Mount Kailash, located at an impressive height of 6,638 m (21,778 ft), is the highest peak among the Kailash ranges. It is the world’s most sacred mountain spanning the Tibet, Nepal, and India borders. Kailash is a part of the Trans-Himalayas of Tibet.
Mt Kailash is different from other peaks in the world. It’s a magical creation of nature surrounded by mountains and mysteries. Its presence is accompanied by the origin of Asia’s four longest rivers: the Indus River, Sutlej, Brahmaputra, and Karnali Rivers.
Mt Kailash, part of the Kailash Range or Gangdisê Mountains, is also called Gangs Rinpoche, which means ‘Precious Snow Mountain‘ in the Tibetan language. Likewise, the peak is known as the sacred Mountains as it lies n the center of the world and is believed to cast positive energy from all directions.
The peak holds great importance in all four religions Hinduism, Jains, Buddhism, and Bon. So many devotees pilgrimage to Mt Kailash, where the pilgrims circumambulate the sacred peak on food, covering a total distance of 52 km.
The peak is known to have four full faces south, north, east, and west. The mountain’s north face is said to provide a Golden view. Likewise, the Southern Face of the mountains is said to resemble the third eye of Lord Shiva. You can witness the west and east pictures of the mountain during your Inner Kora (The Inner Parikrama).
In addition, the mountain shape is strangely perfect, shaped like a pyramid, not made by nature but by man. Considering this fact, the mountain is known as the Biggest Man-made Pyramid. Likewise, the pyramid is known as the “Pillar of the World.” Many other mysteries like these of Mt Kailash will surprise you if you plan to visit here. So continue reading and learn about some of Mt Kailash’s secrets that make this place more unique.
Mount Kailash: A Sacred Site for Four Religions
Mt Kailash has many secrets, but one of the famous secrets is that it is a sacred site for four religions (Hindu, Buddhism, Bon, and Jainism). Each religion has its own religious beliefs towards Mt Kailash.
First, let’s start with the Hindu religion, which strongly believes the powerful Adi Yogi god Shiva resides at Mt Kailash with his wife, the Sakti goddess Parvati. Moreover, it is said that the lord shiva exists there and gives blessings in the form of the mountain Kailash.
Many Hindu devotees have been traveling to this mountain, fascinated by the allure of the peak and many secrets surrounding the Kailash Parvaat (mt Kailash). Also, the belief is that lord Shiva has been residing in Mt Kailash for 21,000 years and has been meditating perpetually on the mountain. This is one of the biggest secrets of MtKailash, not supported by any facts except for the strong beliefs of the Hindu religion adherents.
Mount Kailash, the Abode of Lord Shiva, is the source of some of the largest rivers, like the Indus, Karnali, Brahmaputra, and Sutlej. Also, the mountain is said to be the sanctum sanctorum and center of the world, where heaven meets Earth. This being said, the mountain lies far to Tibet’s southwestern part, bordering the Indian Kumaon region, which is said to be the place where heaven and Earth meet.
In addition, the scriptures state that circumambulating the holy Mt Kailash on foot will bring good fortune and eases one’s sins. The circumambulation tradition, known as Kora, has been practiced in all religions for thousands of years. An exciting secret about circumambulating Mt Kailash is that Hindus and Buddhists make Kora clockwise, whereas Jain and Bönpo religions perform Kora counterclockwise. So if you see some pilgrims walking in the opposite direction, don’t get surprised.
Talking more about Mt Kailash scripts in Buddhism, it’s believed that Mt Kailash is the home to the lord Buddha or Demchok, representing the ultimate bliss. They believe a pilgrimage tour to Mt Kailash can help devotees achieve nirvana or liberation.
In addition, Jains followers believe Mount Kailash is the same holy site where Rishabha Deva meditated. He is said to be the first Tirthankara or liberated being as a Jainism follower whose medication lasted for almost 100 years in Mt Kailash.
Jain follower also believes that completing a pilgrimage journey to Mt Kailash can help the devotees achieve moksha from the cycle of death and birth. Similarly, the Bon religion followers believe that their important deity, Shenlha Okar, resides in the sacred Mt Kailash.
