Kailash is located among six majestic mountain ranges, symbolizing the sacred lotus flower. Four large rivers originate from the slopes of the mountain; it is believed that, rushing in different directions, they divide the world into four regions.

Various religions considered Kailash as a sacred place long before the epic poems Ramayana and Mahabharata were written. Tibetan Buddhists call the mountain "Hangriposh", "Precious Mountain of Glacial Snow", where sacred beings reside. Three hills a little to the side are the place where the bodhisattvas settled: Manyushri, Vajrapani and Avalokiteshvara, who help people achieve enlightenment.

The sacred peak of Kailasa is the oldest place of pilgrimage; it is difficult to get here and even more difficult to perform the ritual. Pilgrims will have to walk a 52-km route around the mountain: clockwise for Buddhists, counterclockwise for bonzes. This is a ritual known as Kora or Parikrama. The journey takes from one day to three weeks, depending on the physical condition of the believers. It is believed that a pilgrim who circles the mountain 108 times is guaranteed to achieve enlightenment.

Most pilgrims arriving at Kailash take a bath in the sacred waters of the nearby Lake Mansarovar at an altitude of 4585 m. It is considered the highest freshwater lake in the world and is known as the “Lake of Consciousness and Enlightenment”, in addition, it is located next to “Rakas Tal", or "Lake of Demons".

Other name

• "Kailas" means "crystal" in Sanskrit. The Tibetan name for the mountain is “Khangrimposh” (or “Khangriposh”), which means “Priceless Jewel of the Snows”.
• "Tize" is another name for the mountain. According to the teachings of the Jains, the mountain is called “Astapada”.

Forbidden

According to religions that revere the mountain, touching its slopes with your foot is an unforgivable sin. It is alleged that many who tried to break this taboo died as soon as they set foot on the mountain.

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 peak, unconquered by any climber, is worth seeing with your own eyes at least once in your life.

Where is Mount Kailash?

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, water from its glaciers flows into Lake Langa Tso. High-resolution photos from a satellite or airplane resemble an eight-petaled flower of regular 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 outline of a swastika at sunset.

Mount Kailash is mentioned in all ancient myths and religious texts of Asia, it is recognized as sacred among four religions:

• Hindus believe that at its peak is the favorite abode of Shiva; in the Vishnu Purana it is indicated as the city of the gods and the cosmic center of the Universe.
• In Buddhism, it is the seat of the Buddha, the heart of the world and the place of power.
• Jains worship the mountain as the place where Mahavira, their first prophet and greatest saint, gained true insight and interrupted samsara.
• The Bon people call the mountain a place of concentration of vitality, the center of an ancient country and the soul of their traditions. Unlike believers of the first three religions, who make a kora (purifying pilgrimage) after sun exposure, Bon followers go towards the sun.

Parascientific concepts about Kailash

The mystery of Kailas worries not only scientists, but also lovers of mysticism and transcendental knowledge, historians searching for traces of ancient civilizations. The ideas put forward are very bold and bright, for example:

• The mountain and its surroundings are called a system of ancient pyramids destroyed over time. Supporters of this version note a clear step pattern (9 ledges in total) and the correct location of the faces of the mountain, almost exactly coinciding with the cardinal points, like the complexes in Egypt and Mexico.
• E. Muldashev's theory about the stone mirrors of Kailash, the gates to another world and the artifacts of ancient humanity hidden inside the mountain. According to him, this is an artificially constructed, hollow inside object with an original height of 6666 m, the concave sides of which bend 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.

Stories of climbing Kailash

It is pointless to ask the question “who conquered Kailash”; due to religious reasons, the indigenous people did not attempt to conquer the peak; all officially registered expeditions with this focus belong to foreign climbers. Like other pyramid-shaped ice-covered mountains, Kailash is difficult to climb, but the main problem is the protest of believers.

