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Love to explore the divine holy places?
Then this tour is the one you must not miss. Mount Kailash is known to be the abode of Lord Shiva and is 22,000 feet tall. The peak of the Kailash range, Mount Kailash comes under the part of Tibet – Transhimalaya. Yatra to such a divine place is accomplished only by a few thousand pilgrims every year through the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
Kailash Mansarovar Yatra
This yatra will take you through mainly two objectives. One is to carry out the Parikrama of Mount Kailash and the other is a dip in the holy Mansarovar Lake. The trip is purposed to make the pilgrims achieve salvation, and relive the sins committed by them. This yatra is usually undertaken by people age 18 to 70. It can be completed either through voyage by deluxe buses, land cruisers, helicopters or foot. For booking the trip one can visit the Ministry of External Affairs or by a private agency, or tour operator of Tibet. The Ministry of External Affairs conducts a separate selection process for the yatra.
The Parikrama of the Mount Kailash
The next difficult task the pilgrims undertake after reaching the Mount Kailash have to circumambulate the peak. This circumambulation is known as the Parikrama. It can be either in a clockwise direction or an anti-clockwise direction. The elderly people who cannot perform the parikrama on foot are given the option of hiring a yak or pony. This entire course of Parikrma usually takes 3 days to complete.
The Mythological Significance of Yatra
Mount Kailash is considered to be a sacred place generally by the Hindus, Bon, Jains, and Buddhists. Hindus believe that Lord Shiva along with his wife Goddess Parvati lives at Mount Kailash in a meditation state. Jains believe that the first Jain Tirthankara attained Nirvana on the Mount Kailash. Buddhists believe that Lord Buddha resides at Mount Kailash. The entire area of Mount Kailash is considered as auspicious, divine, and full of spiritual power by the Bons. Thus Mount Kailash has different mythological significance for different religions.
The Mansarovar Lake Significance
This auspicious lake is situated at the foot of Mount Kailash and is the highest freshwater lake over the world. It is an important part of the Yatra and is the holiest lake in Asia. It is believed by people and pilgrims that this lake changes colors. Near the shores, the color is clear blue while at the center it is emerald green. Moonlight adds up to the beauty of this auspicious lake.
Other attractive destinations besides the lake are Tirthapuri which is an interesting place for the pilgrims where they can bathe in spring pools, the Gauri Kund- which is also known as the Lake of Compassion.
Thus undertaking this adventurous, spiritual Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is a must and more than just one visit.