Kailash Mansarovar: Significance, history, & best time to visit
Often Mount Kailash, popular as the heavenly abode of Lord Shiva, is popular for its majestic beauty and Mansarovar. The lake is an inseparable part of Kailash. Mansarovar is a large freshwater lake situated in Tibet (China) and is a pilgrimage holding religious importance for Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists. Every year lakhs of pilgrims and tourists across the world visit Mansarovar to experience the beauty and piousness of the place.
The abode of Shiva is in Mount Kailash, and the smashana, the cremation ground. Kailash means ‘where there is only celebration’, and smashana is where there is only void. Divinity dwells in the void as well as in celebration. And in you there is void, there is a celebration.
- An excerpt from Gurudev’s talk on Lord Shiva
Meaning and history of Mansarovar
Mansarovar is considered as one of the Holy places as the legends say that the lake is a bathing place for gods during Brahma Muhurta. According to Hindu beliefs, the lake was first created in the mind of Lord Brahma and so is named Mansarovar. Mansarovar, as the name suggests, is a combination of two Sanskrit words: manas means ‘mind’ and ‘intellect’ and sarovar means ‘lake'.
It is believed that at Kailash Mansarovar the lords reside and meditate. The reason why Mansarovar cannot be everywhere is because of the aura of the place. Holy lake Mansarovar is compared with the mind of lords which is as calm as water and as strong and tranquil as a mountain.
Must watch
Significance of Mansarovar
Why visit Mansarovar?
1) Religious importance: According to the scriptures, the lake is considered sacred. The beauty and significance of Mansarovar are described beautifully in many scriptures.
In Hinduism, it is believed that taking a dip in the Kailash Mansarovar or drinking the water washes away all the sins.
According to Jains, the lake is believed to be the place where Lord Rishabh Deva, the first Tirthankara attained spiritual liberation.
According to Buddhism, Mount Kailash is also known as Meru Parvat and it is considered to be the place where Lord Buddha stayed and meditated.
According to Bon Religion, "Zhang Zhung" is a holy place in Tibet. It is believed that the founder of Bon religion Tonapa Shernab visited Tibet for the first time and took a bath in this lake.
According to Sikhism, the lake is believed to be the place where Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism and the first of the 10 Sikh Gurus learned to meditate.
2) Geographical importance: Mount Kailash is the central part of the earth surrounded by 6 other mountain ranges from the sides. The campus of Mount Kailash is considered to be the focal point of the whole universe.
Apart from being a beautiful place, Lake Mansarovar is the highest freshwater lake in the world standing at a height of 4,557 meters above sea level, making it one of the highest lakes in the world. The place is best to go deeper into samadhi. Lake Mansarovar is the point of origin of four major rivers namely Brahmaputra, Ghagra, Sindhu, Satluj.
3) Medical Importance: The trip to Mansarovar is a good opportunity to get to know the herbs and shrubs that surround Mount Kailash. The wild plants and flowers are used for medicinal purposes. There are various flowers such as Nagmani flower, which is shaped like a snake stone and attracts tourists with its beauty. Bicchu ghas also known as stinging nettle plant in English grown at Mansarovar has diverse medicinal benefits. Stinging nettle (Bicchu ghas) is useful to cure joint pain and works as acupuncture.
4) Tourist attraction: If you love nature, lakes, snowy mountains, greenery, you will love Mansarovar too. The Mountain Kailash is surrounded by flourishing gardens. You will get a glimpse of beautiful flowers like lotus, lili and swans, enhancing the beauty of the lake. During sunrise, you can see the golden peak of Mt. Kailash which is a sight to behold. The order of the place, the scenic beauty of Mansarovar is widespread and something you don’t want to take your eyes off. It is said that Mansarovar is Asia's most religious, most challenging and among the most-visited trips.
Places to visit near Mansarovar
Though traveling to Mansarovar in itself will be a refreshing and adventurous journey for you. But there are some other highlights too for you so that you must not miss any fun coming your way.
1) Gauri Kund: Another tourist attraction is Gauri Kund, also known as Parvati Sarovar. There are mystical stories weaved around this. It is believed that the lake is the bathing place of Devi Parvati where she also created Lord Ganesha. This lake is also titled as the lake of compassion.