Having difficulty obtaining permission from the authorities in 2000 and 2002, the Spanish groups did not go further than the camp set up at the foot of the camp; in 2004, Russian enthusiasts tried to make the climb without high-altitude equipment, but returned due to unfavorable weather. Currently, such ascents are prohibited at the official level, including UNN.

Trek around Kailash

Many companies offer the service of delivery to the starting point of the bark - Darchen and accompanying a guide. The pilgrimage takes up to 3 days, crossing the most difficult section (Dolma Pass) – up to 5 hours. During this time, the pilgrim walks 53 km; after completing 13 circles, passage to the inner ring of the kora is allowed.

Those wishing to visit this place should remember not only good physical fitness, but also the need for a permit - a kind of group visa to visit Tibet; registration takes 2-3 weeks. The policy pursued by China has led to the fact that it is 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 travel will cost.

The first group to Kailash is being recruited in 2020: in addition to the crust around Kailash, you will see the North Face of Everest, beautiful lakes, the Ancient Kingdom of Guge, the Garuda Valley and rarely visited ancient cave complexes in Western Tibet - Dungkar and Piyang. Route . Arrival in Lhasa on April 26, 2020. Unique tour to Kailash Kora with a Russian guide! Join us!

Mount Kailash (Kailash) - Jewel of the Snows, the center of the universe, the abode of Shiva and Buddha Shakyamuni in the guise of the wrathful deity Chakrasamvara, the patron of one of the highest tantras of Vajrayana Buddhism. There is a belief that if you walk around the sacred mountain 108 times, you can achieve enlightenment.

Kailash has attracted ascetics, yogis and pilgrims for many centuries. Nowadays, more and more people are interested in traveling to this peak. And it’s not just the unusual tetrahedral shape of the mountain, reminiscent of an artificially built pyramid, but rather the fact that Kailash is a shrine for millions of representatives of four religions: Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Bonpos. Every year, thousands of pilgrims make a sacred circumambulation around Kailash, offering prayers and performing religious practices.

Geography

Mount Kailash is located in the Tibetan province of Ngari in Western Tibet, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Kailash is one of the peaks in the Gandhisa mountain system (冈底斯山脉pinyin: gangdisi shanmai), located in the south of the Tibetan Plateau and running almost parallel to the Himalayas.

Kailash is the highest mountain peak in its area (6714 meters / according to other sources 6638 meters), which also differs in appearance from neighboring mountains with its tetrahedral pyramidal shape, oriented to the four cardinal directions. In the Kailash region, the four main rivers of Tibet, India and Nepal originate and spread to the cardinal points: the Brahmaputra in the east, the Indus in the north, the Sutlej in the west, and the Karnali (a tributary of the Ganges River) in the south.

Name

Kailash is known by many names. The most common name in Russian Kailash is the name of the sacred mountain in Sanskrit. It is also quite common to write Kailash.

So which is correct: Kailash or Kailash? - Both options are correct, since both spellings are found in ancient Indian texts - both with the sound “s” at the end and with the sound “sh”:

• कैलाश Kailāśa (“Kailasha”) and केलास Kailāsa (“Kailasa”). It should be noted that modern India now says "Kailash", while "Kailas" is perhaps a more authentic name, for such a spelling is found in the ancient Indian epic "Mahabharata".
• In Tibet, the most popular name for the peak is Kang Rinpoche(གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ wylie: gangs rinpoche), which translated means “Snow Jewel” or “Precious Snow Peak”. In classical texts the peak is called Kang Tise(གངས་ཏི་སེ wylie: gangs tise) or simply Tise (ཏི་སེ wylie:tise).
• Followers of the Provobuddi religion of Tibet Bon call this sacred mountain Yundrung Gutsek (གཡུང་ དགུ་ བརྩེགས བརྩེགས wylie: gyung drung dgu brtsegs), which means "nine -story Mountain of the Swastika."
• In English, the most common name for a peak isKailash, originating from Sanskrit.
• The Chinese names for Kailash are derived from the Tibetan ones: Gan Renboqi(冈仁波齐 pinyin: gang renboqi) from the Tibetan name Kang Rinpoche and Gandhisishan(冈底斯山 pinyin: gangdisi shan) from Tibetan Kang Tise. Also, Kailash in Chinese is popularly called simply “sacred peak” - Shenshan(神山 pinyin: shenshan).

