kailash overland
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16 days
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Moderate To Strenous
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Spring,Autumn
A remarkable journey, covering the best parts of Tibet and truly a fabulous journey which offers awesomely beautiful rock formation, cascades and canyons slightly hidden under the thin mists. With numerous high passes with stunning views of the picturesque landscape, tranquil lakes, rural villages, large meadows with nomad camps scattered all around the overland trip is one of the best in short duration. Enriched by the ancient most lavishly decorated monasteries and temples with chanting saffron coloured monks, ever-smiling faces of people and their typical lifestyle all contributes to this trip a memory of your lifetime. A land so rich in culture, tradition and steeped in religion with its unique landscape cast an enchanted spell that holds you in thrill and excitement.
Mount Kailash, situated within Tibet to the Northern part of the Himalaya. It is the spiritual center for four great religions: Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism, the Jain religion and the pre-Buddhist animistic religion - the Bonpo. And strangely enough, four major rivers i.e. the Karnali, Sutlej, Indus and the longest one - Brahmaputra, originate from near Kailash mountain. For the Tibetans it is a particularly special place, the poet saint, Milarepa, spent several years here meditating in a cave. For the Hindus Mount Kailash is the earthly manifestation of their spiritual center of the universe, ‘world pillar’ around which all else revolves, its roots in the lowest hell and its summit kissing the heavens and on top lives their most revered God Shiva. The governments of Nepal and China reached an accord 3 years ago, that allowed the first treks across the border between the two countries. While it had been a route for Nepalese pilgrims for years, the foreign trekkers were never allowed to trek from Nepal to Tibet.
Mt. Kailash 6,714m / 22,028ft is situated to the north of the Himalayan barrier, wholly within Tibet. It is the perfect mountain with awesome beauty, with four great faces, the eastern face is believed to be crystal, the western ruby, the southern sapphire and the northern gold. It is the spiritual centre for four great religions: Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism, the Jain religion and the pre-Buddhist animistic religion-Bonpo. To Tibetans it is known as Ghang Rimpoche(Precious Jewel of Snow) and they see it as the naval of the world. It is said that a stream from the mountain pours into a nearby lake and from here rivers flow in the four cardinal directions.
For the Hindus...their spiritual centre of the universe, described as a fantastic ‘world pillar’ 84,000 miles high, around which all else revolves, its root in the lowest hell and its summit reaching the heaven and the abode of their revered God Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati.
For the pre-ancient religion Bon, it is the site where its founder Shanrab is said to have descended from heaven and it was formerly the spiritual centre of Zhang Zung, the ancient Bon Empire that once included all western Tibet. Bon people circumbulate this holy mountain in an anti-clockwise manner, unlike the other religion does it clockwise.
Over the centuries, pilgrims from all corners of the world have constantly journeyed immense distances to achieve enlightenment or cleanse themselves from sins, braving enormous distances, particularly harsh weather and bandit attacks.
