When is the best time to go to Kailash? Journey to the sacred mountain Kailash (Kailash) Road of pilgrims

Probably the most correct way in terms of acclimatization, physical fitness and from the point of view of Buddhist practices is the way to Tibet and the approach to the kora around Kailash

Tibet! Mysterious place, where explorers, pilgrims, invaders and adventurers have been striving for many centuries. Geographical and spiritual studies of Tibet are associated with such names as the Jesuit Ippolito Desideri (17th century), Nicholas Roerich, Helena Blavatsky, Alexandra David-Noel, Sarat Chandra Das, Ekai Kavaguchi, Ovshe Norzunov, Ernst Muldashev.

In our time, the mystery of Tibet has become a fashionable topic. There are many evidences of this - the sale of Muldashev's books, the popularity of Hollywood's "Seven Years in Tibet", the growing interest in Tibetan Buddhism, including among public figures - actors, businessmen, politicians, and the most important evidence for me as a guide - a huge number of people who want to visit Tibet and ready to spend quite a lot of money on it. After all, the expedition there today is troublesome and costly.

Often we hear exclamations of “… Ah Tibet!!!” from people of varying degrees of awareness - some are convinced Buddhists and know more about Tibetan Buddhism than many monks living in Tibetan monasteries, others have only seen Brad Pitt in a sensational film, the knowledge of others does not extend beyond the name of the country. But for everyone who has not yet been to Tibet, the first visit to this country (we will call it that, despite the current sovereignty of China) will always be a shock, and its nature (positive or negative) largely depends on how ready a person is for it. with which to meet.

We adhere to the opinion of many guidebooks - every person planning a trip to Tibet should be aware that this is exactly the place where he needs to visit.

Maybe this article will help someone with such a choice. We will describe our impressions on the example of one single route (which allowed us to get to know Tibet as much as possible not in “Seven years”, but in a short three weeks).

Brief historical and geographical reference.

Tibet is a huge and highest plateau in the world (“roof of the world”) stretching roughly two and a half thousand kilometers from east to west and one and a half from north to south. The average height is about 4500 m7000 m. Only 2 million people live in this vast space. Most of which are concentrated in Lhasa and the surrounding area. Until 1951, Tibet was an independent closed Buddhist state in which both secular (state) and spiritual power were in the hands of the first spiritual person of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama. In 1951, Chinese troops invaded Tibet, after the suppression of the uprising in Lhasa in 1959 and the flight of the 14th Dalai Lama to India, Chinese sovereignty was finally established over Tibet (as over an autonomous region of China). government in exile and spiritual center Buddhism led by the Dalai Lama is today in India in Dharamsala (foothills of the Himalayas). The southern border of the plateau - the Himalayas highest mountains planets. Tibet is bordered by a necklace of eight-thousanders, and on the plateau itself there are dozens of peaks above 7000 above sea level.

This time we chose a path that is not quite usual for Western tourists. Hundreds of groups get to more comfortable Lhasa and its environs by flying to the capital. Dozens of groups come in jeeps along the Friendship Highway - a killed mountain dirt road Kathmandu - border (Kodari - Zhangmu) - Lhasa with passes around 5 thousand meters, which is also a good adventure.

Our path is the most direct path to the sacred Kailash.

This is an ancient path of Indian pilgrims to the "center of the universe" passing through western Nepal along the valley of the great Karnali (a tributary of the Ganges, one of the four magical rivers (From the Peacock's Mouth) flowing from the southern slope of Kailash). On the trail we met old people in turbans (Chetri people) from the series “We have been sitting for a long time” - they said that we were the sixth group in a year. One of the six is ​​also our September one. Here is a comparison of the number of tourists. Only now the route is even more polished - for the same three weeks we have grandiose plans. group for five days will pass gorge great river Karnali, cross over main ridge Himalayas (Nara La pass about 4400m - Black - in Tibetan) and will reach the Tibetan part of the route. We will go to Tibet 100 km in a straight line from Kailash and our path will pass between the mystical lakes Rakshastal (demonic) and Manasarovar (victorious for the forces of light)...

This time the expedition will descend to the Sutlej Valley (the river from the western slope of Kailash - From the Mouth of the Elephant) to the capital of the most ancient Buddhist kingdom in Tibet - Guge (7th century NE) the capital's Tsaparang castle. After Guge, we have to make the Koru - the sacred detour of Mount Kailash (53 km long, the highest point is the Drolma La pass - the goddess of compassion of Green Tara - 5669 m), After that, the expedition will cross Tibet from west to east at an accelerated march in jeeps and visit the iconic monasteries and temples in the cities of Sakya, Shigatse, Gyantse and of course Lhasa.

We are proud of such an informative route - its creation was the result of a lot of work on honing the elements of logistics and the experience of several previous expeditions.

The last two expeditions were quite large, with 16 participants plus guides, cooks, a caravan of mules, drovers ... We brought living tents, a kitchen tent, a wardroom, toilet and shower tents. In general, the tourists were very comfortable, and all regular visitors to Tibet (our fellow guides) and locals remember that Ukraine is a large country that is very interested in Tibet.

Trek in the Karnali valley.

This time there are only three of us - I am a guide, and two guys are regular tourists of the "Party".

Valera and Oleg. They are also very interested in what Tibet is for a fresh person, regardless of his religious (or atheistic) views. The guys have some experience of amateur tourism - so we refuse the usual for standard tours caravan. As an instructor and an experienced camp cook, I take care of the food, the food layout is brought from home. We are able to carry Spartan belongings, a tent, a micro-kitchen and photographic equipment ourselves, and for the supplies intended for the Tibetan part of the expedition, with the help of our permanent guide, handsome Baz, we hire a couple of porters. Usually in this area of ​​Nepal we use horses and mules to move loads, but the end of April is a little early for the season here, the pass can be covered in snow that the animals cannot pass through.

From Simikot - the center of the Nepalese province of Humla, our path lies north up the mighty Karnali gorge.

Nothing here resembles the tourist areas of Nepal familiar to many - Annapurna and Everest. There are no clean guest houses and tea houses here, and the villages of the local “chetri” themselves resemble cramped and dirty honeycombs stuck to the path on a steep slope, in which old people and children are swarming. Middle age - especially women are not observed. The guys say - "four as hell" - they are really black, baked by the sun and wild looking.