Kailash in world religions

Mount Kailash is sacred to representatives of four religions: Buddhism, Bon, Hinduism and Jainism. For Buddhists, Kailash is the abode of Shakyamuni Buddha in his wrathful form. For Hindus, it is the abode of Shiva, the destroyer of illusions. For Jains, Kailash is sacred as the place where their first saint, Adinatha, achieved enlightenment. Followers of the Bon religion believe that from here the founder of the religion, Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche, descended from heaven to earth.

Despite the fact that believers of these four religions have different interpretations of the significance of Kailash, they all consider this peak to be the most sacred place, the “heart of the world,” the axis of the universe (Latin axis mundi), connecting heaven and earth, through which a practitioner can contact higher powers.

Kailash in Buddhism

For Tibetan Buddhists, Kailash is the abode of Shakyamuni Buddha in the form of the wrathful deity Korlo Demchog (འཁོར་ལོ་བདེ་མཆོག་ wylie: ‘khorlo bde mchog) or Chakrasamvara in Sanskrit. Demchok is depicted in conjunction with the spiritual consort Dorje Pakmo (རྡོ་རྗེ་ཕག་མོ wylie: rdo rje phag mo) or Vajravarahi. Their union is a symbol of the unity of emptiness and bliss (བདེ་སྟོང་དབྱེར་མེད wylie: bde stong dbyer med). Diligent spiritual practice is the only way to know this symbol.

For Buddhist followers of the Lesser Vehicle (Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, etc.), Kailash is a place that Buddha Shakyamuni himself sanctified along with 500 arhats, emanating himself in the Kailash area.

After Shakyamuni Buddha, Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, an 8th century AD Buddhist master revered as the second Buddha, meditated here. He left behind terma treasures in the rocks around Kailash.

Three centuries later, Milarepa, a famous Tibetan meditation master, hermit, mystic and poet, meditated here. Despite the rapid spread of Buddhism in Tibet since the 8th century, Kailash and the surrounding area remained a place especially revered by followers of the Bon religion. But after Milarepa, the secrets of Kailash were also revealed to Tibetan Buddhists. Having achieved spiritual realization, Milarepa and his disciples went to Western Tibet to the places of Buddha Shakyamuni. Arriving in the Kailash region, he met a Bon master named Naro Bonchung. A dispute arose between them over dominance in the Kailash region, which they agreed to resolve through competition using siddhis - supernatural powers. The first competition was on Lake Manasarovar near Kailash: Milarepa stretched his entire body across the surface of the lake, and Naro Bonchung stood on the surface of the water from above. Not satisfied with the results, they continued the competition by running around Kailash: Milarepa ran clockwise and Naro Bonchung counterclockwise. Having met at the top of the Dolma la pass near the northern slope of Kailash, they continued the magical battle, but again could not decide who the winner was. Then Naro Bonchung proposed the following competition: whoever climbs to the top of Kailash on the day of the full moon immediately after dawn will be the winner. On the appointed day, Naro Bonchung, riding his shamanic drum, flew to the top of Kailash. Milarepa rested calmly below, causing his disciples to worry. But as soon as the first rays of the sun reached the peak of Kailash, Milarepa grabbed one of the rays and instantly reached the sacred peak. Naro Bonchung was stunned and fell from his drum. Thus, Milarepa won and the followers of the Bon religion lost control of the region, moving their spiritual center from Kailash to Mount Bonri east of Lhasa.

Since then, and right up to the present day, Mount Kailash has been sacred both to Tibetan Buddhists and, in particular, to adherents of the Kagyu school, to which Milarepa belonged. But followers of the Bon religion continue to revere this peak. Thus, Buddhists make a pilgrimage around Kailash clockwise, and Bon followers counterclockwise.

