Where is Kailash Parvat located?.

25 January 2024

Mount Kailash is in the Kailash Range in far western Tibet in Ngari Prefecture. It is about 100km north of the western trijunction of the borders of China, India, and Nepal and 1000km from Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet. 

In Tibetan, Mount Kailash is named “Kang Rinpoche”. Kang in Tibetan means snow peak while Rinpoche means “honored precious one”, hence translating to “precious jewel of snow” from Tibetan. 

Kailash Parvat is a holy site for four religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Bon, and Jainism. There are many spiritual beliefs about Mount Kailash among devotees of all four religions. Huge numbers of pilgrims visit this mountain and circuit around it. The Kailash Mansarovar yatra is a holy journey of spiritual growth for devotees of these four religions. 

Where is Lake Mansarovar located? 

Lake Mansarovar like Mount Kailash is situated in far western Tibet in Ngari prefecture about 60 km north of the western trijunction of the borders of China, India, and Nepal and about 1200km from Lhasa. It is located south of Mount Kailash adjacent to the Rakshastal. The two twin lakes, like Mount Kailash, are major attractions for pilgrims. 

Facts about Mount Kailash 

There are many amazing facts and mysteries about Mount Kailash. 

1. Mount Kailash has never been ascended although there are some unproven claims. 
2. Due to various unusual death cases, the Kailash region is restricted and only a limited area is accessible to trekkers and pilgrims. 
3. Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar are sources of 4 major rivers in Nepal and India: the Indus River, Sutlej River, Brahmaputra River, and Karnali River. 
4. Mount Kailash is equidistant (6,666 km) from Stonehenge, UK, and the North Pole while its distance from the South Pole is 13,332 km, double the distance from Stonehenge or the North Pole. 
5. The satellite view of Mount Kailash shows that the shadow resembles Lord Shiva smiling. 

How difficult is Kailash Parikrama? 

Kailash Parikrama or Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is a difficult journey. One cannot complete this journey without proper preparation and resilience. Before starting the walking journey, you have to travel by road for days to reach the starting point, Darchen. You have to travel by road for 4 or 5 days to finally reach Darchen. Then only, you can start your Mount Kailash Parikrama. Traveling by road for days makes you feel lagged. You’ll find it hard to recover your strength for the next day after completing a day of walking. 

In addition to that, the altitude is also a key factor. The average altitude at which you will be walking throughout the circuit is about 5000 meters which is truly challenging. The altitude at the starting point is 4670 meters while the highest altitude you’ll reach in this journey is 5650 meters at Drolma La. 

Without a doubt, Kailash Mansarovar yatra is a challenging journey. You’ll require physical and mental resilience with good preparation. You can prepare by jogging and going on short hikes and morning walks. It is also good if you go for lower-altitude treks before attempting the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.