 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
In
the far western Himalayas lies a moonscape of wide, stone sprinkled
valleys and boulder-strewn mountains. Out of the midst of this windswept
plateau raises a geometrical vision of pure white snow-the mystical
Kailash. Known as the “Precious Snow Jewel” the snow covered
holy peaks shines brightly as the holiest place of pilgrimage in the
entire Indian subcontinent. For endless centuries Kailash has called
pilgrims and mystics who endured great hardships to reach the holy
mountain’s remote location and worship on its gem-like slopes.
Even today it is not a simple thing to visit Kailash. Although we
make the journey luxurious by comparison, one must be prepared, like
pilgrims, to endure the rigors of the road. But who said it would
be easy to visit the home of the gods?
Myths and Legends surround Mt. Kailash
An endless litany of myth and legend surround the Holy mountain, whispering
in the mists of morning as early rising Tibetan pilgrims make their
circum-ambulations. Associated with the fabled Mt. Meru at the center
of the world, in Hindu mythology, Kailash is known as the home of
Lord Shiva who dances the cosmic dance of creation and destruction.For
Buddhists, Kailash is the home of Samvara, the Buddhist equivalent
of Shiva and a wrathful aspect of Buddha Sakyamuni. It is also a holy
place of the medieval Buddhist Saint Milarepa. Each of Kailash’s
four sheer walls lies gem-like along the our cardinal points of the
compass - and that’s not all! Known as the ‘Navel of the
World’, Kailash is located at the key point to the drainage
system of the Tibetan plateau. From Kailash flow the four most sacred
rivers of the subcontinent. The Karnali River flows from the south,
‘Sapphire’, face of Kailash, feeding into the Ganges as
it rushes through the Himalayas. The Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra),
flows from the eastern, ‘Crystal’ face along the entire
breadth of the Himalayas until it passes through the mountains into
Bangladesh, emptying – like the Ganges - into the Bay of Bengal.
The Indus River, whose fertile banks saw the birth of ancient Indian
civilization, flows west and then south through Pakistan, from the
northern ‘Gold’ face. The Sutlej also flows west into
Pakistan from the western, ‘Ruby’ face of Kailash, eventually
flowing, like the Indus into the Arabian Sea. The two pairs meet the
ocean more than 2,000 km apart. Such symmetry is truly amazing –
indeed holy.
|
|
|
|