But nature, also unlike the center of Nepal, is beautiful. Pine forests, the mighty Karnali canyons, the harsh snowy peaks of the Saipal massif (7758). For the first two days we gain height along the narrow gorges, but then after the Pine River we break out into the bright and spacious upper valleys. Everything changes here - the population is mostly Buddhist, there are many Tibetans, people look more civilized (relatively to the wild four, of course), the views are more meaningful, the villages are cleaner - there is even electricity, a school and a large monastery in Yalbang. The trail gets easier - a lot less losses height, resulting in a smoother rise. Although there are no shelters, we are unpretentious people - we slept in local shacks and pitched a tent only twice. The first time it was a painfully good place for a tent - the bank of a blue mountain stream was covered with pines, the second time it was a painfully terrible hut. The Nara La pass is not difficult, but you need to puff, after all, 4400. Oleg especially got it - he caught a local catarrhal virus, had a high temperature, sneezed and coughed. But willpower, injections of immunostimulants and team support did their job. The pass was taken fairly quickly. On the northern Tibetan side, as expected, the trail was blocked in several places by tongues of snow that had not yet melted after winter. Definitely, the animals would not have passed, and fortunately the people were experienced. Conclusion - at this time it is better not to plan such a transition if there are people in the group without the corresponding mountain experience. But a couple of weeks later, everything is back to normal.

After a dizzying descent to Hilsu (a village on the border with Tibet), we spent the night in an almost "chic" guest house. They ate a lean "dal baht", flavoring it with stew. There is good news along the route - we did not meet the Maoists until the Hills, who tightly controlled the territory. Previously, they sat in Yalbang and ripped off passing tourists for a hundred, one and a half dollars from each against a signature and a receipt. It was bashfully called "local donations". Now the Maoists have been invited to the parliament and they are "buzzing" in Kathmandu already.

And in the Karnali valley, state police and border posts (in the Hills itself) are being established.

Track summary:

* the track is physically quite intense - you need to be ready for this.
* nature is beautiful,
* there are no shelters, there is practically no food edible for Europeans.
* you can move either as we usually do for our tourists - by a caravan with a full tent camp (pack animals, living tents, food supplies, a kitchen, shower and toilet tents with a brigade of Sherpas who all serve this), or autonomous (accommodation, food, clothes - on yourself) by a tourist group with a guide (he is also a translator - no one speaks English). You can hire a couple of porters, you need to carry gas and burners - firewood is not available everywhere.

Western Tibet - Ngari.

The next day we, as the song says, "crossed the border by the river" - we just crossed the bridge and climbed the hillock on which the Chinese frontier post of the town of Sher is located.

On the hillock, our Tibetan guide and driver, who were chartered from Lhasa, were already looking out.

It was May 1st and we were very worried that there might be problems with the Chinese border bureaucracy, which still likes to drink and eat on communist holidays. But the Chinese meeting amazed us - contrary to custom, junior ranks attacked us, took away our backpacks and carried them on outstretched arms. They gave us tea, quickly and unobtrusively checked our documents and things, and sent us with an escort to the regional town of Purang to the border. commandant's office. The Chinese are clearly undergoing changes in better side. Although, we noticed a few epaulettes with big stars, and maybe the whole thing was an exercise in Chinese folk hospitality. After going through the formalities in Puranga, we took Oleg to the hospital. The institution is “stylish” - an expensive head building that is peeling and closed with a barn lock, “toilets” under fences, a blood-spitting hospital with one open ward in which a couple of badly beaten young Tibetans lay under drips without the slightest supervision. They gave us the doctor's phone number and - oh, miracle - she arrived on a scooter in 10 minutes.

The girl made an impression of being sane, in response to our request, she quickly listened to Oleg and also calmed her fingers that there was no inflammation (ufff. Thank God, it is very dangerous at a height). Then she took an injection (Oleg says that I, compared to her, am an elf) and gave out a bag of some pills and powders, which Oleg conscientiously ate in a week without much harm to himself. Didn't take any money.

Then we moved in a jeep towards the isthmus between two magical lakes. Everywhere you can feel the Chinese influence, the road is crushed stone, but well-groomed, concrete neat bridges are everywhere - in every adobe village there is a huge pompous building with a pagoda gate and large yard- Army barracks. Gurla Mandata, a huge massif of 7728 m, standing apart from the Himalayas, dominates the entire landscape. To say that all this is not like what happened yesterday is to say nothing. It felt like we were on another planet. Moon-shaped mountains, the Karnali valley is wide and lifeless. Everything is reminiscent of frozen psychedelic music. When we went between the lakes Valera "broke". He is an enthusiastic photographer (wait for the exhibition) and for the first time in his trip he clearly understood that he had come for a reason. We spent the night at the hot springs of the Chuku Monastery - a bath for the strong in spirit, but after a week of absence, anyone - went. On the isthmus, as it should be in front of the Kora, they washed themselves in both lakes. Contrary to the legends and Muldashev, Rakshastal - not poisoned - they themselves saw in him a large trout, but the skin tightens from washing.

Chiu Monastery, next to which we spent the night, is a landmark - it houses the cave of the great bodhisattva Padmasambhava. We did not get into the monastery - there was no key keeper. But then we took pictures and meditated on the opposite hill. A place of stunning beauty and energy. I was strongly hooked, Valera denies that Oleg was lying sick.

After Chuku, we moved to Zandu, a provincial town on the site of the former Guge kingdom.

The town is completely dedicated to Chinese warriors. The only concrete street is filled with marching soldiers, advertising, small cafes, and dubious quality massage-barbershops, where sleepy girls are on alert to serve the valiant Chinese warriors. The Tholing Monastery, located in the city, was destroyed by the Chinese during the Cultural Revolution, and later mediocrely restored.

The sight is pitiful. But the capital of the Guge kingdom - the ancient Tsaparang - a half-cave castle located on a tall clay cliff is amazing and takes half an hour to climb to the very top to the royal chambers. The view from there is incomparable. In general, the Sutlej valley, where Guge was located, is a kind of Colorado - a huge canyon with such erosive landscapes that it is not enough imagination to describe it.

At the next stop at Tirtapuri hot springs, we met a Russian group. The guys invited us for tea and we exchanged impressions. The guys drove through the Highway from Kathmandu. As expected on such a journey to Tibet, some of the people complained about the "miner". They held on tight, but some looked greenish and almost everyone was clearly jealous of our condition. We were envious of ourselves - with such an acclimatization schedule, we had practically no symptoms. It is very rare that one can afford such a luxury.

Tech digression - "Mountain Sickness"

Or affectionately "gornyashka", a well-known "girlfriend" of all mountain travelers and climbers. Strictly speaking, this is the reaction of the body to the complex impact of all high-mountain factors - low atmospheric pressure, rarefied air with a small amount of oxygen, cold, increased solar radiation.

Manifestations of mountain rash can be very different from shortness of breath and mild headache to swelling of the lungs and brain. Fortunately, the last serious manifestations at altitudes up to 6000 m are extremely rare, and this threatens high-altitude climbers more. But each person reacts differently to altitude. Therefore, this danger cannot be underestimated. It is clear that people with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases should not play games with high altitude.