In the 13th century, Master Gotsangpa discovered the magical powers of Kailash for adherents of the Drukpa Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. He also spent 5 years meditating at the Dirapuk Monastery, located before the Dolma la pass opposite the northern elephant of Kailash. Therefore, to this day, this monastery, Kailash and all the surrounding areas of the peak are especially revered by adherents of the Drukpa Kagyu school.

Although there are many sacred peaks in Tibet, only the Kailash region is a powerful and comprehensive mandala, where every peak and every hill is the abode of one or another deity, where every cleft in the rocks was a place of meditation for hermits. Nowhere else are there so many places of power with self-manifested symbols of the path to enlightenment.

Kailash in Bon religion

bon symbol

The founder of the Bon religion was named Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche. He lived about thirty thousand years ago in the spiritually perfect place of Olmo Lung Ring, where only enlightened beings could enter. According to the surviving descriptions, this place looked like a mixture of ideas about the mystical land of Shablale, Mount Kailash and Mount Meru. Despite the fact that Olmo Lung Ring is a magical place, according to some sources it was located in the territory of the country of Tazik to the west of the kingdom of Shang Shung in Western Tibet. In the center of Omolungring there was the sacred peak of Yundrung Gutsek - the “Nine-Storey Swastika Mountain”, symbolizing the “Nine Paths of Bon”, from where Tonpa Shenrab descended into the world of people. At the foot of the mountain, four great rivers originated, spreading in four directions. Some followers of the Bon religion believe that Mount Yundrung Gutsek is the sacred Kailash. According to other versions, Tonpa Shenrab moved the power and magic contained in Mount Yundrung Gutsek inside Kailash. At the end of his life in our world, using the axis of the world located on Kailash, he returned to heaven. In any case, Mount Kailash is a sacred place for followers of the Bon religion, symbolizing the place of the god Shang Shung Meri. The teachings and lineage of Meri (Me Ri) were one of the main practices in Shang Shung and are preserved to this day.

Kailash in Hinduism

In Hinduism, Kailash is the abode of God Shiva - the supreme God of gods, destroyer of illusions, master of yoga and tantra. Shiva, along with his wife Parvati, resides on the peak of Kailash in the highest meditative state of Absolute Bliss. According to Vishnu Purana, Kailasa peak is a reflection of Mount Meru, which is the center of all universes in both material and spiritual aspects.

Due to the hemispherical shape of Mount Kailash, it is personified with the lingam - the main symbol of Shiva, the masculine principle. In the Puranas, the Lingam is the manifested image of the Eternal Unmanifested Shiva, who is beyond time, space, qualities and forms. At the base of the lingam there is a yoni - a symbol of shakti, the universal feminine energy. Thus, the sacred lake Manasarovar, located near Kailash, is the personification of yoni and the abode of Parvati, therefore, together with Kailash, it is especially revered among followers of Hinduism. For them, a pilgrimage to Kailash and Manasarovar is, first of all, a meeting with God. Therefore, millions of believers go to the sacred peak every year.

Kailash in Jainism

For followers of Jainism, Kailash is also both a sacred peak and Mount Meru, personifying the center of the universe. Rishabha, who became the first saint in Jainism, achieved nirvana in the Kailash region, thereby marking the beginning of the Tithankara tradition. In the Jain worldview, the world has no beginning or end, and time moves in a circle, like the wheel of existence. Thus, our world has already completed countless time cycles, and countless cycles will also come after our time. Each cycle or “kalachakra” is divided into two half-cycles: growth and decay. In each half-cycle, 24 Tirthankaras are born, the first of which was Rishabha, also known as Adinatha.

stupas at the Dirapuk monastery on the northern slope of Kailash

There are many unique places in the world that attract the attention of scientists and travelers. One of these is the most mysterious hill of Tibet - Kailash. In addition, many representatives of Eastern religions consider this territory to be a symbol of the highest deity. Read on to learn about interesting facts and mystical stories associated with the mountain range of the People's Republic of China.

