Mount Kailash
Mount Kailash | |
---|---|
Burang County, Tibet Autonomous Region
| |
Country | Gangdisê Range |
Climbing | |
First ascent | Unclimbed (prohibited) |
Mount Kailash (also Kailasa; Kangrinboqê or Gang
Mount Kailash is located close to
Etymology
The mountain is known as "Kailāsa" (कैलास; var. Kailāśa कैलाश) in Sanskrit.[3][4] The name could have been derived from the word "kelāsa" (केलास), which means "crystal".[5]
In his Tibetan-English dictionary, Sarat Chandra states that 'kai la sha' (
"Tibetan Buddhists call it Kangri Rinpoche; 'Precious Snow Mountain'.
Jains it is where their first leader was enlightened; for Buddhists, the navel of the universe; and for adherents of Bon, the abode of the sky goddess Sipaimen."— Alice Albinia lists some of the names for the mountain, and its religious significance to various faiths[8]
Geography and topography
Mount Kailash is located in Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region of China.[9] It lies in the Kailash Range (Gangdisê Mountains) of the Transhimalaya, in the western part of the Tibetan Plateau.[10] The peak of Mount Kailash is situated at an elevation of 6,638 m (21,778 ft).[10] The region is located north of the western trijunction of the border between China, India and Nepal.[11]
The major rivers rising from the western Gangdise mountains are the
Geology
The region around Mount Kailash and the
Climate change
Climate change due to global warming is described as happening three times faster on the Tibetan Plateau than anywhere else in the world.[15] According to local observers, the land around Mount Kailash has been growing warmer in recent years with winters not as cold as it used to be.[16] According to available data from the region, glaciers are retreating, lakes are shrinking, the amount of barren land is increasing, and the eventual thawing of the permafrost in this region may lead to uncertain effects on water resources and carbon cycles.[17]
The intergovernmental organisation
Mountaineering
In 1926, Hugh Ruttledge studied the north face of Mount Kailash, which he estimated to be 6,000 m (20,000 ft) high and described it as utterly unclimbable.[20] He thought about an ascent of the northeast ridge. Ruttledge had been exploring the area with Colonel R. C. Wilson, who was on the other side of the mountain with a Sherpa named Tseten. Wilson said that Tseten told him that the southeast ridge represented a feasible route to the summit.[20] Wilson explained that although he attempted to climb the mountain, he ran into heavy snowfall, making the ascent impossible.[21]
Religious significance
Mount Kailash is considered sacred in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Bon religions.[25][26][27]
Hinduism
In Hinduism, the mountain is traditionally recognized as the abode of Shiva, who resides there along with his consort goddess Parvati and their children, Ganesha and Kartikeya.[28] Hindus believe Kailash to be the Mount Meru which is considered to be a stairway to Svarga, a heaven where the devas reside.[29][30]
According to the
The Vishnu Purana states that Kailash is a pillar of the world, located at the heart of six mountain ranges symbolizing a lotus. It also states that the four faces of Mount Kailash are made of crystal, ruby, gold, and lapis lazuli.[29] It further talks about Shiva sitting in a lotus position, engaged in deep meditation within the confines of a mountain.[34]
Jainism
According to Ashtapada, the first Jain
Buddhism
As per Buddhist texts, Mount Kailash (Kailasa) is known as the mythological Mount Meru. Kailash is central to its cosmology, and a major pilgrimage site for some Buddhist traditions.[39] Numerous sites in the region are associated with Padmasambhava, whose tantric practices in holy sites around Tibet are credited with finally establishing Buddhism as the main religion of the country in the 7th–8th century CE.[20]
Pilgrimage
Due to its perceived sacredness to various religions, people from India, China, Nepal and other countries undertake a pilgrimage called yatra to the mountain. Religious pilgrimages to Mount Kailas and Lake Manasarovar were permitted after the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1950-51. While pilgrimage from India was guaranteed by the 1954 Sino-Indian Agreement, access was restricted after the subsequent 1959 Tibetan uprising and the borders were closed after the Sino-Indian War in 1962.[9] After nearly two decades, pilgrimage from India was allowed in 1981 after an agreement between the governments of India and China.[40] The pilgirmage was again suspended for three years since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[41]