For “virtually healthy” people, the most important means of preventing mountain sickness is a gradual acclimatization schedule, and the treatment of serious symptoms is a rapid descent. The big problem is that, most of the time, itineraries are constrained by the standard time frame that people can take to travel.

After all, you don’t want to spend precious vacation days idly sitting and acclimatizing in some boring place. And in this sense, our route is ideal, since the climb schedule practically corresponds to the old textbooks on mountain tourism– 600m per day. And that's without a single empty day.

Here I would like to note that there is a medical remedy that helps faster acclimatization - this is diamox (diacarb). It is really effective, although not a panacea, but not very useful for the liver and pancreas - therefore, taking it or not is a personal matter for everyone. If you decide to take - be sure to consult with us on the dosage and know that we always have it in the first aid kit.

After Tirtapuri, we returned to Darchen, the place where the Kora begins and ends around Kailash. We had half a day free and we went with the still sick Oleg to the Center of Tibetan Medicine. You should not imagine a bunch of wizards who, with one silver needle stuck in the ass, treat all diseases at once. Everything is much more prosaic. This institution is funded by the Swiss Tibetans Charitable Foundation, run by Dr. Tukpa. The center has a medical school for local teenagers and a small factory for the manufacture of medicines from more than exotic ingredients. School teachers - several young followers of Tukpa take sick people, helping local population and, most often, tourists suffering from "miner's fever". The guys practice pulse diagnostics and do it extremely convincingly, determining the diseases you have known for a long time and their current state. After that, herbal pellets and potions are prescribed very, very effective, as we have been able to repeatedly verify.

Oleg also helped a lot. After the Center, we took a radial trip to the Gyandrak Monastery, built inside the Kora ring. And here we were for the first time briefly hooked mountain malaise. The monastery is new, stunningly beautiful, built on the site of the old one - the 13th century. Here I am always embraced by the feeling of light energy filling me. This time was no exception. Valera denies that Oleg is still ill.

We met a couple more Russian bands in Darchen. It seems that our people are in the majority here. The statistics were spoiled by 117 Indians, of which, however, as it turned out later, 16 came to the bark, and according to unverified data, 4 passed, we kind of overtook everyone and did not see the Indians. In general, it is difficult to imagine what can make these often elderly, shapeless and physically helpless people try and, not always unsuccessfully, make such difficult and risky journeys for their precarious health.

Retreat - Mount Kailash

Mount Kailash (Kailash). Many myths and legends are associated with Kailash. Four world religions consider Kailash a sacred place: Hindus believe that Kailash is the cosmic center of the universe, and it is there that the powerful god Shiva lives, and the nearby sacred lake Manasarovar was created by the god Brahma. In the Hindu tradition, there is mythical mountain Meru corresponding to Kailash. In the Mahabharata, she is described as "kissing the heavens at their very height, shining like the morning sun, like a fire unclouded by smoke, immeasurable, and inaccessible to sin-bearing people." Jains revere Kailash as the place where their first saint attained liberation. In the Bon religion, it is believed that the first master Tongpa Shenrab descended from heaven on Mount Kailash. In Buddhism, it is believed that Demchok, the angry form of Shakyamuni Buddha (an analogy with Shiva), lives on Kailash. Kailash is shaped like a pyramid, the edges of the mountain are located almost exactly on the cardinal points, on the southern and eastern sides of the mountain the intersection of cracks resembles a swastika. The four great Asian rivers Sutlej, Indus, Karnali and Brahmaputra flow down from Kailash. Kora is a ritual detour around Kailash. It is believed that even a single bypass eliminates all life's sins. A 108-fold, provides a transition to Nirvana in this life. 3 and 13 bypasses are also considered favorable. Done on a full moon, the bark counts as two! Kailash is surrounded by valleys, so the bark does not require special training or equipment. Distance - 53km.

The height of Kailash is 6714 m, and not 6666 as it is written by Muldashev. And in general, all his "geographical" calculations about the mountain, to put it mildly, are controversial. Kailash has enough secrets and magic without human help. Now on the Internet you can find all sorts of delusional stories that someone climbed to the top. Allow me not to believe. The Lonely Planet, a world-renowned publication of guidebooks all over the world, which has access to any information, notes that permissions to climb Kailash were issued only twice - once to the Spanish expedition, which was canceled due to protests from the world community, the second time to the Great Reingold Messner. The solo conqueror of all eight-thousanders spent some time near the Mountain and canceled the ascent for an unknown reason, limiting himself to setting a recorded record for climbing the Kora - about 12 hours, which, however, is not much faster than the average Tibetan pilgrim. Yes, and we slowly passed the bark in 14 running hours.

And here's Cora. Exciting morning. Oleg gathered all the strength of his body, exhausted by a cough, and we moved along the main pilgrimage route. I must say that we were also great, sneezing and coughing - being in the same jeep could not pass without a trace.

All in all, our progress was uneventful. We passed by Darboche - this is a huge prayer flagpole that changes once a year on Saga Dawa - the birthday, enlightenment and paranirvana of Shakyamuni Buddha (Shakya Tukpa in Tibetan). Darboche stood straight - there is a legend, if you walk past and see that Darboche is standing straight - then everything is in order, if Darboche is inclined towards the center of Kailash, then your affairs are not very good, and if from the center - then things are out of hand ...

We were all right. This reassured me no less than the assurances of the Chinese and Tibetan doctors that Oleg had no inflammation.

As luck would have it, we walked inside the double chorten (stupa) of Kangyi and walked around the place of the heavenly burial place (the body of the deceased is given to birds - a common practice in Tibet) of 84 reh mahasidhas (holy tantrists). Valera and I climbed into the Chuku Monastery hanging over the Shershon Valley. The monastery is dedicated to Amitaba, the Buddha of uncertain light. Last time, our guys participated in the ritual of longevity, when the Statue of Amitaba was washed and changed, and received the blessing of Rinpoche (abbot).

This time in the monastery everyone was minding their own business, and we left, leaving donations and taking a few pictures.

On the way, we met local pilgrims every now and then. Some of them surprised us. Together with us, a 70-year-old grandmother with her grandson came out of Darchen. We walked quite quickly, overtaking all the groups, but by some miracle my grandmother walked beside us all the time. Often there were especially religious dervishes moving in prostrations, measuring their way, lying on the ground to their full height.

The weather gradually deteriorated, and by the time we got to the Dira Puk monastery shelter, a real blizzard broke out. We sat in a large canvas tent, drank Tibetan tea with yak butter and salt, and watched as an amazingly beautiful and graceful young Tibetan woman prepared tukpa for us - Tibetan homemade noodles mixed with everything that is edible in the house.

