Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar constitute one of the grandest of the Himalayan beauty spots. The perpetual snow-clad peak of holy Kailash of hoary antiquity and celebrity, the abode of Lord Shiva and Parvati, the spotless design, of nature’s art, or most bewitching and over-powering beauty, has a vibration of the supreme order from the spiritual point of view. It seems to stand as an immediate revelation of the Almighty in concrete for form, which makes man bend his knees and lower his head in reverence. Its gorgeous silvery summit, resplendent with the lustre of spiritual aura, pierces into a heavenly height of 6690 mt (22,028 feet) above sea level, overlooking the holy Mansarovar and Rakshas Tal. The Parikrama, or circum-ambulation of the Kailash Parvat is about 52 km.

 

Enchanting Forest path up to Rungling Top

The holy Mansarovar is the holiest, the most fascinating, the most inspiring of all lakes in the world and the most ancient that civilisation knows. It is famous in Indian mythology. The lake is majestically calm and dignified like a huge bluish-green emerald or a pure turquoise set between the two mighty and majestic mountains, the Kailash and the Gurla Mandhata. Stretching majestically over a extensive cradle of the Tibetan plateau and hanging at a heavenly height of 4550 mt (14,950 feet) above sea level, the vast expanse of the lake with a circumference of about 88 km and a depth of nearly 300 feet covers an area of about 320 sq km. The water of Mansarovar is crystal-clear and sweet. 

 

 

To the west of Mansarovar is the Rakshas Tal, also known as Ravana Hrada where Ravana of Lanka was said to have done penance to propitiate Lord Shiva. It is even bigger than Mansarovar, with a circumference of 122 Km. Rakshas Tal was considered the abode of demons and as such nobody drank water out of it.

 

Mt. Kailash base camp - Dharchen

Two of India’s most mportant rivers – for diametrically opposite reasons – originate from Mansarovar. One is the Sutlej, which flows towards India, traverses the width of the Himalayas, going down 4,500 mt  (15,000 feet ), and has to be harnessed at Bhakra Nangal dam. The Sutlej is a boon to Punjab, the land of five rivers, and we all know Punjab is the granary of India. The other, goes along the Tibetan plateau all along the backside of the Himalayas and turns the corner and enters India at the farthest, northeast corner of Arunachal Pradesh and turns back into Assam. This is the Brahmaputra, which carries such a large volume of water that every year it brings devastation to the Assam region.

 

We had to do a parikrama (circum-ambulation) of the Mansarovar in 2 days, a trek of aver 60 km. Though we walked along the banks and it was pretty flat and was the only part of the entire trip that entailed no climbing, it was nevertheless tough because of (a) the long distance to be covered (b) the thin air and lack of oxygen and (c) the absence of vegetation. Here and there on the banks one see the ruins of gompa’s, or dwellings of Buddhist monks, destroyed by the Chinese during their invasion of Tibet and in their effort to stamp out brutally all associations with the Dalai Lama. During the trek in this region, I was in charge of preparing Bourn Vita, and Maggie Noodles, while one of my co-travellers prepared Khichdi. I stepped into the lake once and did a sankalp (a resolution, wish or thanksgiving, or dedicating the fruit of the effort to Krishna – Krishnarpana - done with water in the palm, and chanting by a Brahmin and an offering to the Brahmin) through a co-traveller who was a Brahmin. I even had an extremely quick dip in the Mansarovar’s freezing water, as required by our tradition. Everybody filled plastic cans with the water of Mansarovar to take back home.

 

"sankalp" at Mansarovar

With one of our co-travellers falling ill with altitude sickness, and myself being cautioned by the doctor on the Indian side while crossing the Lipu Lekh pass (17,500 feet) into Tibet-China, I skipped the circumambulation of the Mount Kailash, as it involved passing the Dolma pass (18,500 feet). I stayed back at Tarzen, a little settlement under the charge of Dorji, a monk, for 3 days.

Mansarovar, with Mt Kailash at opposite bank

 

The Kailash-Manas region engages the attention of any person of any calling or profession, young or old, man or woman, theist or atheist.