Mount Kailash

Kailash is a legendary mountain in Tibet, considered the spiritual center of the entire world. According to beliefs, Shiva, the god of destruction and creation, dwells at the summit of this mountain.

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General Information

Kailas is located among six majestic mountain ranges symbolizing the sacred lotus flower, four great rivers originate from the slopes of the mountain, it is believed that they, rushing in different directions, divide the world into four regions.

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Various religions considered Kailas a sacred place long before the epic poems Ramayana and Mahabharata were written. Tibetan Buddhists call the mountain “Hangriposh”, “Precious Mountain of Glacial Snow”, home to sacred beings. The three hills just off to the side are the place where the bodhisattvas, Manyushri, Vajrapani and Avalokiteshvara, who help people achieve enlightenment, have taken up residence.

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The sacred peak of Kailasa is the oldest pilgrimage site, it is difficult to get here and even more difficult to perform the ritual. Pilgrims have to follow a 52-km route around the mountain: clockwise for Buddhists, counter-clockwise for bonzes. It is a ritual known as Kora or Parikrama. The journey takes from one day to three weeks, depending on the physical condition of the believers. It is believed that a pilgrim who circumambulates the mountain 108 times is guaranteed to attain enlightenment.

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Most pilgrims arriving at Kailas perform ablutions in the sacred waters of nearby Lake Mansarovar at an altitude of 4,585 meters. It is considered the highest freshwater lake in the world and is known as the “Lake of Consciousness and Enlightenment” and is also next to the “Rakas Tal”, or “Lake of Demons.”

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Other name

  • “Kailas” means “crystal” in Sanskrit. The Tibetan name for the mountain is “Khangrimposh” (or “Khangriposh”), which means “Priceless Jewel of the Snows.”
  • “Tize” is another name for the mountain. According to the Jainist teachings, the mountain is called “Astapada.”

Forbidden

According to religions honoring the mountain, it is an unpardonable sin to touch its slopes with one’s foot. It is said that many who have tried to break this taboo have died just by stepping on the mountain.