Tomorrow morning we have to overcome Drolma La - the pass of Green Tara, one of the tears of the compassionate Chenrezig (Buddha of Compassion), which saved the pioneer of the bark Gotsampu, the builder of all the monasteries of Kailash, from misfortune. She still protects everyone who walks the path of pilgrims. Every time I go down to Darchen, I think - indeed, the 5700 m pass could be much more difficult. So it was this time.

Despite the snow and wind, we reached the pass in three hours, and, having overtaken all the groups, we were already in Darchen that day.

Five kilometers before Darchen, we went out onto the road, where our jeep was waiting for us, but the whole company, including the atheist Valera and the sick Oleg, wanted to complete the kora - i.e. as expected, walk with your feet to the place where you started.

And one more thing - in front of the pass itself there is a place Shiva Tsal - here you need to leave everything unnecessary or a symbol that you want to say goodbye to, I buried a pack of cigarettes in the snow ... and I haven’t smoked for almost a month.

In the evening we dined at “Uncle Sam” as we called the Chinese owner of a restaurant in Darchen, in the morning we got into a jeep and in the evening after a 10-hour drive we reached Sag, the border of western Tibet. A more or less tolerable hotel has finally been built in Saga, in which you can expect availability hot water. We hardly took advantage of this circus.

Summary of Western Tibet - Ngari.

Ngari is a wild huge place, 1000 kilometers long, the Chinese road is in dissonance with wild mountains, scorched desert spaces and dirty stone villages
* in Ngari there are Kailash, Manasarovar, Guge and many more Tibetan shrines and monuments.
* Tibetans are mostly beautiful courageous people terribly similar to the Quichua Andean Indians - descendants of the Incas. By the way, ritual Tibetan masks are also the same as South American ones - perhaps there is a connection.
* the landscapes are amazing and varied, from snowy peaks to huge sand dunes- it doesn't look like anything! - there are no cities, no hotels, several towns such as Purang, Zanda, Ali, have one concrete street with neon signs and Chinese prostitutes, but do not have running water and normal toilets. The phrase from the guide - this hotel has a TV and a toilet - is a little less terrible. You laugh.
* no soul - there are a couple of hot springs for the "strong in spirit".
* shelters - guest houses, quite tolerable, although worse than Nepalese ones.
* food can be obtained in almost any guesthouse - this is a Tibetan tukpa, in the villages - Chinese food, at first it seems tasty, after a week a European feels like an aquarium from some of their spices. A wildly nasty feeling, only a piece of simply fried meat with french fries or a bowl of buckwheat can cure.
* You can move in four ways:

1. With a full campground, kitchen and support truck with Nepalese Sherpas as described earlier, this method is preferred by western tourists. They are squeamish and do not like to live in guest houses.

2. With a truck and Nepalese cuisine, but without tents - this is how our tourists prefer - they find shelters quite tolerable and more comfortable than tents, but Nepalese chefs brighten up life a lot.

3. Only with a jeep and a guide, your own burner and partly with food - this is how we drove - it’s quite possible to get by if the people are not capricious - it adds a lot of mobility.

4. Without all of this - like crazy backpackers who have time - their whole life ahead of them to wait for hitchhiking to Lhasa.

Briefly about Tsang

Next, Tsang awaited us - central Tibet, the birthplace of Tibetan culture and the location of the main shrines of Buddhism, which suffered greatly from the Chinese. This is already an ordinary tourist trip, which is also included in our program. We will talk about it briefly, not because there is nothing to tell, on the contrary, each of the great Tsang monasteries is worthy of a separate story (even a separate monograph), but only these are completely different stories.

Starting from Lhatse, chic freeways awaited us. Now it is possible to get to the cult monastery of Sakya by this route, and last year we were not allowed in because of its (road) construction.

Sakya is the birthplace and main monastery the Sakyupa order, one of the four in Tibetan Buddhism. The head of this order, unlike the rest of the Tibetan monks, has the right to marry in order to procreate and transfer the title by inheritance. From Sakya Image a couple of hours to Shigatse and the great monastery of Tashilhunpo, which is associated with the emergence of both the highest spiritual institutions of Tibet - the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama. Built under the 9th Panchen Lama, the world's largest 26-meter gilded statue of Maitreya Buddha (future Buddha) is located in Tashilhunpo.

Further, our path lay in Gyantse. The Pelkor Chode Monastery is located here, unique in that it unites 13 monasteries of three different orders. On the territory of the monastery is Kumbum - the largest stupa (chorten) in Tibet. Dzong rises above the city - a historical fortress taken in 1904 by the British during the invasion under the command of the English colonial officer Francis Younghusband.

Unfortunately not finished yet new road through the Kamba La pass which allows you to see in all its glory Yamdrok Tso one of the four (probably the most beautiful) sacred lakes of Tibet.

And finally Lhasa. Lhasa is now a very Chinese city - a new high-speed railway has recently been put into operation and there will be even more Chinese. You can talk a lot about the monasteries of Lhasa, about the Golden beauty Potala deprived of her soul - the presence of the Dalai Lama, and about the huge Drepung - the largest monastery in the world, which accommodated 10,000 monks. Valera as a photographer once again "broke" when we got to the famous philosophical debates in the monastery of Sera, known since the Middle Ages, and representing the brightest performance.

But still, the soul of Lhasa, which keeps Tibetan roots, is main temple Buddhism Jokhang located in the center of the old Tibetan quarter of Barkor. The ring street around the Jokhang, aka Barkor Street, is both a souvenir market and a place for selling real masterpieces, for example, I can’t forget one of the thangkas (Tibetan iconography) with the image of the Green Tara of our patroness on the bark.

And Lhasa saw us off with a wonderful restaurant, which is associated with the romantic story of visiting the 6th Dalai Lama, in addition to the spiritual role known as the lyric poet of Tibet. But that's a completely different story. After three weeks, returning to Kathmandu was like returning home.

Summary of Tsang and surroundings of Lhasa.

* Tsang is the location of the main monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism
* a completely civilized place, although the villages are still wild - in the cities everything is civilized.
*
* monasteries are stunning in architecture, sculpture and painting, their historical and cultural significance is enormous
* Personally, it is difficult for me to focus on the energy and my inner experiences there.
* the presence of Chinese rules - pay for the entrance - pay for the photo, and obviously Chinese KGBmen in monastic robes who follow this is especially disturbing.
* there is any kind of food - full of all sorts of restaurants, the best are those where Nepalese chefs.
* hotels come across quite decent. But you can expect some Chinese surprises from anyone, even from a four-star Lhasa hotel (there is no higher there).