2) Rakshas Tal: Rakshas tal is also known as ‘Ravana lake- the lake of Demons.’ It is believed to be the dwelling place of Ravana and so it was named as Rakshas Tal. The lake is situated near Mansarovar and is recognized as the largest saltwater lake of Tibet. The lake includes four islands namely Dola, Topserma, Lachato, and Dosharba. People residing near this lake don’t take bath in this tal as the water in the lake is very salty and poisonous.
3) Kailash Parikrama: Mount Kailash is known as the residing place of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. According to Shiva Purana, circumambulating the mountain helps you get rid of all your sins. The circumambulation distance is a 3-day 53 kilometers journey. The journey is adventurous and one has to face many challenges due to extreme weather and low availability of oxygenZ.
What is the best time to visit Kailash Mansarovar?
People who have been to Mansarovar say that the most appropriate time to visit Kailash Mansarovar is the summer, between April to September as the ice starts melting, making the temperature soothing for trekking, sight-seeing, and enjoying the beauty of the place.
Based on knowledge talks by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
To watch LIVE webcast of Mahashivratri celebrations -11th March 2021 with Gurudev on , click here.
To take sankalpa, register here.
To know more about this special day, visit here.
We’d love to hear from you.
Leave your comments @artofliving.
FAQ's on Kailash Mansarovar
Kailash Mansarovar is in China. Kailash Mansarovar was in no man's land till 1951. Anybody could go there freely and worship.
Gift of India and private operators will charge you 1 lac + per person for Kailash Mansarovar yatra. More the facilities like Land cruiser jeep from Nepal-China border till Mansarovar lake, horse charges to climb you to Holy Mount Kailash, 3 or 4-star hotel, oxygen cylinders, etc. more will be your expenses.
Yes, for Kailash Mansarovar you need to have a valid China Visa with Tibet Travel Permit to enter and roam in Tibet.
1 - By road (from India) - 28-30 day trek.
2 - By road from Kathmandu to Lake Manasarovar at the base of Mount Kailash. One may fly to Kathmandu from Delhi, Varanasi, Kolkata or Mumbai. It is the most used route for Mount Kailash Yatra.
3 - Helicopter tours of Kailash - This is a perfect choice for those who cannot afford to spend 15-16 days or who are not very comfortable with a high-altitude road journey. This tour uses fixed-wing aircraft from Kathmandu - Nepalganj - Simikot. From Simikot a helicopter flies to Hilsa. To reach Manasarovar land cruisers are used.
4 - Tour via Lhasa - Fly to Kathmandu and then to Lhasa by China Air. Visit various towns in Tibet like Shigatse, Gyantse, Lhatse, Prayang, etc. and reach Mansarovar. There are three options for the return journey:
Drive back to Lhasa and fly to Kathmandu
Drive to Hilsa to Kathmandu
Drive back to Kathmandu via Kodari Border (Friendship Bridge).
5 - From Nepal through the Kerung border
6 - From Tibet through Ali airport
7 - From Kashgar near the border with Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Pakistan
8 - From Sikkim Utarakhanda through Lipulekh
*Belief of divine presence in Mount Kailash among the Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Bon religion followers.
*Center of the world - Vedas, Ramayana, etc. says that Mount Kailash is axis Mundi (center of the world). *It is the central part of the earth surrounded by six other mountain ranges from the sides. The campus of Mount Kailash is the focal point of the whole universe.
*None have scaled the peak of Mount Kailash - Except a mention of Milarepa, the Buddhist monk in the 11th century, could scale up the peak.
*Medical importance - The wild plants and flowers is used for medicinal purposes. For instance - Nagmani flower, Bicchu ghas etc.
*Real-time traveling - Air in the mountain renders to the rapid aging process. Visitors witnessed growth that happens in weeks, happens in hours at Kailash.
*Resemblance of the lakes with sun and moon.
*Lake Mansarovar stays placid whether it is windy or not and its neighboring lake, Rakshas Tal stays more or less turbulent.
*Mansarovar is Asia's most religious, challenging, and visited trip.
Yes, Shiva is in Kailash. Shiva is the entire universe. He is present in every atom of the universe. Shiva has no form.
