MOUNT KAILASH
MOUNTAIN OF MYSTERY
Mount Kailash is one of the wonders of the natural world.
It is sacred to four major world religions (Hinduism, Bon, Buddhism, and Jainism.) And it is said to be unclimbable.
It is the highest peak of the Kailash Range, towering above the ground at 22,000 feet.
Mount Kailash is located in southwest Tibet, about 50 miles away from the borders of India and Nepal.
And in the same region where the Ganges and Indus River start to flow.
The mountain is known as “Kailāsa” (कैलास; var. Kailāśa कैलाश) in Sanskrit.
The name also could have been derived from the word “kelāsa” (केलास), which means "crystal."
"Tibetan Buddhists call it Kangri Rinpoche; 'Precious Snow Mountain'.
Bon texts have many names: Water's Flower, Mountain of Sea Water, Nine Stacked Swastika Mountain.
For Hindus, it is the home of the Hindu god Shiva and it is believed that Shiva resides there.
For Jains it is where their first leader was enlightened.
For Buddhists, the navel of the universe.
And for adherents of Bon, it is the abode of the sky goddess Sipaimen.
Every year thousands make a pilgrimage to the mountain, following a tradition going back thousands of years.
The pilgrims of several religions circumambulate the mountain.
There have been several attempts to climb it, and each attempt has been foiled by events natural or otherwise.
The mountain remains a mystery of the natural world.
LINKS
Mount Kailash facts: mind-boggling things you may not know about Lord Shiva’s home
Mt. Kailash (Sacred Sites)
Mount Kailash (Indigenous Religious Traditions)
When a Russian doctor tried to crack the mystery of the abode of Lord Shiva (Russia Beyond)
Why You Shouldn't Miss Mt.Kailash in Your Tibet Tour? (Tibet Travel)
Climbing Mount Kailash: Can I Climb up to Mount Kailash? Is It allowed? (Tibet Travel)