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Journey to the sacred mountain Kailash

19 days. Hike cost: $3200.

Kora around Kailash is the most exciting tour in Tibet, allowing you to see highest peaks the globe, get acquainted with the unique culture of the East, touch the secrets of ancient civilizations, visit the residence of the Dalai Lama Lhasa and make a ritual detour around the sacred Mount Kailash. In a remote, inaccessible area Western Tibet rises snow-capped peak Mount Kailash (Kailash). Compared to other Himalayan peaks, Kailash is not the highest mountain. The height of this peak reaches 6638 m, but its shape is amazing - a four-sided pyramid with edges oriented exactly to the cardinal points. Followers of four religions (Buddhism, Hinduism, Bon and Jainism), two of which are global, consider Kailash sacred mountain, the place where their gods dwell. They are sure that this unusual mountain is the "heart of the world" and is endowed with special powers. Worshiping sacred mountain, believers make kora. Kora is a Tibetan word that means pilgrimage and is expressed by going around a holy place: a monastery, temple, lake or mountain. According to legend, the bark around Mount Kailash in Tibet gives everyone who performs this ritual the opportunity to cleanse themselves of the sins of their lives. Today, the 53-kilometer trek around Kailash is the most sacred pilgrimage route in the world and attracts many travelers.

Hiking route
Kathmandu-Lhasa-Shigatse-Shegar-Everest Base Camp-Saga-Darchen-Mount Kailash-Lake Manasarovar-Saga-Nyalam-Jangmu-Kathmandu

On this day, you arrive at Tribhuvan Airport, located in the capital of Nepal - Kathmandu. You will be met by an instructor of our company. After obtaining a Nepalese visa, you will go by taxi to the hotel, which is located in tourist area cities - Tamele. After checking into the hotel, you can make walking tour to the old palace square Durbar, where there are many medieval temples and the palace of the living goddess Kumari. There are many in Nepalese shops tourist equipment, and you can purchase the missing items. In the evening you will have dinner in one of the cozy restaurants.

Second day

After breakfast, you will go to see the main attractions of Kathmandu - the temples of Pashupatinath, Boudhanath and Swayambhunath.

The temple complex of Pashupatinath, located on the banks of the sacred river Bagmati, was founded in the 13th century. It is a sacred place for all Hindus who worship the god Shiva, called the king of animals. Here is the “Golden Temple”, important for all Shaivites, which only Hindus are allowed to enter. During religious holidays, numerous pilgrims from India and Nepal gather in Pashupatinath. Here you can meet sadhus - wandering yogis. They have a rather colorful look and for a small fee they allow you to take a photo with you. Every day in the temple complex there is a ritual - the cremation of Hindus.

The temple complex of Bodhanath is the main center of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal, a sacred Buddhist place. In the central part of the complex there is a large Buddhist stupa built in the 6th century, which is surrounded by numerous gompas (Tibetan monasteries). Tibetans and monks, reciting mantras and turning the rosary, make a bark around the stupa.

The Swayambhunath temple complex is a Buddhist shrine. It is located at the top of the 77-meter Swayambhu hill covered with forest. A huge number of monkeys live in it, because of which Swayambhunath is often called the Monkey Temple. In the center of the complex is a large stupa built in the 3rd century BC and rebuilt a millennium later, surrounded by several Tibetan monasteries and a Tibetan school. Climbing a 365-degree staircase, you can reach the top of the hill, from where you can enjoy a wonderful view of the Kathmandu valley and the peaks of the Himalayas.

Day three. Flight to Tibet, transfer to Lhasa (3595m).

In the morning you will transfer to Kathmandu airport and fly to Tibet. Today you need to get to Lhasa. Lhasa is the heart and soul of Tibet, the center and main sacred city of the area. For many centuries, Lhasa served as the abode of the Dalai Lama, for which it is called the "city of celestials."

Upon arrival at Gongkar Airport, you will transfer by bus to Lhasa City, which is 60 km from the airport. On the way from the airport, you will enjoy the Tibetan landscapes and the view of the highest mountainous river in the world, the Brahmaputra. Upon arrival in the city, you will check into a hotel. Then you will have lunch and acclimatization in the highlands.

Day four. Excursions in Lhasa.

In the morning, you will start exploring Lhasa with a visit to the Jokhang. This famous temple and a monastery called the "House of the Lord", it is especially revered by the inhabitants of Tibet. Crowds of pilgrims come here to bow to the sacred statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, brought to Lhasa in the 7th century. The temple impresses with its highly artistic design. Gilded tiles and roof decorations in the form of deer, Buddhist prayer wheels, banners, figures of saints, mythical animals and birds give the Jokhang a brilliant look. The temple houses a large collection of works of art and cultural monuments.

In the afternoon, you will visit the large Buddhist Sera Monastery, a popular pilgrimage site and museum. The monastery was founded in the 15th century, earlier it was one of the three state monasteries of the famous university of Tibetan Buddhism of the Gelugpa school, more than 5 thousand monks lived in it. This monastery is still active. About 100 monks live in it, who arrange colorful debates on philosophical topics in the afternoon and this attract tourists.

Day five. Excursions in Lhasa.

On this day you will see the highest mountain palace - Potala (3767 m), called the "Pearl of the Roof of the World". For many years this door served as the residence of the Dalai Lama, today it is a museum. The Potala Palace was built and rebuilt over ten centuries. Countless amounts of wood, stone, gold and precious stones. Today, this complex rises to 110 meters on the slope of the Red Mountain and consists of the Red and White Palaces. Palace halls, and there are more than 1000 of them, are distinguished luxurious architecture and are decorated with golden and wooden figurines of saints, Tibetan carpets, drawings, as well as metal, porcelain, ceramics and jade products.

Next, you will have a trip to Norbulingka, the summer residence of the Dalai Lama. The name Norbulingka in translation sounds like "Precious Park". This is the most beautiful and largest man-made garden in Tibet. It has built several beautiful palaces.

Another attraction is the Drepung Monastery, the largest monastery in Tibet, the number of monks in it previously exceeded 10 thousand. The monastery keeps the richest collection of historical relics, manuscripts, works of art, as well as the world's largest tanka of Buddha Shakyamuni, which once a year the monks hang out in the western part of the monastery on the mountain.

Day six. Transfer to the city of Shigatse (3840m).

In the morning you will have a long jeep ride from Lhasa to the second largest city in Tibet - Shigatse. The road goes along the Kambo-la pass, from where a wonderful view of the peaks of the Himalayas opens up. On the way, you will make a stop to admire the beauty of the sacred lake Yamdrok-tso, which is remarkable in that the water in it constantly changes its color. Next, you will head to the city of Gyantse to see the multi-tiered Kumbum stupa, the Pelcho Chode monastery, and the ancient dzong fortress. Upon arrival in Shigatse, you will check into a hotel.

