Pilgrimage to Kailash and Manasarovar

Every year thousands of pilgrimage pay visit to Kailash ( Manasarovar) following a tradition going back thousands of years. Pilgrims believe that circumambulating Mount Kailash on foot is holy ritual which will bring good fortune. The peregrination is made in a clockwise direction by Hindus and Buddhists while followers of the Jain and Bönpo religions circumambulate the mountain in a counterclockwise direction. The path around Mount Kailash is 52 km long.

Circumambulation around the Kailash is not an easy. A healthy person would take around 15 hours to complete the round. Pilgrims believe that entire walk around Kailash should be made in a single day. Some of the devout do accomplish this feat, little daunted by the uneven terrain, altitude sickness and harsh conditions faced in the process. Indeed, other pilgrims venture a much more demanding regimen, performing body-length prostrations over the entire length of the circumambulation: The pilgrim bends down,

Kneels, prostrates full-length, makes a mark with his fingers, rises to his knees, prays, and then crawls forward on hands and knees to the mark made by his/her fingers before repeating the process. It requires at least four weeks of physical endurance to perform the circumambulation while following this regimen. The mountain is located in a particularly remote and inhospitable area of the Tibetan Himalayas. A few modern amenities, such as benches, resting places and refreshment kiosks, exist to aid the pilgrims in their devotions. According to all religions that revere the mountain, setting foot on its slopes is a dire sin. It is claimed that many people who ventured to defy the taboo have died in the process.

Due to its difficult geographical locations, lengthy and hazardous treks, government strict rules for safety, pilgrims has to take high risk and get enough information before making this tour. One can travel by land from Kathmandu or from Lhasa where flights from Kathmandu are available to Tibet and thereafter travel over the great Tibetan plateau by car. The journey takes four night stops, finally arriving at Darchen at elevation of 4,600 m (15,000 ft).

Walking around the holy mountain—a part of its official park—has to be done on foot, pony or yak, taking some three days of trekking starting from a height of around 15,000 ft (4,600 m) to cross the Dolma pass 19,000 ft (5,800 m), and encamping for two nights en route. First, near the meadow of Dirapuk gompa, some 2 to 3 km (1.2 to 1.9 mi) before the pass and second, after crossing the pass and going downhill as far as possible (viewing Gauri Kund in the distance).