MOUNT KAILASH, TIBET

MOUNT KAILASH

Tibet

Mount Kailash is in western Tibet, a mountain sacred to both Hindus and Bhuddists.  It is the goal of the faithful to do a "Kora" or circumnavigaton of the mountain, once in a lifetime.  Pilgrims come north from India, usually Hindus, or from the east of Tibet and Lhasa, to make the kora, and the most devout will do the entire 50 kms prostrating the ground as they go.  (This means bending to one's toes and then stretching forward to one's full length on the ground before standing up, and this is reapeated. They wear thick gloves and knee pads for this.) Mount Kailash is also the point where the four big rivers of Asia originate, the Sutlej, the Brahmaputra, the Indus and the Karnali.  This is regarded as very significant.

We approached from the south, from Nepal, and walked in to the Tibetan border with horses, piled high with gear.  It was dusty but memorable, to pass and visit monasteries, and drink tea with monks en route, and to cross rivers, and then at the Border play cards with the Chinese guards in their bedroom while we waited for our truck.  

As we bumped our way across the Tibetan plateau looking out for a sight of Mount Kailash, we stopped at Tirtapuri, which is the third most important pilgrimage site where the nomadic Kampas, arriving in trucks, also do a short small  kora round the hot springs.  This was a magic spot with pilgrims arriving carrying pots and pans and we felt privileged to share this time with them.

After making a spectacular visit to Tsaparang in the far west we then aimed for Darchen, from whence we began our four day kora round the mountain.  

We loaded our yaks and set off.    It is bleak and stony and cold, and wonderful to be part of this traditional walk round his most sacred mountain, meeting Tibetan pilgrims and trying to absorb the meaning of this walk. One of the party ties a white ribbon round her arm, which means we are not to talk to her (but we notice does not stop her from talking..).   We share some tsampa with our porters, crouching low in the wind. The high point of the walk is the Dolma La (18,600ft/5669m) and here it is customary to leave behind prayer flag to join hundreds of others flapping in the wind.  Some people leave behind teeth, hair, coins and bits of clothing, but we left just flags.   Thereafter to Lake Manasarover, where we camped by the water and the tents filled with sand, but we collected some sacred water for an old crone we had met earlier.  

High on this Tibetan Plateau "the sense of space is awe inspiring, emphasised as it is by the line of telegraph poles stretching to infinity".  The experience of the emptiness and grandeur of Tibet and the mountains was perhaps almost surpassed by the close contact with the people and culture of Tibet at the hot springs.