Mount Kailash (Kailas) is a legendary mountain range, which is considered the spiritual center of the Earth and an object of cult worship. The mountain is recognized as sacred among four religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, Bon and Jainism. Pilgrims from all over the world come to the mountain to perform a special ritual.

Hindus consider it the mountain of gods. According to them, this is where the great Shiva spends most of his time. According to the beliefs and beliefs of Buddhists, the mountain is the abode of Buddha. He came down to Earth in the form of Samvar. Supporters of Jainism claim that on this mountain the first saint freed himself from earthly bonds and all worldly things. Representatives of the Bon religion are convinced that the life force of the planet is concentrated in the sacred mountain.

What does Kailash look like?

Kailash has a tetrahedral shape, which outwardly resembles an ancient Greek pyramid, the edges of which are directed to the cardinal directions. Kailash and the mountains that are located nearby form a system of natural pyramids. They are much larger than the ancient pyramids of Egypt, China, as well as the underwater pyramids of Yonaguni.

The top of the hill is covered with a thick layer of snow. It doesn't melt even in summer. The cracks formed on the southern side of the mountain range are a mystery in themselves. They may have been formed during earthquakes, but it looks as if someone artificially created them from their own imagination.

Holy Kailash: mysticism and reality

Tibet is a place where incredible miracles happen. Many scientists suggest that there are several mysterious rooms in the middle of Mount Kailash. One of them contains a legendary black stone that can turn dreams into reality. The crystal sends vibrations from the Cosmos, which make people noble and contribute to their spiritual development. Mystics claim that ancestors live inside the mountain pyramid. They are in a state of samadhi. It is also believed that the gene pool from the times of Atlantis has been preserved here. Another version is that Christ, Buddha and Krishna live in the tomb connected to the Kailash tunnel. The gods will come to their senses in difficult times for the Earth.

Phenomena of Mount Kailash

Kailash is considered the largest point where the energy of the entire planet is concentrated. The uniqueness of the mountain range lies in the fact that structures of unusual shape are located close to it. In Soviet times, the development of a “time machine” was carried out. Various mechanisms have been invented by which people can supposedly move to different periods of time. Russian genius Nikolai Kozarev invented the “mirror system”.

Its essence lies in the fact that a bent mirror spiral, inside of which a person sits, displays physical time. At the same time, it is capable of focusing various types of radiation. As it turned out, time passed much faster inside the device than outside it. After the research, it was decided to close the development. The people who were experimented on began to see the past, UFOs and much more.

The mountain range resembles that very “time machine”, only in larger sizes. Many representatives of the clergy confirm that there is such a phenomenon as “time warp” here. One day, a group of researchers went to Kailash to conduct a sacred circuit around the mountain. It was surprising that after a 12-hour journey they had aged two whole years. This suggests that human life in this area proceeds much faster. Even yogi meditations take several days.

Mount Kailash: the mystery of the number 6666

Due to different methods of measuring height, the exact height of Kailash is not known. Many researchers claim that the height of the mountain is 6666 meters. The same distance from the mountain to the North Pole and to the Sutlej monument. To the South is 13332 meters (6,666 * 2). Other scientists refute this fact, since the Himalayas are relatively young mountains and cannot grow more than half a centimeter per year.

