– Discover The True Solitude
Mt. Kailash is remarkable in that four of the largest rivers in Asia have their sources within 100km of it: the Indus flowing to the north, the Brahmaputra to the east, the Karnali, one of the main tributaries of the Ganges, to the south and the Sutlej to the west.
Like a mountain in this part of the world, it is not exceptionally high, a mere 6,714m, yet striking. It rises high above the surrounding range and always remains snow-capped (thus its name in Tibetan ‘Gang Rinpoche’, which means ‘Jewel of Snow’).
Traditional Buddhist cosmology has often connected Kailash with Mount Meru, the great mythological mountain that forms the axis of this world system. The power of this strange, domed peak has gripped the imagination of the people of India and Tibet since time immemorial.
Being the central watershed of Asia, it has always been the most sacred mountain for Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Bönpos. However, Kailash has been a famous pilgrimage for Indians, Tibetans and Nepalis for many centuries.
Every year, thousands make a pilgrimage to Mt Kailash, following a tradition going back thousands of years. Pilgrims of several religions believe that circumambulating Mount Kailash on foot is a holy ritual that will bring good fortune.
The peregrination is made in a clockwise direction by Hindus and Buddhists. Followers of the Jain and Bönpo religions circumambulate the mountain in counterclockwise order. The path around Mount Kailash is 52 km (32 mi) long.