Many religions like Hindu, Bon, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism revere Mt Kailash. This explains why Mt Kailash has been given many names like Kailayam, Swastika Mountain, Kang Tisé, Kangrinboqê Peak, etc. All these names are important and carry mysterious secrets in each religion.
However, these are just some secrets about Mt Kailhes, as many remain under thick white clouds.
Has Anyone Climbed Mount Kailash? The Truth About This ‘Unclimbable’ Mountain
Mt Kailash is just 6,638 m (21,778 ft) tall, which is way lower than the tallest peak Everest at 8,848.86 m (29,031.7 ft). There have been so many successful attempts at Climbing Mt Everest but only a few on Mt Kailash. The main secret of Mount Kailash being an unclimbable mountain mainly lies in the religion’s beliefs of all four religions.
Mt Kailash is a sacred mountain for all four religions who believe that their deities reside there and one should not set foot on the mountain and disrespect the deities. Likewise, Tibet does not issue any climbing permits probably because climbing Mt Kailash might hurt the sentiments of the devotees who worship the Mountains as the place where their respective gods reside.
The main secret of Mt Kailash being unclimbable till now might be the devotee’s fear of trespassing the peak’s sanity, disturbing the divine soul and deities.
It is not that people have not tried to climb the peak. Many people have tried, but until now, they have yet to reach their peak. That being said, a team of scientists tried to reach the peak of Mt Kailash, but they did not reach the top.
Likewise, people continued to climb the peak, but unfortunately, four climbers have said to died while attempting to climb Mt Kailash within a year or two. Moreover, Mt Kailash cannot be climbed, and the sacred behind this may be the religious belief that climbing Mt Kailash will offend the deities.
In addition, the scientific hypothesis states that Mt Kailash changes its’s position, making it impossible and scary for climbers who want to climb and reach the peak. This mountain’s ability to change position may be another secret to why Mt Kailash remains unclimbed.
History states that no one has ever climbed to the peak, but Buddhist scriptures believe that Milarepa, a Buddhist monk, reached the peak in the 11th Century. He is the only one who is said to climb the peak till now.
Time Passes Fast Around Mt Kailash
Another secret surrounding Mt Kailash says that time passes fast around Mt Kailash, caused by the rapid increase in time in the peak’s atmosphere. It is said that the air of the mountain causes fast aging, and this claim is backed by the story of climbers from Siberia who attempted to climb the mountain.
They tried to climb the mountain, and after climbing ahead of the forbidden line, the mountainers experienced aging by a few decades. All these aged climbers died over the years due to the leap of age. Moreover, many travelers who visit Mt Kailash also claim that they have noticed a rapid growth in their hair and nails.
Whether you believe in this secret or not, this undeniable reality becomes apparent when people see these changes while visiting Mt Kailash. It will be like experiencing a real-time trip there.
Center of the World and Stairway Between Heaven and Earth
Scientists have found that Mt Kailash is where the axis of rotation of the celestial sphere occurs. This was also mentioned in the Hindu Vedas and mythological book Ramayana, which says that Mt Kailash is the axis Mundi (the center of Earth where heaven meets Earth). Scientists have found that the peak, the center of the world, is connected to many other significant monuments on Earth.
Likewise, the peak lies 6,666 km away from Stonehenge in England. An exciting secret here is that the same dimension goes for the North Pole, which is the same distance far (6,666 km) from Mt Kailash. Talking about the distance from the South Pole, Mt Kailash is 13,332 km far, which is double the distance of 6,666 km from the North Pole and Stonehenge.
Mt Kailash is said to be the place where heaven meets Earth. The Vedas state that Pandavas climbed the mountain for Moksha with Draupadi during Mahabharata. However, everyone slipped while climbing except Yudhishthira. Therefore, the path of heaven opened for Yudhishthira. The four slopes of the mountains are said to cast positive energy and are the gateway to heaven.
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Final
Many secrets and mysteries surround Mt Kailash, and they have fascinated many travelers and scientists. Despite many speculations, Mt Kailash is still a sacred mountain that will remain fascinating for many. Since all its secrets have not been revealed yet, we can only hope that more mysteries and secrets about the mountains will be revealed, which will further help us gain a deeper knowledge of Mt Kailash.