Shiva is a principle (Tattva) from where everything has come, everything is sustained in it, and everything dissolves into it. Shiva is the space and the consciousness. There is no way that you can even step out of Shiva at any time because Shiva is the summum bonum of the whole creation.
No, the helicopter can't land on Mount Kailash.
No one has touched Mount Kailash. You can only track around it. You cannot land on it via helicopters. Let there be untouched scenic beauty for our generations to witness.
Yes, you can bathe in Mansarovar only on the designated spots.
18 to 70 years is the age limit for Kailash Mansarovar yatra. Below 18 years have to be accompanied by a parent/guardian or submit a consent form duly signed by them.
6638 m (21778 ft) is the height of Mount Kailash.
*Belief of divine presence in Mount Kailash among the Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Bon religion followers.
*Center of the world - Vedas, Ramayana, etc. say that Mount Kailash is axis Mundi (center of the world). *It is the central part of the earth surrounded by 6 other mountain ranges from the sides. The campus of Mount Kailash is the focal point of the whole universe.
*None have scaled the peak of Mount Kailash - Except a mention of Milarepa, the Buddhist monk in the 11th century, could scale up Mount Kailash.
*Medical importance - The wild plants and flowers are for medicinal purposes. For instance - Nagmani flower, Bicchu ghas etc.
*Real-time traveling - Air in the mountain renders to the rapid aging process. Visitors witnessed growth that happens in weeks happens in hours at Kailash.
*Resemblance of the lakes with sun and moon.
*Ancient researchers, American and Russian scientists believe that this peak is the largest pyramid. It is located in the center of the earth.
*A Russian doctor, Ernst Maldshev says there are two underground cities located beneath the peak of Mount Kailash. These are directly related to the gene pool of the entire human race.
*Ancient scriptures point out Mount Kailash has supernatural powers and is unclimbable to date.
*Manasarovar is a freshwater lake, and Rakshas Tal is a saltwater one. Both of these lakes are at the foot of Mount Kailash.
*Mansarovar is Asia's most religious, challenging, and visited trip.
Gauri Kund
Rakshas Tal
Kailash Parikrama
Nandi Hill
Tithapuri
A snow-capped Mount Kailash
Source of 4 rivers - Karnali, Brahmaputra, Sutlej and Indus
Saptarishi cave part of Inner Kailash
Asthapath
Atmalingam
Monasteries
Yes, Lord Shiva is in Kailash. Shiva is the entire universe. He is in every atom of the universe. Shiva has no form.
Shiva is a principle (Tattva) from where everything has come, everything is sustained in it, and everything dissolves into it. Shiva is the space and the consciousness. There is no way that you can even step out of Shiva at any time because Shiva is the summum bonum of the whole creation.
The best time to visit Mansarovar is from April to September as the ice starts melting, making the temperature soothing for trekking, sightseeing, and enjoying the beauty of the place.
June to the end of September - 16°C to 21°C
Winter months - 0°C and -4°C during the daytime and drops below freezing at night
Gift of India and private operators will charge you 1 lac + per person for Kailash Mansarovar yatra. More the facilities like Land cruiser jeep from Nepal-China border till Mansarovar lake, horse charges to climb you to Holy Mount Kailash, 3 or 4-star hotel, oxygen cylinders, etc. more will be your expenses.
No. Kailash Mansarovar is in China. You need a visa from China. They give visas only to groups, not to individuals. So you can connect with KMVN (Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam) or an Indian tour operator who has ties with Nepal or directly contact Chinese tour operators.
Yes, a valid passport is mandatory for people to Kailash Mansarovar yatra. You will also have to get a valid China Visa with Tibet Travel Permit to enter and roam Tibet. Minimum validity of 180 days from the last date of the sojourn is required.
*Ancient researchers, American and Russian scientists believe that this peak is the largest pyramid. It is located in the center of the earth.
*A Russian doctor, Ernst Maldshev says there are two underground cities located beneath the peak of Mount Kailash. These are directly related to the gene pool of the entire human race.
*Ancient scriptures point out Mount Kailash has supernatural powers and is unclimbable to date.
*Real-time traveling - Air in the mountain renders the rapid aging process. Visitors witnessed growth that happens in weeks, happens in hours at Kailash.
*Manasarovar is a freshwater lake and Rakshas Tal is a saltwater one. Both of these lakes are at the foot of Mount Kailash.