10 mysterious facts and discoveries about Mount Kailash

1. Kailash is one of the mysterious places on Earth, whose height is considered a mystery - 6666 m.
2. Kailash, Easter Island, the pyramids of the Incas and Egypt are located on the same line.
3. In this area, the human body is rapidly aging. Nails, beard and hair grow quickly.
4. The mountain has a pyramid-like shape.
5. Externally, the mountain is covered with two ridges, which in the dark form the image of a swastika, an ancient Buddhist symbol, with shadows from the rock ledges.
6. Until now, no one has been able to conquer the top of the mountain.
7. Near Kailash there are two lakes: Manasarovar - “living lake” and Rakshas - “dead lake”, which is considered cursed. They are separated from each other by a thin isthmus.
8. Many believe that the mountain was built in ancient times artificially to achieve certain goals. There are voids inside and at the foot of the hill.
9. On the territory of Kailash there is the Sarcophagus of Nandu. According to ancient Chinese legends, Jesus, Confucius and other sages live here. In the event of the death of civilization, they will continue the gene pool of humanity.

Ritual circumambulation around Mount Kailash

Walking around the mountain is a sacred ritual. It is called kora or parikrama. After performing this ritual, a person acquires special divine power. A small number of Buddhists, Jains and representatives of the Bon religion come here on the full moon of the fourth Tibetan month. It is believed that whoever performs this ritual 13 times will be freed from earthly suffering forever. Whoever manages to circumnavigate Kailash 108 times will be able to approach the mental state of Buddha. Many pilgrims take a bath in the “Lake of Consciousness and Enlightenment”, located near Lake Manasarovar.

The bypass process itself takes an average of three days. The length of the route is 52 km. The road is strewn with stones, each of which has a special energy. Pilgrims believe that the souls of the gods live within them. On the first day, a person feels lightness and elation. The next day of the round begins a difficult period. They say you can feel the presence of death. Many people fall into a trance and feel their body on top of Kailash.

As a rule, Buddhists and Jains circumambulate towards the sun, while supporters of the Bon religion always walk in the opposite direction. There are legends among climbers that their colleagues who pretended to be pilgrims lost their minds after a while and then died in a psychiatric hospital. In the process of performing a ritual circumambulation of the peak, they secretly turned in the other direction to climb Kailash.

Mount Kailash on the map

Kailash is located in the south of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, which belongs to the territory of the People's Republic of China and is part of the Himalayan mountain system. It is located among six majestic ridges that symbolize the sacred lotus flower. Supporters of Hinduism believe that four large rivers begin from its slopes: Brahmaputra, Ghaghara, Indus and Sutlej. They divide the world into four parts. Scientists say that this opinion is erroneous. They substantiate their conclusions with images taken from satellites.

They clearly show that the glacial waters of Kailas flow into one lake from which only the Sutlej flows. This area is inaccessible even for professional climbers.

According to official data of geologists, 20 thousand years ago the mountain rose from the ocean as a result of the movement and collision of the earth's plates. Kailash is more than five million years old.

How to get to Mount Kailash

There are two ways to get to the sacred mountain - by plane from Kathmandu or Lhasa. Then take a bus to the foot of Kailash. Many people prefer to go from Lhasa, since this is the route that allows you to gradually get used to the mountain conditions.

Who conquered Mount Kailash

Kailash does not allow anyone to reach its peak. There were many attempts to conquer the mountain, but none were successful. Most expeditions ended in the death of daring brave men. They say that climbers who dare to climb the peak are faced with a mighty wall of air. After all, ancient legends say that anyone who dares to conquer the sacred mountain will die. There is no place for mortals on the mountain.

Failed climbs

In 1985, a climber from Germany, Reinhold Messner, expressed a desire to conquer Kailash. He received permission from the authorities to climb, but at the last moment he abandoned the climb. They say the climber had a dream. In 2000, Spanish climbers received permission to climb, but a huge crowd of pilgrims blocked the climbers’ path.

In 2004, a climber from Russia and his son tried to reach the top. During the ascent, the weather conditions of the area gradually worsened. There was a strong wind that prevented the conquest of the mountain.

Those who managed to conquer Kailash include only mythical personalities: Mivoche, the creator of the Bon tradition, and Milarepa, the teacher who touched the sun.

