Sometimes it seems that humanity has reached such heights that it may soon live on other planets, and all the work will be done by robots. In fact, we don’t even know much about our planet, and there are such unique places that it’s impossible to understand and explain their origin even with the most daring scientific theories. One of these sites is Mount Kailash. Scientists around the world are still arguing about its origin: did nature create it, or is it the creation of human hands?
It is an amazing fact that to date, no one has managed to conquer this peak. People who tried to climb claim that at some point an invisible wall appears that does not allow them to go up.
Description
The mountain has a tetrahedral shape, at the top lies a snow cap. On the southern part of the mountain, in the middle, there is a vertical crack intersected by a horizontal one. They strongly resemble a swastika, therefore the mountain has another name, “Swastika Mountain”. A crack appeared after the earthquake, and its width is 40 meters.
Getting to the mountain is very difficult, as it is located in the inaccessible region of Tibet. However, there are always many pilgrims around it. It is believed that if you go around the mountain, you can get rid of all earthly sins. And if you make a detour 108 times, then Nirvana after leaving this life is guaranteed.
Location
Where is Mount Kailash? Exactly 6666 kilometers from Stonehenge and the North Pole and 13,332 (6666 x 2) kilometers from the South. The faces of the mountain clearly indicate the cardinal points. At the same time, the height of the mountain is 6666 meters, although the question remains open, because no one managed to get to the top, especially since there are several different ways of calculating the height, so scientists get different numbers. And the third fact - the mountain is located in the Himalayas, and these are the youngest mountains on the whole planet that are still growing. Given the weathering, this figure is approximately 0.5-0.6 centimeters for 1 year.
More specifically, the mountain is located on the territory of the People's Republic of China, in the Ngari district, not far from the village of Darchen. Refers to the Gangdis mountain system.
Watershed location
The mountain is located in an inaccessible area, in the region of the main South Asian watershed. 4 rivers flow here:
- Indus;
- Brahmaputra;
- Satledge;
- Karnali.
Hindus believe that it is these rivers that originate near the mountains. However, satellite images of Mount Kailash confirm that all the glacial water of the mountain falls into Lake Lango Tso, which is the source of only one river, the Sutledge.
Religious significance
Mount Kailash in Tibet is sacred to four religions:
- Buddhism
- Jainism;
- Hinduism
- Tibetan beliefs bon.
All people who relate to one of these beliefs dream to see the mountain with their own eyes and call it the “Earth Axis”. In some ancient religions of China, Nepal and India, there was a mandatory ritual of parikrama, that is, a ritual bypass.
In Vishnu Purana, the mountain is considered the prototype of Mount Meru, that is, the center of the entire universe where Shiva lives.
Buddhists believe that the mountain is the habitat of the Buddha. Thousands of pilgrims come here to celebrate the Saga Dava.
The Jains perceive this place as where the saint achieved his first liberation.
And for followers of the Bon religion, the mountain is the place where the celestial Tonpa Shenrab descended to the earth, therefore it is the holiest place on earth. Unlike other religious movements, Bon adherents circumambulate the mountain counterclockwise, as if going towards the sun.
In most of these religions, it is believed that a mortal cannot climb a mountain, since he will be able to see God, and if this happens, then a person will be punished and will surely die. You can’t even touch the mountain. The bodies of people who disobey the ban will cover long unhealed ulcers.
Lake Manasarovar
In the place where Mount Kailash is located, there are two unique lakes, one of which is considered the lake of life - Manasarovar (fresh). Another salty is Lang-Tso, and they call him dead.
Manasarovar is located 20 kilometers from the mountain, at an altitude of 4580 meters above sea level. Its area is about 320 square kilometers, and the maximum depth is 90 meters. The name of the reservoir comes from Sanskrit, it was adopted by English-speaking and other countries. Literally translated means "lake born of consciousness." Hindus believe that it was originally created in the mind of Lord Brahma. The peoples of Tibet have a slightly different attitude to this reservoir and call it Mapham, which means "invincible lake of turquoise color." Buddhists are sure that a pond appeared when their faith completely defeated the Bon belief, it happened in the XI century.
9 monasteries were built on the shores of Manasarovar. The most famous and largest is Chiu. Around the monastic monastery beat hot springs, in which anyone can swim, but for a fee. There is also a small settlement where there are shops and restaurants. In the vicinity of the village there are several Buddhist stupas, where relics and stones with mantras are located.
Buddhists believe that it is here that all the dark forces of the world originate. This place is a material prototype of Lake Anavatapta, which is located in the center of the universe. The lake is shrouded in many more legends, and according to one of them, huge treasures lie at the bottom. It is also believed that Queen Maya, who conceived the Shakyamuni Buddha, was brought here before delivery to bathe. It is also believed that the waters of the lake can heal, you can swim and drink from it.
Lango Tso, or Rakshastal
Near the sacred mountain Kailash is another lake - Rakshastal. It is connected to Manasarovar by a 10-kilometer underground channel called the Ganga Chu. Tibetan Buddhists call this pond a dead lake. On its shores it is always windy, the sun is almost never visible. In the pond itself there are no fish and even algae.
