest that they are able to transfer a person to another era or even a parallel dimension.

After visiting the rocks, you can also explore other attractions in the area, which include:

• A Buddhist monastery where thousands of pilgrims from all over the world gather on the day of the Vesak holiday (it is celebrated annually on the May full moon).
• Lake Manasarovar ("lake of life"). According to the legends, it was the first object of the living world, created in the creation of Brahma. Around Manasarovar, a ceremonial ritual of the kora is also performed, the length of which is 100 km. Immersion in its fresh waters near the northwestern shore allows you to clear karma and heal spiritually and physically. If you swim in the lake, then after death you will definitely go to heaven. Those who try the water from it, after the end of their earthly life, will stay next to Shiva himself.
• Lake Langa-Tso or Rakshas ("pool of death"). Its waters are distinguished by a high content of mineral salts and are separated from Manasarovar only by a small isthmus. Unlike the latter, which has an oval shape, the outlines of Langa-Tso resemble a month. Reservoirs symbolize light and darkness, respectively. You should not touch the waters of the Rakshas: this may invite misfortune.

According to legend, Langa-Tso was created by the demon lord Ravana, who daily for 10 days sacrificed one of his heads to the great Shiva, chopping it off. On the last day of the sacrifice, the supreme deity granted him supernatural power.

Useful tips for tourists

Travel to one of the most mysterious regions of Tibet should be carefully planned. The following tips will be helpful:

• The most successful trip will be in April-May during the dry season, when rains or snowfalls are extremely rare.
• To acclimatize and prevent health problems, before visiting Kailash, it is worth living for several days in an area located at a lower altitude above sea level. This will avoid headaches, dizziness and discomfort in the heart area while exploring the beauties of the mountain.
• It is almost impossible to purchase a climbing license to climb Kailash, but access to the surrounding area can be obtained for as little as 50 CNY. It is obtained from the Public Security Committee of the Tibetan Autonomy upon presentation of a passport and entry permit.

Coordinates 31.066667, 81.3125

How to get to Mount Kailash

You can get to the foot of Kailash in the following ways:

• By bus from Kathmandu after arriving at the local airport, which will take you directly to the mountain (the cost of an air ticket from Moscow is approximately 30,000 RUB). The duration of the flight is approximately 11 hours.
• By bus from Lhasa, which can also be reached by plane. It will cost about 700 USD more, but you can gradually get used to the difference in altitude during the trip.

Kailash is one of the most interesting places in Tibet, considered to be a giant accumulator of cosmic energy. Therefore, if you are interested in the spiritual side of life, you should definitely go there.

There is a set for the first group to Kailash in 2020: in addition to the crust around Kailash, you will see the North Face of Everest, beautiful lakes, the Ancient Kingdom of Guge, the Garuda Valley and rarely visited ancient cave complexes in Western Tibet - Dungkar and Piyang. Route . Arrival in Lhasa on April 26, 2020. A unique tour to Kailash kora with a Russian guide! Join now!

Mount Kailash (Kailash) - the Jewel of the Snows, the center of the universe, the abode of Shiva and Shakyamuni Buddha in the guise of the angry deity Chakrasamvara, the patron of one of the highest tantras of Vajrayana Buddhism. There is a belief that if you go around the sacred mountain 108 times, you can achieve enlightenment.

Kailash has attracted ascetics, yogis and pilgrims for many centuries. Nowadays, more and more people are interested in traveling to this peak. And the point is not only in the unusual tetrahedral shape of the mountain, reminiscent of an artificially built pyramid, but rather in the fact that Kailash is a shrine for millions of representatives of four religions: Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Bonpos. Every year, thousands of pilgrims make a sacred detour around Kailash, offering prayers and performing religious practices.

Geography

Mount Kailash is located in the Tibetan province of Ngari in Western Tibet, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Kailash is one of the peaks in the Gandhi mountain system (冈底斯山脉pinyin: gangdisi shanmai), located in the south of the Tibetan Plateau and running almost parallel to the Himalayas.

Kailash is the highest mountain peak in its area (6714 meters / according to other sources 6638 meters), which also outwardly differs from neighboring mountains in its tetrahedral pyramidal shape, oriented to the four cardinal points. In the Kailash region, the four main rivers of Tibet, India and Nepal originate and spread to the cardinal points: the Brahmaputra in the east, the Indus in the north, the Sutlej in the west, and the Karnali (a tributary of the Ganges River) in the south.