The pilgrimage involves trekking towards Lake Mansarovar and a circumambulation of Mount Kailash. The path around Mount Kailash is 53 km (33 mi) long.[40] Pilgrims believe that doing a circumambulation of Mount Kailash on foot is a spiritually beneficial practice that can bring various positive effects, such as the collection of meritorious karma, the cleansing of sins from one's consciousness, and good fortune. The circumambulation is made in a clockwise direction by Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains, while Bönpos circumambulate the mountain in a counterclockwise direction.[42] The circumambulation usually begins and ends at Darchen, a small outpost located at an elevation of 4,670 m (15,320 ft).[43] The highest point on the pilgrimage is the Drölma pass situated at 5,650 m (18,540 ft).[44]
Walking around the mountain can be done on foot or using a
Since the reopening of the pilgrimage in 1981, the numbers of pilgrims going on the annual yatra has grown considerably.[47] Before the closure in 2020, several thousand pilgrims from India were going to this pilgrimage every year.[48] Since 2015, aspiring pilgrims from India are required to apply in advance to the Ministry of External Affairs and specific number of passes are issued to pilgrims post computerized selection at random.[49] In India, the pilgrimage is organized by the Government of India and is permitted between June and September.[50] Pilgrims from India travel through two routes opened for the purpose with border crossings at Lipu Lekh pass in Uttarakhand and the Nathu La pass in Sikkim.[51] Since 2020, a motorable road is available till the Lipu Lekh pass through the Indian side of the Mahakali valley, before crossing over to China.[52] The Nathu La route was opened in 2015 and involves travelling to Gangtok before crossing the Nathu La pass into China.[53]
Since 2015, the pilgrimage from Nepal is generally done through a route beginning at the Humla district in northwestern Nepal.[45] Pilgrims also pray to Mount Kailash from within Nepal where it is visible from the Lapcha La pass above the Limi valley on a clear day.[54] Before the April 2015 Nepal Earthquake, the major pilgrimage route from Nepal was through the border crossing at Tatopani-Zangmu.[45] Another route exists through the crossing at Rasuwa-Gyirong.[55] In China, the pilgrimage usually starts from Lhasa before the journey to Lake Manasarovar or Darchen.
See also
|
References
- ^ "The Snow Mountains of China: Kangrin Boqe Topographic Map". 1997. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
- ^ "Open Topo Map". Retrieved 13 November 2023.
- Monier-Williams. p. 311. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "Entry for कैलासः". Apte Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ Williams, Monier. "Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary". Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
kelāsa m. crystal W
- ^ Sarat Chandra Das (1902). "Tibetan-English Dictionary with Sanskrit Synonyms". Calcutta, India: Bengal Secretariat Book Depot. p. 32.
- ISBN 9788170173366, retrieved 11 June 2010
- ISBN 978-0-719-56003-3.
- ^ a b "Mount Kailas". Britannica. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ a b c Freeman Attwood (2003). "Gangdise Mountains" (PDF). Alpine Journal. 4: 103–109.
- ^ Claude Arpi (23 February 2024). "China playing new border games close to Mt Kailash". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ISBN 978-1-598-84654-6. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
- ^ Pete Winn. "Geology and Geography of the Mt. Kailash area and Indus River headwaters in southwestern Tibet". Archived from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
- ^ "Plate Tectonic & northern Pacific". Plate tectonic. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
- PMID 18650887.
- ^ "Ignoring climate change in the Himalayas". The Third Pole. 9 January 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ^ Zomer, Robert; Oli, Krishna Prasad (2011). Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation Initiative: Feasibility Assessment Report. Kathmandu: ICIMOD. pp. 39–40.
- ICIMOD. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
- ICIMOD. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-856-92111-7.
- ^ R.C.Wilson (1928). "Kailas Mountains". Alpine Journal. 40.
- ^ a b Brit Jones (3 November 2023). "Mountain significantly smaller than Everest has never been climbed by a human". Unilad. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "Kailash: the mountain that calls". Suunto. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ^ "China to Ban Expeditions on Mount Kailash". Tew. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
- S2CID 163370522.
- ^ "Kailash Manasarovar Yatra". Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
- ^ Karen Swenson (16 March 2003). "A Sacred Circuit in Tibet". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
- ISBN 978-81-7625-039-9. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ ISBN 0-7088-2411-0.
- ^ "Mount Kailash facts: mindboggling things you may not know about Lord Shiva's home". The Times of India. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ISBN 978-0-500-51088-9.