The area of this lake is about 360 square kilometers and looks like a crescent. In the Buddhist religion, this is perceived as a sign of darkness. The pond is located at an altitude of 4541 meters above sea level. Hindus believe that it was created by the demon Ravana. There is also a legend that there is an island on the lake where this demon made sacrifices in the form of its head, and when 10 heads were donated, Shiva took pity on the demon and endowed him with superpower. Swimming in Lango Tso is prohibited.
Demonic and healing properties of lakes
The properties of the lakes are also one of the secrets of Mount Kailash. After all, they are 5 kilometers from each other, but on Manasarovar it is always quiet and calm, and on Rakshastal there is always a storm and wind.
Tibetan legend says that a salt lake has always existed in these places, and Manasarovar appeared only 2.3 thousand years ago. This is due to the fact that at that time the world was ruled by the God of Demons, who was sitting on Mount Kailash. And once the demon lowered his foot to the ground, and a dead lake appeared in this place. After 2300 years, the Good Gods went to fight with the God of Demons and won. One of them, God Tiuku Toce, put his foot on it, and a lake appeared with living water, so that demonic waters and wind would no longer spread across the planet.
Scientists from Ufa conducted an analysis of the water of two lakes near Mount Kailash in Tibet, but all indicators for apoptosis were neutral, that is, no evidence of healing or harm to the water was found.
Mirrors of Time
Tibetan Buddhists believe that in addition to the fact that God lives on the sacred mountain Kailash in Tibet, it is here that there is an entrance to the country of Shambhala. This is a spiritual country that is in higher vibrations, so it’s almost impossible for an ordinary person to get there. There is a legend that there are three entrances to this country:
- on the Altai mountain Belukha;
- on Mount Kailash;
- and in the Gobi desert.
Shambhala is the center of the World and the entire Universe, the most powerful place on the planet in terms of energy. Mount Kailash itself is surrounded by concave and smooth rock surfaces, which scientists have called "stone mirrors." And a number of eastern religions perceive these rocks as a place where you can get into a parallel world, here time can change energy. According to one legend, inside the mountain there is a sarcophagus, where the gods of all religions are in a state of samadhi, that is, divine consciousness. It is also believed that a person who falls into the focus of “mirrors” experiences psychophysical changes.
Climb history
Who conquered Mount Kailash in Tibet? The first attempt to conquer was made in 1985. After all, officially climbing to the top is still prohibited. That year, climber Reinhold Messner nevertheless managed to get permission from the local authorities. However, at the very last moment, the climber abandoned his intentions.
The next expedition, which received permission to climb, arrived at the mountain in 2000. These were Spanish climbers who spent a fair amount of money on permission. They set up a base camp, but the pilgrims did not give them a lift. That year, many religious organizations, the UN, and even the Dalai Lama protested. Under pressure from the public, climbers retreated.
A similar situation occurred in 2002. In 2004, the Russian expedition managed to climb without permission to a height of 6.2 thousand meters. However, they did not have the appropriate equipment, then the weather conditions worsened, so climbers went down.
Unconfirmed ascension facts
Later, many media wrote about those who conquered Mount Kailash. But, as a rule, this was information without indicating the names and dates when this happened. And the scientist involved in the study of Tibet, E. N. Molodtsova, wrote in her book that many Europeans still tried to climb to the top, but even if they succeeded, they would soon die.
Locals claim that only a true Buddhist is allowed to become one who will conquer Mount Kailash in Tibet, and then under certain conditions. First you need to go around the mountain 13 times, then it is only allowed to climb, and only to the inner crust, then it still does not seem possible to climb.
Some more myths and assumptions
What is Mount Kailash hiding? The geologist from Switzerland Augusto Hansser after an expedition in 1936 came to the conclusion that the mountain is an undeformed sediment of the oceanic crust, which went up. These deposits are very similar to the ophiolites of the Yarlung Tsanglo fault. To date, no one has denied or confirmed this theory. According to one version, Mount Kailash is a stupa, or relic. Simply put, a religious building, which collected a huge number of relics, with a sacred meaning.
There is an opinion that any foreigner who has committed a bark around a mountain becomes a long-liver. This statement is also difficult to refute or confirm. At the same time, Augusto Gansser, who was here in 1936, lived to be 101 years old. Heinrich Harrer died at 94, and Giuseppe Tucci - at 90 years old. All these people committed bark in the first half of the 20th century.
There is another, one can say, the opposite legend that people near a mountain, on the contrary, age faster. 12 hours of life here is equivalent to 2 weeks. According to local residents, this can be seen by the growth of nails and hair. This is a myth or not, but it seems that you can even see it on a satellite photo of Mount Kailash. Allegedly the Sphinx, which was built in Egypt, clearly looks at the mountain. In fact, the Egyptian sphinx always looks at the sunrise, not the mountain.