Mount Kailash in Tibet: description, history and interesting facts

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:44

Sometimes it seems that humanity has reached such heights that, perhaps, will soon live on other planets, and robots will do all the work. In fact, we still do not know much even about our planet, and there are such unique places that it is impossible to understand and explain their origin even with the most daring scientific theories. One of these objects is Mount Kailash. Scientists around the world are still arguing about its origin: did nature create it after all, or is it a creation of human hands?

The amazing fact is that to this day not a single person has managed to conquer this peak. People who have attempted the ascent claim that at some point an invisible wall appears that prevents them from going up.

Description

The mountain has a tetrahedral shape, at the top lies a snow cap. On the southern part of the mountain, in the middle, there is a vertical crack intersected by a horizontal one. They strongly resemble a swastika, which is why the mountain has another name, "Swastika Mountain". The crack appeared after the earthquake and is 40 meters wide.

It is very difficult to get to the mountain, as it is located in a remote region of Tibet. However, there are always many pilgrims around it. It is believed that if you walk around the mountain, you can get rid of all earthly sins. And if you make a detour 108 times, then Nirvana after leaving this life is guaranteed.

Location

Where is Mount Kailash? Exactly 6666 kilometers from Stonehenge and the North Pole and 13,332 (6666 x 2) kilometers from the South. The edges of the mountain clearly indicate the cardinal directions. At the same time, the height of the mountain is 6666 meters, although the question remains open, because no one managed to reach the top, especially since there are several different ways to calculate the height, so scientists get different numbers. And the third fact - the mountain is located in the Himalayas, and these are the youngest mountains on the entire planet that are still growing. Taking into account weathering, this figure is approximately 0.5-0.6 centimeters in 1 year.

To be more precise, the mountain is located on the territory of the People's Republic of China, in Ngari County, not far from the village of Darchen. Refers to the Gangdise mountain system.

Watershed location

The mountain is located in a remote area, in the region of the main South Asian watershed. 4 rivers flow here:

• Ind;
• Brahmaputra;
• Sutlej;
• Karnali.

Indians believe that it is these rivers that originate from the mountain. However, satellite images of Mount Kailash confirm that all the glacial water of the mountain enters Lake Lango-Tso, which issource for only one river - Sutlej.

Religious meaning

Mount Kailash in Tibet is sacred to four religions:

• Buddhism;
• Jainism;
• Hinduism;
• Tibetan Bon belief.

All people who identify themselves with one of these beliefs dream of seeing the mountain with their own eyes and call it the "Axis of the Earth". In some ancient religions of China, Nepal and India, there was an obligatory parikrama rite, that is, a ritual circumambulation.

In the Vishnu Purana, the mountain is considered a prototype of Mount Meru, that is, the center of the entire universe where Shiva lives.

Buddhists believe that the mountain is the dwelling place of the Buddha. Thousands of pilgrims come here for the Saga Dawa holiday.

Jains perceive this place as where the saint achieved his first liberation.

And for the followers of the Bon religion, the mountain is the place where the celestial Tonpa Shenrab descended to earth, so this is the holiest place on earth. Unlike other religious movements, Bon adherents go around the mountain counterclockwise, as if walking towards the sun.

In most of these religions, it is believed that a mortal cannot climb a mountain, as he will be able to see God, and if this happens, then the person will be punished and will surely die. You can't even touch the mountain. The bodies of people who disobey the ban will cover ulcers that do not heal for a long time.

Lake Manasarovar

In the place where Mount Kailash is located, there are two unique lakes, one of which is considered a lakelife - Manasarovar (unleavened). Another s alty one is Langa-Tso, and they call him dead.

Manasarovar is located 20 kilometers from the mountain, at an altitude of 4580 meters above sea level. Its area is about 320 square kilometers, and the maximum depth is 90 meters. The name of the reservoir comes from Sanskrit, it was adopted by English-speaking and other countries. Literally translated, it means "a lake born from consciousness." Hindus believe that it was originally created in the mind of Lord Brahma. The peoples of Tibet have a slightly different attitude to this reservoir and call it Mapham, which means "invincible lake of turquoise color." Buddhists are sure that the reservoir appeared when their faith completely defeated the Bon belief, it happened in the 11th century.

9 monasteries were built on the banks of Manasarovar. The most famous and largest is Chiu. There are hot springs around the monastic cloister, in which anyone can bathe, but for a fee. There is also a small settlement where there are shops and restaurants. There are several Buddhist stupas around the village, where relics and stones with mantras are located.

Buddhists believe that it is here that all the dark forces of the world originate. This place is the material prototype of the lake Anavatapta, which is located in the center of the universe. The lake is shrouded in many more legends, and according to one of them, huge treasures lie at the bottom. It is also believed that Queen Maya, who conceived Shakyamuni Buddha, was brought here before giving birth for a bath. It is also believed that the waters of the lake can heal, you canbathe and drink from it.