Name

Kailash is known by many names. The most common name in Russian Kailash is the name of the sacred mountain in Sanskrit. It is also quite common to write Kailash.

So which is correct: Kailash or Kailash? - both options are correct, since both spellings are found in ancient Indian texts - both with the sound “s” at the end, and with the sound “sh”:

• कैलाश Kailāśa (“Kailash”) and केलास Kailāsa (“Kailash”). It should be noted that modern India now says "Kailash", while "Kailash" is perhaps a more authentic name, for such a spelling is found in the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata.
• In Tibet, the most popular name for a peak is Kang Rinpoche(གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ wylie: gangs rinpoche), which means "Snow Jewel" or "Precious Snow Peak". In classical texts, the peak is called Kang Tise(གངས་ཏི་སེ wylie: gangs tise) or just Tiese (ཏི་སེ wylie:tise).
• Followers of the pre-Buddhist religion of Tibet Bon call this sacred mountain Jundrung Gutsek (གཡུང་དྲུང་དགུ་བརྩེགས wylie: gyung drung dgu brtsegs), which means "Nine-storied Swastika Mountain".
• In English, the most common name for a peak isKailashderived from Sanskrit.
• The Chinese names for Kailash are derived from the Tibetan ones: Gang Renboqi(冈仁波齐 pinyin: gang renboqi) from the Tibetan name of Kang Rinpoche and Gandishishan(冈底斯山 pinyin: gangdisi shan) from the Tibetan Kang Tise. Also in the people, Kailash in Chinese is simply called the "sacred peak" - Shenshan(神山 pinyin: shenshan).

Kailash in world religions

Mount Kailash is sacred to representatives of four religions: Buddhism, Bon, Hinduism and Jainism. For Buddhists, Kailash is the abode of Buddha Shakyamuni in an angry form. For Hindus - the abode of Shiva, the god-destroyer of illusions. For the Jains, Kailash is sacred as the place where their first saint, Adinatha, attained enlightenment. Followers of the Bon religion believe that the founder of the Tonpa religion, Shenrab Miwoche, descended from heaven to earth from here.

Despite the fact that the believers of these four religions have different interpretations of the significance of Kailash, they all consider this peak to be the most sacred place, the “heart of the world”, the axis of the universe (Latin axis mundi), linking heaven and earth, through which the practitioner can connect with higher powers.

Kailash in Buddhism

For Tibetan Buddhists, Kailash is the abode of Buddha Shakyamuni in the form of the wrathful deity Korlo Demchok (འཁོར་ལོ་བདེ་མཆོག་ wylie: ‘khorlo bde mchog) or Chakrasamvara in Sanskrit. Demchok is depicted in conjunction with the spiritual consort Dorje Pakmo (རྡོ་རྗེ་ཕག་མོ wylie: rdo rje phag mo) or Vajravarahi. Their union is a symbol of the unity of emptiness and bliss (བདེ་སྟོང་དབྱེར་མེད wylie: bde stong dbyer med). Diligent spiritual practice is the only way to know this symbol.

For Buddhist followers of the Little Chariot (Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, etc.), Kailash is a place that Buddha Shakyamuni himself consecrated along with 500 arhats, emanating himself in the Kailash region.

After Buddha Shakyamuni, Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, a Buddhist master of the 8th century AD, revered as the second Buddha, meditated here. He left behind treasures-terma in the rocks around Kailash.

Three centuries later, Milarepa, a well-known Tibetan meditation master, hermit, mystic and poet, meditated here. Despite the rapid spread of Buddhism in Tibet since the 8th century, Kailash and the surrounding area still remained a place especially revered by the followers of the Bon religion. But after Milarepa, the secrets of Kailash were revealed to Tibetan Buddhists. Having achieved spiritual realizations, Milarepa, together with his disciples, went to Western Tibet to visit the places of Buddha Shakyamuni. Arriving in the Kailash region, he met a Bon master named Naro Bonchung. A dispute arose between them over dominance in the Kailash region, which they agreed to resolve through competition using siddhis - supernatural powers. The first competition was on Lake Manasarovar near Kailash: Milarepa stretched his whole body on the surface of the lake, and Naro Bonchung stood on the surface of the water from above. Not satisfied with the results, they continued the competition by running around Kailash: Milarepa ran clockwise, and Naro Bonchung counterclockwise. Having met at the top of the Dolma la pass near the northern slope of Kailash, they continued the magical battle, but again they could not decide who was the winner. Then Naro Bonchung proposed the following competition: whoever climbs to the top of Kailash on the full moon day immediately after dawn will be the winner. On the appointed day, Naro Bonchung, riding on his shamanic drum, flew to the top of Kailash. Milarepa, on the other hand, calmly rested below, making his students worry. But, as soon as the first rays of the sun reached the peak of Kailas, Milarepa grabbed one of the rays and instantly reached the sacred peak. Naro Bonchung was stunned and fell off his drum. Thus, Milarepa won and the followers of the Bon religion lost control of the region, moving their spiritual center from Kailash to Mount Bonri to the east of Lhasa.