4.9166666666667 Rating 4.92

- 4.8 out of 5 based on 6 votes

The most interesting facts and secrets of Mount Kailash

“Strangers have rarely visited this wild land. In places we could look across the border of Tibet and see Mount Kailash. Although Kailash is only 6,666 meters high, Hindus and Buddhists consider it the most sacred of all the Himalayan peaks. Near it is the large lake Manasarovar, also sacred, and the famous monastery. At all times, pilgrims came here from the most remote parts of Asia.” Tenzing Noghray, conqueror of Everest.

Fact No. 1. Many names

Mount Kailash (Kailash) is one of the most mysterious places on our planet. She is also known by other names: Europeans call her Kailash, the Chinese call her Gandhisyshan (冈底斯山) or Ganrenboqi (冈仁波齐), in the Bon tradition her name is Yundrung Gutseg, in ancient texts in Tibetan she is called Kang Rinpoche ( གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ; gangs rin po che) - “Precious snowy one.” Many interesting secrets and legends about Kailash do not leave people, both pilgrims and researchers, indifferent.

Fact No. 2. Center of 4 religions

Mount Kailash is the sacred center of 4 religions: Hinduism, Jainism, Tibetan Bon religion and Buddhism. The dream of every Hindu is to see Kailash with his own eyes at least once in his life. Related to this desire are serious visa restrictions issued by China for Indians wishing to visit these places. In the Vedas (ancient texts of this religion), Mount Kailash is the favorite place of residence of Shiva (cosmic consciousness, personifying the masculine principle of the Universe).

The Tibetan ancient religion Bon considers Mount Kailash to be the place of origin of life in the Universe and the center of power. According to their legends, this is where the mystical country of Shangshung (Shambhala) is located, and the first Jain master Tongpa Shenrab descended into the world from Kailash.

Buddhists revere this mountain as the abode of Buddha in one of the main incarnations - Samvara. Therefore, every year during the Buddhist religious holiday Vesak (other names - Saga Dawa, Visakha Puja, Donchod Khural), dedicated to the enlightenment of Buddha Gautama, thousands of pilgrims and tourists from all over the world gather at the foot of Mount Kailash.

Fact No. 3. Beginning of 4 rivers

According to Hindu mythology, the four main rivers of Tibet, India and Nepal originate on the slopes of Mount Kailash: Indus, Brahmaputra, Sutlej and Karnali. Jains believe that at Mount Kailash their first saint, Jina Mahavira, achieved enlightenment, after which he founded his own teaching - Jainism.

Fact No. 4. Swastika symbol from the shadows

Swastika Mountain – another name for Kailash. The appearance of this name is associated with the pattern formed by two cracks on its southern side. In the evening, the shadow cast by the rock ledges depicts a huge image of a swastika on it. The swastika is a sacred symbol for many peoples of the world. In India, for example, the swastika is considered as a solar sign - a symbol of life, light, generosity and abundance, closely associated with the cult of the god Agni. A wooden tool was made in the shape of a swastika for producing sacred fire. They laid him flat on the ground; the depression in the middle served for a rod, which was rotated until a fire appeared, lit on the altar of the deity. The swastika was carved in many temples, on rocks, and on ancient monuments in India. The swastika is one of the symbols of Jainism.

Fact No. 5. Orientation to cardinal directions

Mount Kailash has a pyramidal shape, strictly oriented to the cardinal points. There is also evidence to suggest the presence of voids both in the mountain itself and at its foot. Some researchers who have studied the mountain and its secrets claim: Kailash is an unnatural artificial formation, erected in ancient times by an unknown person and for what purpose. It is possible that this is some kind of complex, a pyramid.

Fact No. 6. Liberation from sins

In the Bon religion and Hinduism, there is a legend that says: walking around Kailash (kora) allows you to cleanse yourself of all sins committed in a given life. If the kora is performed 13 times, the pilgrim who completes it is guaranteed not to go to Hell; if the kora is performed 108 times, he breaks out of the circle of rebirths and reaches the degree of enlightenment of the Buddha. A kora performed on a full moon counts as two. That is why there are always many pilgrims around the mountain today, making their way to atone for sins.

