Mt. Kailash & Lake Manasrovar

Mt. Kailash (6714m) is the most sacred mountain in Asia. It is believed to be the physical embodiment of the mythical Mt Meru, said to be the center of the universe or 'navel of the world' . Mt. Meru is depicted as a mandala, and its image occurs throughout both Buddhista and Hindu parts of Asia. Images of Mt Meru occur as far away as Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Borobadur in Indonesia. Mt Kailas is holy to followers of four religions. To Hindus, Kailas is the abode of Shiva and nearby Manasarobar Lake is the means or soul of Brahma. Tibetans call Kailas Kang Rimpoche. Jains worship it as Mt Ashtapada, the peak from which the religion's founder, Rishabanatha, achieved spiritual liberation. Followers of Bon-Po, the ancient pre- Buddhist shamanistic religion of Tibet, revere Kailas as the soul of Tibet.

Another geographical factor that contributes to the mystical aspect of Kailas is that nearby are the headwaters of four major rivers of the Indian subcontinent, the Sutlej, Karnili (a major tributary of the Ganges), Brahmaputra and Indus. The mouths of these rivers ate more than 2,000 km apart, yet they all have their source within 100 km on Mt Kailash.