Day seven. Transfer to Shegar village (4050m).

In the morning you will visit the main attraction of Shigatse - the Tashilhunpo Monastery, which previously served as the residence of the Panchen Lama Tibet. This is one of the largest monasteries in Tibet operating today. The complex name of the monastery is translated from the Tibetan language as "all happiness and prosperity is collected here." The monastery houses the world's largest statue of Buddha Maitreya, reaching a height of 26 m. It is made of several hundred kilograms of gold, silver, bronze, decorated with pearls and diamonds.

Next, you will head to the village of Shegar. Along the way, you will see beautiful panoramic views of Tibet, the highest pass of Gyamtso La (5220 m), camps of nomadic shepherds and lonely monasteries. On the way, you will have a stop near the Sakya Monastery - the main monastery of the eponymous school of Tibetan Buddhism. It houses a significant library of ancient scrolls. In the evening you will reach the village of Shegar, where you will stay overnight in a guesthouse.

Day eight. Transfer to Rongbuk monastery (5100 m).

The road to Rongbuk Monastery is quite difficult and interesting. You will have to drive for a long time along a long serpentine road to the Pang La pass (5150 m), from the height of which a breathtaking view of four eight-thousand-meter Himalayan peaks opens: Everest, Makalu, Lhotse and Cho Oyu. Then you will reach the Rongbuk Monastery, from where Everest Base Camp is only 10 km away.

The Tibetan Buddhist monastery Rongbuk is one of the main attractions of Nepal, it is the highest (5100 m) and rather old (founded in 1902) monastery. Now only two floors are used in the five-story building, and out of the 500 monks and nuns who once lived here, only 30 remain. main building.

Near the monastery there is a stationary campsite where you will stay for the night.

Day nine. Transfer Rongbuk Monastery (5100 m) - Everest Base Camp (5360 m) - Saga city (4640 m).

A short drive to the observation point of the Everest Base Camp, and you will be able to see very close the highest point on the globe - Everest and take a photo as a keepsake. Then you will return to Rongbuk Monastery, from where you will go to small town Saga. Overnight at the hotel.

Day ten. Transfer to Darchen village (4670 m)

This day is waiting for you long road to the village of Darchen, which is the starting point of the kora around Kailash. The village has a small monastery, guesthouses - hotels for tourists and pilgrims, as well as restaurants with Chinese and Tibetan cuisine. Overnight in a guesthouse.

Day eleven. First day of bark. Trek to Dirapuk Monastery (5050 m).

The road from the village of Darchen goes west along the ridge that covers the mountains. IN southbound stretches the wide plain of Barka, which is framed by the majestic ridge of the Himalayas. Very soon you will reach a place at an altitude of 4730 m, marked with prayer flags. From there you will have a view of the southern side of Mount Kailash, called "sapphire". This place is the first of four places where many pilgrims perform offering and prostration rituals. The trail will then take you north to the La Chu valley (4750m), where the Tarboche pillar is set up, which is re-erected every year, and how vertical it stands matters to the Tibetans. To the west of Tarboche is the Chorten Kangni, and it is considered auspicious among the Tibetans to pass through its arch. Then the ritual bypass route continues along the eastern side of La Chu past the gorge of the Chuku monastery, built in the 13th century, and soon the western wall of Kailash will appear before you. In this place is the second point where Tibetans-pilgrims make prostrations. After a few hours of walking, you will reach the Dirapuk Monastery, which is located under the northern wall of Kailash. Overnight in a guesthouse.

Day twelve. Second day of the bark. Radial exit to the server slope of Kailash.

To have a good look at the glacier sliding down from Kailash, you need to approach its northern slope. On this day, you will make a radial exit, which will allow you to get as close to the sacred mountain as possible. Overnight in a guesthouse.

Day thirteen. Third day of the bark. Crossing the Drolma La pass (5760m), descent to the Zutrulpuk monastery (4800m).

From the Dirapuk monastery, the trail climbs up to a section of the slope of Mount Shiva Tsal (5330m) - a place where pilgrims leave their old things, accept a symbolic death and prepare for a new life, which begins at the top of the crust - at the Drolma La pass. From the pass you will descend past the sacred lake Tukpe Dzingbu into the valley and go to the campsite located next to the Zutrulpuk monastery.

Day fourteen. The fourth and final day of the kora. Transfer to Chiu monastery (4557 m)

On this day you will return to the village of Darchen, where the crust closes around the sacred Mount Kailash. Then you will make a transfer to the high-altitude lake Manasarovar. It is popular place pilgrimages of the Tibetans, and in order to be cleansed of sins, people make a kora around the lake, bathe in it and drink its water. Manasarovar is connected by a canal to the smaller lake Rakshas Tal. There are five monasteries on the shore of the lake. The most famous of them is Chiu (“little bird”), famous for the fact that it houses the lifetime sculpture of Buddha-Chomdente and there is a cave where Padmasambhava meditated. Nearby are hot springs where you can take a warm bath. Overnight in a guesthouse near Chiu Monastery.

Day fifteen. Transfer to the city of Saga (4640 m).

Return back. Having reached the town of Saga, you stop for the night at the hotel.

Day sixteen. Transfer to Nyalam (3750m).

Continuation of the trip across the Tibetan Plateau. On the way, the top of the Shisha-Pangma mountain (8027m) is clearly visible. Overnight at the hotel in Nyalam, located near the Tibetan border.

Day seventeen. Transfer to Kathmandu.

After crossing the Friendship Bridge, Nepal awaits you with its green plains. Return to Kathmandu. Overnight at the hotel.

Day eighteen. Kathmandu.

Today is a free day in Kathmandu, which you can devote to buying souvenirs for friends and family.

Day 19: Flight home.

5 people - $3600 6 people - $3350

7 people - $3100 8 people - $2970

Airline information

Flight to Kathmandu from Moscow Airarabia - 700 dollars round trip

From Kyiv Flydubai: $650 Airarabia: $700 round trip

The cost of the trip includes

• Accompaniment of our Russian-speaking instructor
• three meals a day in Tibet
• Tibetan guide services
• all transfers on the route
• transfers in Toyota Land Cruiser jeeps (4 seats per jeep)
• all permits in Tibet
• yaks for carrying cargo during the kora around Kailash (1 yak for two people)
• accommodation in a hotel in Kathmandu and in lodges and hotels during the route
• first aid kit

Schedule of hikes along the route

Day 1: Arrival in Nepal.

Meeting at the airport, transfer to the hotel. Study tours in Kathmandu.

