Mount Kailash is a mysterious and incomprehensible secret of Tibet, a place that attracts thousands of religious pilgrims and tourists. The highest in its region, surrounded by the sacred lakes Manasarovar and Rakshas (living and dead water), the summit unconquered by any climber is worth seeing it with your own eyes at least once in your life.
Where is Mount Kailash located?
The exact coordinates are 31.066667, 81.3125, Kailash is located in the south of the Tibetan Plateau and separates the basins of the four main rivers of Asia, the water from its glaciers flows into Lake Langa-Tso. A high-resolution photo from a satellite or an airplane resembles an eight-petal flower of the correct shape; on the map it does not differ from the neighboring ridges, but significantly exceeds them in height.
The answer to the question: what is the height of the mountain is disputed, the range called by scientists is from 6638 to 6890 m. On the southern slope of the mountain there are two deep perpendicular cracks, their shadows form the outlines of a swastika at sunset.
The sacred meaning of Kailash
Mount Kailash is mentioned in all ancient myths and religious texts of Asia, it is recognized as sacred among four religions:
- Hindus believe that the beloved abode of Shiva is located at its peak, in Vishnu Purana it is indicated as the city of gods and the cosmic center of the Universe.
- In Buddhism, this is the place of residence of the Buddha, the heart of the world and a place of power.
- Jains worship grief as a place where Mahavira, their first prophet and greatest saint, gained true insight and interrupted samsara.
- The Bonts call the mountain a place of concentration of vitality, the center of an ancient country and the soul of their traditions. Unlike the believers of the first three religions, who make the kora (cleansing pilgrimage) salting, the followers of Bon go towards the sun.
Parascientific concepts about Kailash
The riddle of Kailash worries not only scientists, but also lovers of mysticism and transcendental knowledge, historians looking for traces of ancient civilizations. The ideas put forward are very bold and bright, for example:
- The mountain and its surroundings are called the system of ancient pyramids, destroyed from time to time. Supporters of this version note a clear stepping (only 9 protrusions) and the correct location of the mountain edges, almost exactly coinciding with the cardinal points, as in the complexes in Egypt and Mexico.
- The theory of E. Muldashev about stone mirrors of Kailash, gates to another world and artifacts of ancient mankind hidden inside the mountain. According to him, this is an artificially built, hollow object with an initial height of 6666 m, the concave sides of which warp time and hide the passage to a parallel reality.
- Legends about the sarcophagus hiding the gene pool of Christ, Buddha, Confucius, Zarathustra, Krishna and other teachers of antiquity.
Climbing stories of Kailash
The question “who conquered Kailash” is pointless to ask, because of religious considerations, the indigenous people did not attempt to conquer the summit, all officially registered expeditions with this orientation belong to foreign climbers. Like the rest of the ice-covered pyramidal mountains, Kailash is difficult to climb, but the main problem is the protest of believers.
Having hardly received permission from the authorities in 2000 and 2002, the Spanish groups did not go beyond the camp at the foot of the camp, in 2004 Russian enthusiasts tried to make the ascent without high-altitude equipment, but returned due to unfavorable weather. At present, such ascents are prohibited at the official level, including ONN.
Hike around Kailash
Many companies offer the service of delivery to the starting point of the kora - Darchen and accompanying a guide. The pilgrimage takes up to 3 days, the trek through the most difficult section (Dolma pass) - up to 5 hours. During this time, the pilgrim walks 53 km, after passing 13 circles, passage to the inner ring of the bark is allowed.
Don't forget to read about Mount Olympus.
Those wishing to visit this place should remember not only about good physical training, but about the need for a permit - a kind of group visa to visit Tibet, registration takes 2-3 weeks. The policy pursued by China has made it almost impossible to get to Mount Kailash on your own, individual visas are not issued. But there is also a plus: the more people in the group, the cheaper the tour and the road will cost.