Fact No. 6. Climbing Kailash is impossible

Mount Kailash is closed to climbers: not a single person has yet visited its peak. This is due not only to the fact that climbing it is officially prohibited. There are legends that Kailash is able to incomprehensibly change the desire of climbers to climb, thereby not allowing anyone to approach him. Those who get too close to it, and those who intend to climb to its top, are suddenly instructed to go in the opposite direction.

Whether this is true or not, the top of the mountain still remains unconquered. In 1985, the famous mountaineer Reinhold Messner received permission to climb from the Chinese authorities, but refused at the last moment.

In 2000, a Spanish expedition for a fairly significant amount purchased permission to conquer Kailash from the Chinese authorities. The team set up a base camp at the foot, but were never able to set foot on the mountain. Thousands of pilgrims blocked the expedition's path. The Dalai Lama, the UN, a number of large international organizations, millions of believers around the world expressed their protest against the conquest of Kailash and the Spaniards had to retreat.

Fact No. 7. Mirrors of Time on the surface of Kailash

Another mystery of Kailash, around which there are numerous disputes and judgments, is the mirror of time. They mean many rocks located near Kailash, having a smooth or concave surface. Whether these surfaces were created artificially in ancient times or are a play of nature is still not known.

There is an assumption that these formations are a kind of “Kozyrev mirrors” - concave mirrors, at the focus of which the speed of time can change. A person who comes into the focus of such a mirror may experience various abnormal and psychophysical sensations. According to Muldashev, the mirrors around Kailash are placed in a certain system in relation to each other, which creates something like a “time machine” capable of transporting the initiate not only to different time periods, but also to other worlds.

Fact No. 8. Lakes Manasarovar and Rakshas Tal - so close, but so different

Two lakes located at the foot of Mount Rakshas Tal and Manasarovar are located nearby and are separated from each other by only a small isthmus. However, both these lakes are strikingly different from each other, which represents another mystery of Kailash.

The waters of Lake Manasarovar, revered by Tibetans as sacred, are fresh. According to legend, Lake Manasarovar was the first object created in the consciousness of Brahma. This is where its name comes from: in Sanskrit “Manas sarovara” means “Lake of Consciousness” from the words manas (consciousness) and sarovara (lake). According to one of the Buddhist legends, this lake is the same legendary Lake Anavatapta, where Queen Maya conceived Buddha. Manasarovar, like Kailash, is a place of pilgrimage, around which a ritual circumambulation - kora - is also performed in order to cleanse karma. Pilgrims come here to take ceremonial baths in the purifying waters of Manasarovar. It is believed that this lake is a place where “purity” lives; in its bottom layer, near the northwestern shore, the water is alive. Anyone who touches the sacred land of Manasarovar or bathes in this lake will definitely go to heaven. Anyone who drinks water from the lake will ascend to heaven to God Shiva and be cleansed of his sins. Therefore, Manasarovar is considered the most sacred, revered and famous lake in all of Asia. The area around the sacred lake is 100 km.

Near Manasarovar there is a salty dead lake Rakshas tal (also Langak, Rakas, Langa Tso (Chinese: 拉昂错, pinyin: Lā'áng Cuò). In Hindu mythology, this lake was created by the lord of the Rakshasas, the demon Ravana, and on this lake there was a special island where Ravana sacrificed one of his heads to Shiva every day. On the tenth day, Shiva gave Ravana superpowers. Lake Langa Tso is contrasted with Lake Manasarovar created by the gods. Manasarovar has a round shape, and Langa Tso is elongated in the form of a month, which symbolizes light and darkness respectively.According to local customs, touching the water of the dead lake is prohibited, as it can bring bad luck.

The number of legends, stories and various traditions associated with this place is simply enormous: it is unlikely that any other place on our planet can boast so many secrets and mysteries.