Welcome to More than Mountain

Discover Rich Culture & Religion.

Discover Adventures beyond your imagination

Discover Mt Kailash

There are many sayings about the information on Mt. Kailash. In term of the scripture called “Phagpa Dupa” written by the present Buddha, It says that four nature elements such as sky or space air, water and earth or soil are interdependent and these become living beings and those living being are also depend on those four nature elements. As the world is composed by four elements such as soil, water, fire and space, four different precious materials such as from east silver, south Bedu Rawa “Precious stone” North gold, west Palma Waga is precious stone shape of lotus flower, compose the Mt. Kailash.

Mt. Kailash is situated behind nine Mountains of the epic center of the world (Buddha Gaya). How it becomes Holy Mountain for the Buddhist, when present Buddha Descente from Nirvana to spin the wheel of Dharma. At these the wanted to prove that like is not students of present Buddha they asked him to leave something as memory of him to these followers then three different images of him. Present Buddha left one was sent to heaven, one was sent to another world called Lo Yul last one was left on this world. This is the Mt. Kailash. Across the northwestern border of Nepal, accessible from two points in Nepal, one point from Pakistan; in the southwestern section of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China -Ngari, lies one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites of Asia Mt. Kailash. “Kang Rimpochhe” to Tibetan Buddhists.

Despite being a sacred and venerated pilgrimage site for Buddhists, Hindus, Jains and practitioners of the Bon religion, accounting for billions of people, not more than a thousand to fifteen hundred pilgrims for outside Tibet make the trip each year. Mt. Kailash has the unique distinction of being the most venerated yet least visited of the world’s major holy place.

From the Nepalese side more than 1000 tourist, mostly Indian, European and few US citizen under take the demanding yet fulfilling land journey of more than 800 km. The trip with the Nepalese agents, though the most organized and equipped, with rugged four-wheel drive vehicle takes week, and you must carry all your gasoline and supplies for the entire journey.

Hindus believe Mt. Kailash to be the abode of Lord Shiva. Legend has it that immortal Shiva lives a top Kailash where he spends his time practing yogic austerities, making joyous love with his divine consort Parvati, and smoking ganja, the sacred herb know in the west as marijuana. For a Hindu, to make the arduous pilgrimage to Kailash and have the darshan (divine view) of Shiva’s abode is to attain release from the clutches of ignorance and delusion. The Jains call the mountain Astapada and believe it to be the place where Rishaba Dev, the first of the twenty-four Tirthankaras attained liberation.

Following the Bon, Tibet’s pre-Buddhist shamanistic religion, call the mountain Tise and believe it to be the seat of the sky goddess Sipaimen. Additionally, Bon myths regard Tise as the site of a legendary 12th century battle of sorcery. Between the Buddhist saga Milarepa and the Bon shaman displaced Bon as primary religion of Tibet, firmly establishing Buddhism into prominence.

While the Buddhism is believed to have magically visited Kailash in the 5th century BC, the religion of Buddhism only entered Tibet, via Nepal and India, in the 7th century AD. Tibet Buddhists call the mountain Kang Rimpoche, the “Precious one of glacial show; and regard it as the dwelling place of Demchog (also known as Chakrasamvara) and his consort, Dorje Phagmo. Three hills rising near Kang Rimpochhe are believed to be the homes of the Bodhisatvas Manjushri, Vagrapani, and Avalokiteshvara.Pilgrims to Kailash, after the difficult journey getting there, are then confronted with the equally arduous task of circumambulating the sacred peak. This walking around the mountain (clockwise for the Buddhists, counter-clockwise for Bon adherents) is known as a Kora, or Parikrama, and normally takes three days. In hopes of gaining extra merit or psychic power however, some pilgrims will vary the tempo of there movement. A hardy few, will power themselves around the mountain in only one day. Others take two three weeks for the Kora by making full body prostration the entire way.

Scenically breathtaking at 6,714 meters (22,022ft) Mt. Kailash is a glittering dome of snow towering above the Tibet plateau, a mesmerizing jewel among the harsh, windswept landscape. West of Mt. Kailash lies the ruins of the “lost cities” of Tsaprang and Tholing, once the capitals of the powerful kingdom of Guge, where some of the finest and earliest Buddhist murals still stand.

This tour-cum-trek involves a bus ride from Kathmandu, through the Nepal- Tibet Border at Kodari to Nylam (160 Km) From Nylam, by rugged four-wheel drive vehicles on to Darchen (475 km). From Darchen beings the three-day circumambulation, Parikrama (Hindu) Kora (Tibetan/ Buddhist of the sacred Mount Kailash. The first day’s trek takes you from Darchen to Driaphuk Gompa. The second day, know to be the most difficult part of the trek from Driaphuk Gompa to Zuthulphuk Gompa, takes in the Dolma La pass at 5,600 meters. The third and final day of the circumambulation is a short one of 8 km after which the four-wheel drive takes over for the return journey, among the same route.

Travellers should note that the journey is extreme and difficult, especially within the Tibet side. The route from Nyalom to Lake Manasarovar is along a rough dirt road where tough four-wheelers are the standard transport. There are no petrol station nor wayside amenities. The few people that one would come across would invariable be members of the nomadic Dorkpa people indigenous to the region. Most of the route is between 3,000 and 4,000 meters (12,000 feet in average) and Travelers may be susceptible to altitude sickness (headache, mild nausea and loss of appetite) unless acclimatized. Acclimatization takes from a few hours t a couple of days depending on each individual’s constitution. Proper hydration being critical to Acclimatization high intakes of fluids and water is recommended. Tour operators will ensure that Guests undergo minimal stress and exertion.

The final log of the journey includes the mandatory clockwise circumambulation of the mountain on foot. Including the important pilgrimage stop at the Dolma la pass (5,600 meters) where temperatures have been recorded as low as -20