A visit to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarover is a devout Hindu’s dream. I pursuing an adventure trekking option and a unique experience more than a particularly religious motivation landed a chance to visit the holy terrain as the leader of a group of Indian Pilgrims organized by Government of India.
The route identified is through the higher reaches of Kumaon Hills and through the ‘Lipu Lekh’ pass taking one through enormously beautiful sight of Om Parbat, where the snow seems to fall in a pattern of the holy letter and the groove is supposed to be designed by the dancing feet of Lord Shiva in his Tandav Mudra.
Garbyang Village
Gunji Village
One also crosses the hauntingly beautiful village of Garbyang, where due to land slide the houses are tilted as in mythical ghost stories, and the high altitude meadow of ‘Chhiyalik Top’ where the flowers seem to grow in joyful abandon like ‘The Valley of Flowers’. Other interesting sights en route that remain rain fresh in my memory are the village of Gunji, the UP Government aircraft parked in to a hill side after a crash, the beautiful pack animals of the Himalayas, inviting forest flowers, the quaint trading town of ‘Taklakot’ on the Tibetan side, the site of high altitude antelopes at a gallop in the distance on the Tibetan plateau, the feel of hot water in a natural hot water spring and the sound of chanting in a monastery near one of the camps on the banks of Lake Mansarovar.
Mani Stones and Carved Yak skulls
Carved yakk skulls on the way to Mount kailash
However one image that has remained etched is the image of hundreds of thousands of rocks strewn around Mount Kailash carrying ancient inscriptions in carvings. It defies human imagination to think as to who would have done these carvings in that cold difficult to survive area in the hoary past. These carvings do not seem to exist in any identifiable place or pattern but are just strewn all over and my enquiries about them did not seem to elicit a particularly convincing answer.
Glaciers coming down from Mount Kailash
Camps at Mount Kailash Mansaovar
The Amazing place to visit after the visit to Mount Kailash- Poltala Palace, Lhasa-Tibet.
I guess that with Mount Kailash as a preferred pilgrimage destination for Hindus, Buddhists as well as ancient Tibetans from times immemorial, these are the offerings of ancient pilgrims to the holiest of the mountains. As is well known, in high altitude areas with less Oxygen, pious Buddhists have multi-colored flags emblazoned with prayers fluttering through the wind over their houses so as to ensure that the wind carries the good karma. These carved stones are possibly a reflection of that thought only, with far more permanence attached to them as one visits mount kailash only rarely but with this your prayers remain there forever. I wish I could also leave a prayer there carved in stone. It would have been my guardian angel in the roof of the world.
The Other Home brings you Incredible India travel and tourism through, Homestays, Vacation Rentals, Cottages, Eco-resorts, Heritage Homes, Villa Houses, Beach Resorts, and Holiday Homes accommodation. It helps you discover India by planning your vacations through travel tours and packages, unique destinations, adventures and experiences. The Other Home offers specialized packages for Mount Kailash or Mansarovar Yatra, both by helicopter and by road.
If you want to be notified next time, subscribe to the RSS feed or say hello via Twitter @theotherhome. You can plan your dream holiday with us, visit The Other Home.
No comments:
Post a Comment