Lango-Tso, or Rakshastal

Near the sacred mountain Kailash is another lake - Rakshastal. It is connected to Manasarovar by a 10-kilometer underground channel called Ganga-Chu. Tibetan Buddhists call this body of water the dead lake. It is always windy on its shores, almost never see the sun. There are no fish or even algae in the pond itself.

The area of this lake is about 360 square kilometers and looks like a crescent moon. In the Buddhist religion, this is perceived as a sign of darkness. The reservoir is located at an altitude of 4541 meters above sea level. Hindus believe that he was created by the demon Ravana. There is also a legend that there is an island on the lake where this demon made sacrifices in the form of his head, and when 10 heads were sacrificed, Shiva took pity on the demon and endowed him with superpowers. Swimming is prohibited in Lango-Tso.

Demonic and healing properties of lakes

Lake properties are also one of the mysteries of Mount Kailash. After all, they are 5 kilometers apart, but Manasarovar is always quiet and calm, and Rakshastal is always stormy and windy.

Tibetan legend says that the s alt lake has always existed in these places, and Manasarovar appeared only 2, 3 thousand years ago. This is due to the fact that at that time the world was ruled by the Demon God, who was sitting on Mount Kailash. And one day the demon put his foot on the ground, and a dead lake appeared in this place. After 2300 years, the Good Gods went to fight the Demon God and won. One of them, God Tiuku Toche, placed his foot, anda lake of living water appeared so that the demonic waters and wind would no longer spread throughout the planet.

Scientists from Ufa analyzed the water of two lakes near Mount Kailash in Tibet, but all indicators for apoptosis turned out to be neutral, that is, no confirmation of the healing or harm of water was found.

Mirrors of Time

Tibetan Buddhists believe that in addition to the fact that God lives on the sacred mountain Kailash in Tibet, it is here that there is an entrance to the country of Shambhala. This is a spiritual country, which is in higher vibrations, so it is almost impossible for an ordinary person to get there. There is a legend that there are three entrances to this country:

• on the Altai Mountain Belukha;
• on Mount Kailash;
• and in the Gobi desert.

Shambhala is the center of the World and the entire Universe, the most energetically powerful place on the planet. Mount Kailash itself is surrounded by concave and smooth surfaces of rocks, which scientists called "stone mirrors". And a number of Eastern religions perceive these rocks as a place where you can get into a parallel world, here time can change energy. According to one legend, there is a sarcophagus inside the mountain, where the Gods of all religions are in a state of samadhi, that is, divine consciousness. It is also believed that a person who falls into the focus of "mirrors" feels psychophysical changes.

History of climbing

Who conquered Mount Kailash in Tibet? The first attempt to conquer was made in 1985. After all, officially climbing to the top is still prohibited. That year, climber Reinhold Messner still managed toget permission from local authorities. However, at the very last moment, the climber abandoned his intentions.

The next expedition, which received permission to climb, arrived at the mountain in 2000. They were Spanish climbers who had spent a fair amount of money on permits. They established a base camp, but the pilgrims did not let them climb. That year, many religious organizations, the UN and even the Dalai Lama protested. Under public pressure, the climbers retreated.

A similar situation happened in 2002. In 2004, the Russian expedition managed to climb without permission to a height of 6.2 thousand meters. However, they did not have the appropriate equipment, then the weather conditions deteriorated, so the climbers went down.

Unconfirmed Climbing Facts

Later, many media wrote about those who conquered Mount Kailash. But, as a rule, it was information without indicating the names and dates when it happened. And a scientist studying Tibet, Molodtsova E. N., wrote in her book that many Europeans still tried to climb to the top, but even if they succeeded, they soon died.

Local residents claim that only a true Buddhist is allowed to become the one who conquers Mount Kailash in Tibet, and then under certain conditions. First it is necessary to go around the mountain 13 times, then only it is allowed to climb, and only on the inner crust, then it is still not possible to climb.

A few more myths and assumptions

Whathides Mount Kailash? A geologist from Switzerland, Augusto Gansser, after an expedition in 1936, came to the conclusion that the mountain is an undeformed deposit of oceanic crust that has risen to the top. These deposits are very similar to the ophiolites of the Yarlung-Tsanglo Fault. To date, no one has disproved or confirmed this theory. According to one version, Mount Kailash is a stupa, or reliquary. Simply put, a cult building, where a huge number of relics are collected, with a sacred meaning.

There is an opinion that any foreigner who makes a kora around the mountain becomes a long-liver. This statement is also difficult to refute or confirm. At the same time, Augusto Gansser, who visited here in 1936, lived to be 101 years old. Heinrich Harrer died at 94, and Giuseppe Tucci at 90. All these people made kora in the first half of the 20th century.

There is another, one might say, the opposite legend that near the mountain people, on the contrary, age faster. 12 hours of life here equates to 2 weeks. According to local residents, this can be seen in the growth of nails and hair. It's a myth or not, but it seems that it can be seen even in a satellite photo of Mount Kailash. Allegedly, the sphinx, which was built in Egypt, clearly looks at the mountain. In fact, the Egyptian Sphinx always faces the sunrise, not the mountain.