Day 2: Excursions to Kathmandu.

Sightseeing in the capital of Nepal. The Buddhist shrine is Swayambhunath, the abundance of monkeys living there gave this temple a second name - the Monkey Temple. Further ancient Hindu temple complex Pashupatinath - burning of the dead, wandering yogis. The largest stupa in Nepal, Boudhanath, is a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists. Obtaining permission to visit Tibet at the Chinese Embassy.

Day 3: Transfer to Tibet

Transfer from Kathmandu to the border with China. Walkthrough border control. Meeting with a Tibetan guide. Transfer to the village of Nyalam (3750m), accommodation in a guesthouse.

Day 4: Acclimatization in Nialama

Acclimatization hike to a height of 4300m.

Day 5: Transfer to Saga

Visiting the cave where the great yogi Milarepa meditated. Transfer to Saga (4600m). Accommodation in a guesthouse.

Day 6: Transfer to Monser

Transfer past Lake Manasarovar to the village of Monser (4500m). Accommodation in a guesthouse.

Day 7: Garuda Valley

Transfer to the Garuda Valley, to the ancient city of Kunlung. Full day dedicated to exploring the Garuda Valley. In the evening transfer to Darchen village (4520m). Preparation for bark. Overnight at the guesthouse.

Day 8: First day of the bark. Trek to Dirapuk

The length of the path around Kailash is 53 km. The tour goes clockwise. On the first day we will go to the Dirapuk monastery. The trail goes west to a large clearing. On it stands the Tarboche pole hung with prayer flags, which is erected annually during the Saga Dawa festival. Nearby is Chorten Kangni, the gate of the kora. Then the pilgrims go along the valley of the La Chu river past the Chuku monastery to the Dirapuk monastery. Overnight at the guesthouse.

Day 9: Second day of the kora. Crossing the Drolma La pass.

The hardest and most important day. From the Dirapuk Monastery, the trail ascends, passing through the Shiva Tsal, the place where Tibetans leave their old clothes. This ritual carries the meaning of symbolic death, cleansing from sins and preparation for a new life, which begins further, at the highest point of the crust, on the Drolma La pass (5630m). After the pass - descent to the Zutrulpuk monastery. Overnight at the guesthouse.

Day 10: Third day of the kora. Completion of the bark.

Transfer to Darchen, where the path around the sacred mountain Kailash closes. Transfer to Rakshas Tal and Manasarovar lakes. Overnight in a guesthouse near the Chiu monastery, located on the banks of Manasarovar.

Day 11: Transfer to Saga

Day 12: Transfer to Zhangmu

Day 13: Crossing the border with Nepal, transfer to Kathmandu

Day 14: Fly home

22.10.2012 10

Good day everyone! Recently, I made an amazing trip to Tibet, the purpose of which was to make a kora (bypass) around the sacred mountain of Buddhism, Kailash. It was such an interesting, unlike anything trip that I, with the permission of Rami, will share my impressions with you. Kailash is described in many Buddhist treatises, many stories and legends are built around it. And yet its summit remains unconquered to this day. They say that not a single traveler could approach it, let alone climb it. First, I will say a few words about Tibet. I have been living in China for about three years now, I have traveled a lot in it, and not only in tourist places, but I have also been in the very outback of the country. And nowhere have I seen such poverty and lack of signs of civilization in everyday life, and nowhere have I seen such constantly smiling, ingenuous and open people. Maybe this is all the influence of Buddhism, which permeates the whole life of the Tibetans. We started our journey from Lhasa, where, of course, we visited beautiful palace Dalai Lama Potala. There we first saw the so-called prostrations - a Buddhist ritual, when believers, uttering a mantra, kneel, then lie down, stretching to their full height, pull themselves up and stand up. In this way they can prostrate on the spot or make a kora (circumvention) around a holy place. We also met many prostrators during the kora on Kailash, which, in my opinion, is an extreme degree of selflessness and devotion to Buddhism. They move both in the snow and uphill on the stones, they eat mainly what is served by those passing by. We drove to Kailash for two days by car and the places became more and more wild and lifeless, but the nature in those parts is very unusual and beautiful. The mountains there are similar in structure to a layer cake, and the stones suddenly mix with the sand. And above all this, snowy peaks rise, which are visible from everywhere. By the end of the second day of the road, we reached the sacred lake Manasarovar. It is believed that Manasarovar and Kailash are the incarnations of the god and goddess on earth. They are close and look at each other. And in order to really cleanse both body and soul, you need to swim in the lake and make a kora around Kailash. To be honest, we didn't have the heart for the first part of this cleansing. Although back in Lhasa we were sure that we would take a dip, but when we arrived at the shore of the lake and put on all the clothes that we had with us, we realized that it was not this time ... Nevertheless, we saw our compatriots who were swimming in the lake . We also went to Lake Rakshas, ​​which is considered a dead lake, which is always agitated and animals do not drink water from it. My uncle, a chemical scientist, took samples from both lakes, I wonder what they will show. The weather on Kailash was constantly changing: almost every evening it was snowing with a blizzard and it seemed to us that tomorrow we would have to return, but our guides were surprisingly calm and said that we would not go if only the snow fell waist-deep... On the first day of the kora we walked for about 6 hours and climbed from a height of 4,000 to 4,600 meters along fairly gentle slopes. The Hota were very tired out of habit and suffocated from lack of air, but everyone found their own rhythm of movement. It is very important in such a campaign to understand that it is not the main thing here to be the first or to have time to follow someone, it is important to go and reach the goal, to make a bark. Thanks to my uncle, who, as a wise and experienced man, explained this to me on the first day, when I was barely breathing from fatigue after the first transition. We spent the night in very simple, never heated rooms of the guest house under the howl of a snowstorm. And in the morning, when we left the room directly onto the street, it took our breath away. Such a beautiful and brightly lit by the morning sun was Kailash in front of us. Amazing view. And then there was a 5 hour climb to the pass (5750 meters), where we hung out Tibetan flags with mantras, our wishes, and also left some of our things as a sign of deliverance from sins and attachments. And then a 5 hour descent from the pass to the valley. It’s hard to talk about the complexity of this day, and probably not necessary. Everyone endured it in their own way. But it wasn't easy for anyone, that's for sure. The lack of oxygen is felt doubly acute due to physical activity and quite a steep snow-covered ascent. Besides, when you see Tibetans skipping past you. By the way, they do our 2.5 day kora in 1 day. On the road, we, as expected, read mantras to ourselves, thought about our wishes. It helped me a little and made the path easier. In general, I made the following conclusion: if you are not extreme in search of domestic inconvenience and thrill, then you need to go to the bark only with an understanding of the purpose and purpose of this ritual. It helps a lot to cleanse the soul and brain. We were especially lucky with our trip, because we climbed the pass on May 6, namely, during the full moon and the birthday of Buddha according to the Tibetan calendar. Now I want to talk about how the idea of ​​this article actually appeared. In Lhasa and other large cities of Tibet, we met quite a lot of foreigners, because May is considered high tourist season here and Tibet has only recently been reopened to foreigners. This is also on Kailash high season and we met 5-6 groups of tourists there, all of which, to my great surprise, turned out to be from Russia and Ukraine! Tibetans living in the village of Darchen at the beginning of the kora confirmed that a lot of Russian tourists make the kora. The inscription speaks eloquently about this. "RESTAURANT" on one of the walls of this small Tibetan settlement. But, interestingly, these people did not impress me as Buddhist believers or people who came here for some religious purposes, like the Tibetans. But Kailash is why sacred mountain, which purifies all who perform the kora with or without knowledge. It seemed to me that this is a very good sign for Russia and the Russian people. Attached are some photos from this trip, which were quite difficult to choose from a couple of thousand photos taken in Tibet. All the best, Julia.