- ^ "Mysteries of Kailash: What Are These 9-Foot Tall Entities Found In Mansarovar?". News24. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- .
- ISSN 0896-0801. 70696022.
- ^ "To heaven and back". The Times of India. 11 January 2012. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
- ISBN 978-8-178-35723-2.
- ISBN 9780030061141.
- ^ "Jainism Literature Center - Rituals". Archived from the original on 16 August 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
- ISBN 978-0-02-865719-6.
- ^ a b "Kailash Mansarovar Yatra". Government of Uttarakhand. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "Mansarovar yatra unlikely to resume for fourth consecutive year". The Times of India. 8 February 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ Bubriski, Kevin; Pandey, Abhimanyu (2018). Kailash Yatra: a Long Walk to Mount Kailash through Humla. New Delhi: Penguin Random House. p. 151.
- ISBN 978-0670091119.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-241-14553-1.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-670-09111-9.
- ^ Pandey, Abhimanyu (20 April 2023). "Ancient bonds: Joining the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra". The Hindu. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
- ^ Zomer, Robert; Oli, Krishna Prasad (2011). Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation Initiative: Feasibility Assessment Report. Kathmandu: ICIMOD. p. 10.
- ^ "Kailash Manasarovar Yatra likely to see record numbers". Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
- ^ "Mansarovar Yatra: First-time pilgrims get preference in computerized draw of lots". The Economic Times. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
- ^ "Mansarovar Trek: Interesting things to know before planning for the pilgrimage". The Times of India. 2 September 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "Kailash Manasarovar Yatra". Government of India. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
- ^ "New road to Kailash Mansarovar via Lipulekh Pass and why Nepal is objecting to it". ThePrint. 11 May 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ^ "Alternate Route for Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra Will Become Operational Next Month: PM Modi". NDTV. 15 May 2015. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "Limi-Lapcha could be an alternative route to Kailash Manasarovar". The Himalayan Times. 13 March 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
- ^ "A Personal Account of Border Crossing Reveals the Deep Ties Between Nepal, China". The Wire. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
Bibliography
- Albinia, Alice. (2008) Empires of the Indus: The Story of a River. First American Edition (2010) W. W. Norton & Company, New York. ISBN 978-0-393-33860-7
- Bubriski, Kevin and Abhimanyu Pandey. Kailash Yatra: a Long Walk to Mt Kailash through Humla. New Delhi: Penguin Random House, 2018
- Nomachi, Kazuyoshi. Tibet. Boston: Shambhala, 1997.
- ISBN 0-553-37850-3— Tells the story of a Western Buddhist making the trek around Mount Kailash.
- Snelling, John. (1990). The Sacred Mountain: The Complete Guide to Tibet's Mount Kailas. 1st edition 1983. Revised and enlarged edition, including: Kailas-Manasarovar Travellers' Guide. Forwards by H.H. the Dalai Lama of Tibet and Christmas Humphreys. East-West Publications, London and The Hague. ISBN 0-85692-173-4.
- (Elevation) Chinese Snow Map "Kangrinboqe", published by the Lanzhou Institute of Glaciology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
- Allen, Charles (1982) A Mountain in Tibet: The Search for Mount Kailas and the Sources of the Great Rivers of Asia. (London, André Deutsch).
- ISBN 0-349-11142-1.
- "A Tibetan Guide for Pilgrimage to Ti-se (Mount Kailas) and mTsho Ma-pham (ISBN 81-86470-22-0.
- Stein, R. A. (1961). Les tribus anciennes des marches Sino-Tibétaines: légendes, classifications et histoire. Presses Universitaires de France, Paris. (In French)
- Johnson, Russell, and Moran, Kerry. (1989). The Sacred Mountain of Tibet: On Pilgrimage to Kailas. Park Street Press, Rochester, Vermont. ISBN 0-89281-325-3.
- Govinda, Lama Anagarika. (1966). The Way of the White Clouds: A Buddhist Pilgrim in Tibet. Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boulder, Colorado. Reprint with foreword by Peter Matthiessen: Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boston, Massachusetts. 1988. ISBN 0-87773-007-5
- Thubron, Colin. (2011). "To a Mountain in Tibet." Chatto & Windus, London. ISBN 978-0-7011-8380-6