Since then and up to the present day, Mount Kailash has been sacred both for Tibetan Buddhists and, in particular, for adherents of the Kagyu school, to which Milarepa belonged. But the followers of the Bon religion continue to revere this peak. So, Buddhists make a pilgrimage around Kailash clockwise, and Bon followers counterclockwise.

In the 13th century, master Gotsangpa discovered the magical powers of Kailash for adherents of the Drukpa Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. He also spent 5 years meditating at the Dirapuk Monastery, located in front of the Dolma la pass opposite the northern elephant of Kailash. Therefore, up to the present day, this monastery, Kailash and all the surroundings of the peak are especially revered by the adherents of the Drukpa Kagyu school.

Despite the fact that there are many sacred peaks in Tibet, only the Kailash region is a powerful and all-encompassing mandala, where every peak and every hill is the abode of one or another deity, where every crevice in the rocks was a place of meditation for hermits. Nowhere else are there so many places of power with self-manifested symbols of the path to enlightenment.

Kailash in the Bon religion

bon symbol

The founder of the Bon religion was Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche. He lived about thirty thousand years ago in the spiritually perfect place of Olmo Lung Ring, where only enlightened beings could go. According to the surviving descriptions, this place looked like a mixture of ideas about the mystical country of Shablala, Mount Kailash and Mount Meru. Despite the fact that Olmo Lung Ring is a magical place, according to some sources, it was located on the territory of the Tazik country in the west of the kingdom of Zhang Zhung in Western Tibet. In the center of Omolungring was the sacred peak of Yundrung Gutsek - the “Nine-storied Mountain of the Swastika”, symbolizing the “Nine Ways of Bon”, from where Tonpa Shenrab descended into the world of people. At the foot of the mountain, four great rivers originated, spreading in four directions. Some followers of the Bon religion believe that Mount Yundrung Gutsek is the sacred Kailash. According to other versions, Tonpa Shenrab moved the power and magic contained in the mountain Yundrung Gutsek inside Kailash. At the end of his life in our world, he, using the axis of the world located on Kailash, returned to heaven. In any case, Mount Kailash is a sacred place for the followers of the Bon religion, symbolizing the place of the god Shang Shung Meri. Teachings and lineage Meri (Me Ri) was one of the main practices in Shang Shung and is preserved to this day.

Kailash in Hinduism

In Hinduism, Kailash is the abode of God Shiva - the supreme God of gods, the destroyer of illusions, the master of yoga and tantra. Shiva and his wife Parvati live on the peak of Kailash in the highest meditative state of Absolute Bliss. According to the Vishnu Purana, the peak of Kailash is a reflection of Mount Meru, which is the center of all universes in both material and spiritual aspects.

Due to the hemispherical shape of Mount Kailash, it is personified with a lingam - the main symbol of Shiva, the masculine principle. In the Puranas, the Lingam is the manifested image of the Eternal Unmanifested Shiva, who is beyond time, space, qualities and forms. At the base of the lingam is the yoni, the symbol of shakti, the universal feminine energy. So, the sacred lake Manasarovar, located near Kailash, is the personification of the yoni and the abode of Parvati, therefore, together with Kailash, it is especially revered among the followers of Hinduism. For them, the pilgrimage to Kailash and Manasarovar is, first of all, a meeting with God. Therefore, millions of believers annually go to the sacred peak.

Kailash in Jainism

For the followers of Jainism, Kailash is also a sacred peak, and Mount Meru, personifying the center of the universe. Rishabha, who became the first saint in Jainism, reached nirvana in the Kailas region, thus initiating the tithankara tradition. In the worldview of the Jains, the world has no beginning and end, and time moves in a circle, like the wheel of being. Thus, our world has already completed countless time cycles, and countless cycles will come after our time. Each cycle or "kalachakra" is divided into two half-cycles: growth and decay. In each half-cycle, 24 tirthankaras are born, the first of which was Rishabha, also known as Adinatha.

stupas at the Dirapuk monastery on the northern slope of Kailash