The most sacred mountain of Tibet - Kailash - is located in the west of the country at an altitude of 6714 m. The uniqueness of Kailash lies in its sacredness for 4 religions - Buddhism, Jainism, Bon and Hinduism. Tours to Kailash are made by pilgrims and tourists from all over the world to perform a ritual detour of the mountain (bark). The total length of the route is 53 km (2-4 days). Everyone believes that 1 bypass eliminates all sins.

The trek to Kailash requires preparation and equipment. You can get to Mount Kailash from Lhasa by jeep with experienced guides during the week, visiting monasteries and scenic spots. A trip to Kailash is of a pilgrimage nature, so it’s just not suitable for curiosity, since this place is very strong in terms of energy. In order to complete the detour around Mount Kailash, you must first make a kora around Lake Manasarovar, so we recommend contemplating Mount Kailash at dawn and sunset, on a full moon and in the afternoon, in sun and rain, at any time of the year.

Kora around Mount Kailash

100 km from Kailash you can see the ruins of the ancient cave capital Kyung Lung ancient state Shang Shung, who owned a third of the territory of Tibet. It is assumed that it was in this place that the Bon religion was first born. 1 day drive from Kailash, the ruins of the ancient kingdom of Guge, which was known as the crossing trade routes with India. Now there is a 10th century Tholinga monastery, which used to play an important role in Tibet. In 1966, the Chinese army almost destroyed it during the capture. Many tourists set the main goal of passing the bark around Mount Kailash. Ideally, under the full moon, guess to enhance the effect!

The second important place in this place is the ruins of Tsarapang, located on the slope of the ridge. A path leads from the monastery to the caves, where the monks lived. From there you have a breathtaking view of the Himalayas. Near Tsarapang is the cave city of Dungkar, where the most ancient images of the Buddha are kept. Four religions at once: Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and the Bon-Po religion consider Mount Kailash sacred. Every year I make a trip to Kailash a large number of pilgrims. It is believed that the very fact of being near this mountain leads to the purification of karma, therefore, not only supporters of these religions, but also ordinary tourists strive to get to this mountain.

Detour around Kailash

When you have a view of Mount Kailash in Tibet, you already begin to understand by its appearance that this is not an ordinary mountain in front of you. The thing is that it has a very regular pyramidal shape, which gives the impression that you have a giant pyramid in front of you, although in reality it is not. Kailash, this is an object natural origin, but it is precisely because of this that a feeling of its supernaturalness is created. The faces that are present on the mountain are clearly oriented to the cardinal points, and there are cracks on the southern slope, which, in combination with each other, form a swastika. After contemplating such natural anomalies of Mount Kailash in Tibet, you involuntarily begin to believe in miracles and mysticism.

Moreover, modern research showed that Kailash is a mountain that rose from the bottom of the ancient ocean before it arose mountain range which we call Tibet. That is, Kailash first appeared and after millennia a mountain range formed around it. That is, they suggest visiting an object of natural origin, which is perhaps the most ancient on our planet.

Pilgrimage tour to Kailash

Among Asian peoples, it is customary to believe that the god Shiva lives on the top of Kailash. Considering the fact that this mountain is the most ancient or one of the most ancient on Earth, one would like to believe in this statement, especially since no one has ever climbed to the top of this mountain. For various reasons, researchers have never reached the top, and local legends explain this by the fact that no one has the right to look at God, so God does not let anyone to the top. But, pilgrims go to Kailash Kora not in order to conquer its peak, but in order to cleanse their karma.

What needs to be done in order to clear your karma? Here everything is on the one hand both simple and complex. To clear karma, it is enough to walk around the mountain with pure thoughts, reading mantras, but this is not easy. The thing is that the mountain is surrounded by two circles, external and internal. The outer circle has a length of 53 kilometers, so you have to walk all these kilometers in order to make your pocket a little cleaner. But, if you want to completely cleanse your karma, then one pass around the mountain will not be enough. You will have to go around the outer circle twelve times, after which you will be entitled to the passage of the inner, thirteenth circle. Since the inner circle is closer to the top and, therefore, to God, as a result you will receive not only the forgiveness of all your sins, but also a blessing for your subsequent actions. For many believers, this means a lot.

Excursion tours to Kailash

There are many legends that say that a person who made a kora around Mount Kailash (passing 13 circles). He gets rid of all his diseases and becomes incorruptible, that is, his body did not decompose after death. It is worth noting that the legend does not lie about incorruptibility, there are many similar examples. Therefore, there is every reason to believe that other legends associated with Mount Kailash are not fiction. If you are going to do the kora route, that is, to complete all 13 laps around the mountain, then plan that you will have to do this within 15 days. At the same time, it is desirable that after passing each lap you spend the night not in a respectable hotel. They tempered their spirit and will, spending the night with ordinary monks, this is quite acceptable. To admire the beauty of Mount Kailash, it is enough to be at a distance to see the shape that forms the spire of the “roof of the world”. From Kailash diverge the most powerful rivers Brahmaputra, Indus, Karnali and Sutlej.

Ancient manuscripts say that all rivers flow from Manasarovar and encircle the sacred land 7 times. The neighboring lake with Manasarovar - Rakshas Tal (demon) is less popular. Through a canal connected by 2 lakes, the Tibetans determine the fate of Tibet. The bark around Kailash leaves a very strong impression and is calculated from the moment of arrival / departure for at least 17 days. The company "Eden Tour" periodically collects groups to Mount Kailash with obligatory visit Lake Manasarovar. Check with the managers of the company the exact dates of arrival. It is also possible to organize individual tours to Kailash according to your wishes - call or write to us!