Mount Kailash : The Mysterious Mountain
By: Deepansh Palawat
Tags: Mountains, Ancient History, Hinduism, Buddhism, India

Mount Kailash — the Stairway to Heaven — It is the most intriguing mountain range in the whole of Himalayas, Mount Kailash is 22,000 ft from the Tibetan Plateau, which is largely considered to be inaccessible.

For Hindus and Buddhists, Mount Kailash is the physical embodiment of Mount Meru. The Kailash Range is 30 million years old and its supreme peak, the 6,675 meters high Mount Kailash was formed of shining granite with its white glacial crest. Hindus and Tibetans seem to have been aware of the uniqueness of this mountain from the most ancient times. To Hindus, it is the earthly embodiment of the dominant mountain of heaven, Meru, and the residence of Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati.

Here are 5 of the most interesting, little-known facts about one of the world’s most sacred and mysterious mountain peak — Mount Kailash.

1 — Place of Divine Beings

People say Kailash parvat is the home of Shiva. Contrary in yogic terminologies Shiva is not seen as a god. They see him as a Yogi, the first yogi or the first guru. He was the first one to transmit the yogic science to his first seven disciples, who came to be known as the Saptarishis. Shiva is the greatest mystic that we have known. So when we say “Home of Shiva,” it does not mean that if you dig in the rocks or look up in the clouds somewhere you will find Shiva.

It is because everything that he knew has been deposited in Mount Kailash in a certain energy form. He chose this peak as a scaffolding for his knowledge. The knowledge and the capability that Shiva known, all that is very alive and accessible at Kailash. So, starting from Shiva himself, many great beings chose to deposit and preserve their work in Kailash. Rishabh Dev Ji the first Tirthankara in Jainism, two of the greatest Buddhist teachers, Agastyamuni, the Nayanmars, — all of them chose Kailash Parvat as a place to preserve their work.

2 — The Unclimbed Peak

It is also said that many climbers who tried to climb Kailash have experienced that their hair and nails started growing rapidly during the climb and once some people in the Siberian region tried to climb it, but they felt that they started getting old and that is why he left their ascent midway and came back. It is also said that one of the reasons for not climbing Kailash is the ever bad weather, sometimes health and wandering.

At the same time, it is said that there are many caves around Mount Kailash that the world is not aware of and the divine saints go and do penance there. These caves can be seen by only a few people. There is a great saying in Tibet that “Only a man entirely free of sin can climb Kailash. And he wouldn’t have to scale the sheer walls of ice to do it — he’d just turn himself into a bird and fly to the summit.”

3 — The Gauri kund and Rakshas taal (Good and Evil Lake).

On Kailash Parikrama around Mount Kailash, you shall come across this gorgeous emerald-coloured pond which belongs to the wife of Lord Shiva, Parvati. Gauri Kund, as it is known, was her personal space where she used to take bath. It is also said that it is at GauriKund that Parvati created Lord Ganesha, using the dirt of her body.

There is a strong belief among the pilgrims that a dip or splash of water of Gauri Kund on the head, heals them. But, some stories suggest to avoid taking a bath here as Parvati still visits this place and personal space shouldn’t be occupied or touched.

Honestly, I would also discourage everyone from taking a dip in GauriKund since the place is over a height of 17,000 + feet and cold enough that a person can fall sick easily.

Rakshas means Devil and Tal meaning the lake, Rakshastal is believed to have originated through the demon king Ravana, who got infamous due to his act of kidnapping Sita from the text of Ramayana. It is said that while he was meditating around Mount Kailash, to impress Lord Shiva to grant him special powers, he made Rakshastal where he would sit and pray.

Due to its association with the demon king Ravana, Rakshastal has never been looked upon as an auspicious lake and pilgrims are often discouraged to either take a bath or drink water from it. It is said that with the touch of the water from this lake, a pilgrim will attract bad luck and therefore, it is not advisable to even get close to it but, scientifically researchers have claimed that it is, in fact, the salty nature of Rakshastal which makes it undrinkable and there are no water bodies in it. The touch of saltwater on a human body is bad.

4 — Significance of OM Parvat

Every year the Government of India organizes pilgrimage tours to Kailash Mansarovar in association with the China government. And on route to Kailash Mansarovar lies the Adi Kailash which happens to be near the Sino-Indo border. For those who don’t know, the majority of the trek is along the Kali river.

For those who are wondering where does Om Parvat come? Well, Om Parvat marks the tri-junction point where borders of Tibet, Nepal and India meet. That’s not all, this ancient Himalayan peak is breathtakingly beautiful.

Om Parvat Trek has a vast collection of mythological stories around it too. You will be surprised to know this but Om Parvat rises to an altitude of 6,191m. Om Parvat is also referred to by several other names such as Adi Kailash, Chota Kailash, Baba Kailash, and Jonglingkong.

But perhaps the most significant reason why it is famous is its name. The most astounding trait of this peak is the miraculous impression of “OM” which is naturally formed with the deposition of snow against the dark background of the mountain.

5 — Spiritual Center Of The Universe

Mount Kailash is believed to be the Axis Mundi aka the cosmic axis, world axis, world pillar, the centre of the world, the world tree. It is the point where heaven meets earth. The Google Maps vouch for the validity of this fact.

It is the centre of the world, according to ancient texts. Four of the world’s mightiest rivers, Indus (also known as Sindhu in India), Sutlej, Brahmaputra (Yarlung Tsang-po in Tibetan), and Karnali (the Ganges’ largest tributary) all originate within a 30-mile radius around this site located in far-western Tibet.

It is also a representation of the mythical Mount Meru, which many religions consider to be the cosmic mountain located at the exact centre of the universe. On reaching there, all pilgrims make a circumambulation (kora or parikrama) of the mountain (53 km), which usually takes about three days to complete. It is said that enlightenment is guaranteed to those brave souls who complete 108 journeys around it. At the foot of this immense mountain lies Mansarovar (‘Lake of Consciousness and Enlightenment’: 14,954 ft), a beautiful cobalt blue lake. A plunge into its icy waters is mandatory for most pilgrims to the site.

Mount Kailash is a pilgrimage and not a trek. Those of you who are thinking about it as a trek, mind you, it’s meaningless if you are not able to feel the spiritual energies while you take a parikrama of the sacred Kailash. When you go there as a pilgrim and not as a trekker, you will be awestruck with the vibes you will feel there and it will awaken you to be a more wonderful you.

In a world filled with materialistic pleasures, we forget to connect with our spiritual self. There are days when we tend to introspect our prospects, past decisions or seek healing and forgiveness. However, we are so busy in our daily life that our feelings do not last long. But what if you can feel more deeply and can connect with your spiritual being? Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is a journey of forgiveness, a journey of healing, a journey of self-proclamation and more. Encapsulated by immense beauty, Kailash Yatra boasts of a journey that connects with your soul.