Pilgrimage to Mount Kailas and Lake Manasarovar, Western Tib
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Pilgrimage to Mount Kailas and Lake Manasarovar, Western Tibet
//“To see the greatness of a mountain, one must keep one’s distance; to understand its form, one must move around it; to experience its moods, one must see it at sunrise and sunset, at noon and at midnight, in sun and in rain, in snow and in storm, in summer and in winter and in all the other seasons. He who can see the mountain like this comes near to the life of the mountain, a life that is as intense and varied as that of a human being. Mountain grow and decay, they breathe and pulsate with life. They attract and collect invisible energies from the surroundings: the forces of the air, of storms, rains, waterfalls, and rivers. They fill their surrounding with active life and give shelter and food to innumerable beings. Such is the greatness of mighty mountains……..
There is no other mountain comparable to Kailas, because it forms the hub of the two most important ancient civilizations of the world, India and China. To Hindus and Buddhists alike Kailas is the centre of the universe. It is called Meru or Sumeru, and is regarded to be not only the physical but the metaphysical centre of the world…..”//
‘The Way of the White Clouds’ by Lama Anagarika Govinda
Lama Govinda description of Mount Kailas was so inspirational that I decide I have to made a pilgrimage there to see and experience for myself the sacred mountain. So in late April of 1999, after making the necessary arrangement with a travel agency in Nepal, and together with 3 others, we flew off to Kathmandu and from there, on another flight to Lhasa.
Of course we were not totally prepared and have little idea what to expect. The first inkling comes a few hours after landing in Lhasa, a pulsating headache starts and it get worse and worse as the day progress. It lasted for a full 24 hours and with it also the appetite for food. It was then I realized what altitude sickness was all about. Another thing, try running up a flight of 10 steps and at the end of it, you would wish you have not done so.
We stay 3 days in Lhasa to acclimatized, and start our five days journey to Mount Kailas on a land cruiser with a ration cum fuel support truck in tow. It was OK the first two days in Gyantse and Shigatse where the accommodations were reasonable and there were eateries around.
From Shigatse onward, we were on the road 10 to 12 hours a day stopping for the occasional breaks and to eat our pre-packed lunch prepared the same morning. Of course, the pre-pack lunches consisting of rice or Tibetan bread were either too cold or too hard for consumption and have to be disposed off. As for dinner? The support truck would usually make it to the guesthouse an hour or more later then the land cruiser.
As for the guesthouse, it was nothing more than a mud hut with dirt flooring and 6 bunks, and no lighting or water supply available. If you need to use the toilet, you have the whole wilderness to yourself outside. Of course by the time the truck arrived, it would be dark, windy and cold and you would have decided to tuck yourself in bed rather than wait for dinner to be prepared.
We arrived at Darchen on the evening of the fifth day and start our circumambulation of Mount Kailas’s 54km outer circuit the following morning. It takes us 3 days to complete the circumambulation of Mount Kailas. Why need 3 days to walk the 54km around the mountain you might ask? Well, on flat and gentle sloping ground you would need to catch your breath every 10 to 15 steps, and on the steepest path up to the Dolma La Pass at 5,650m, every 3 to 5 steps would required a breather.
There are several well known landmarks along the route such as the Tarpoche, the great flag pole which is considered as the navel of the earth; the Choten Gang-in, the three monasteries of Nyenri, Drira Puk and Zutrul Puk, the cave which features the great Tibetan saint Milarepa tussle with the Naro Bon-chung of the Bon faith. There are also many rock formations along the path towards the Dolma La Pass with have significant meanings to the Tibetan Buddhists including the huge rock that seat atop the Dolma La Pass. This Pass is dedicated to Tara, the Goddess of Mercy.
As to the spiritual experience gain, sad to say there was little as we went there unprepared for the natural hardship due to the altitude we will on. It was a case then of whether we could complete circumambulating sacred Mount Kailas, and it come as a relief when we did it finally taking the usual 3 days to do so.
From there we spend another two days on the shore of Lake Manasarovar and visited Chu Monastery up on a hill facing the lake. It was supposed to be the place where Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava meditated in a cave just below the temple ground and where he ascended to heaven.
We rode all the way back to Kathmandu through the Chinese border town of Nyalam. It was certainly a most memorable 21 days experience. I believe the road systems and accommodations along the whole route have now improved significantly since my last visit in 1999. There is also now a direct flight available from Lhasa to Darchen to lessen the hardship and travel time of pilgrims.
Before the whole environment around Mount Kailas and Lake Manasarovar gets too polluted with rubbish and also becomes too touristy, I hope to make another trip there next year; this time taking the direct route on 4 wheel drives from Kathmandu all the way to Mount Kailas. Hopefully, I will be better prepared both mentally and physically for the trip.
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I have been there last year Sept.
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Another interesting way to go into Kailash is to trek from Nepal and go in via Sikimot. It's a 5 - 7 day trek before going in via the south of Mt Kailash
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SevenEleven...
Did you go all the way to Kailas? I visited Tibet in April this year again but only go as far as Shigatse. Found the place so different from 1999 with paved roads all the way from Lhasa to Shigatse and this journey took only one day instead of two on dirt track in 1999.
Travelling through Simikot would be even more challenging than just by road through Nyalam and also more expensive.
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Originally posted by Aik TC:
SevenEleven...
Did you go all the way to Kailas? I visited Tibet in April this year again but only go as far as Shigatse. Found the place so different from 1999 with paved roads all the way from Lhasa to Shigatse and this journey took only one day instead of two on dirt track in 1999.
Travelling through Simikot would be even more challenging than just by road through Nyalam and also more expensive.
When to the western end too. To Guge, the lost kingdom. -
Sorry to read you did get to complete the kora. My time in Kailas and Mansarovar was blessed with beautiful fine weather. Maybe you may like to try again?
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SevenEleven.....
Sorry to read you did not get to complete the kora. My time in Kailas and Manasarovar was blessed with beautiful fine weather. You may like to try again?
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Originally posted by Aik TC:
SevenEleven.....
Sorry to read you did not get to complete the kora. My time in Kailas and Manasarovar was blessed with beautiful fine weather. You may like to try again?
maybe it's a sign for me to go via sikimot, but then age is catching up too. I have plans to go Hokkaido this year and maybe South Korea some other time. -
Originally posted by SevenEleven:
I have been there last year Sept.
u buddhist meh 7-11 lol. how many days were u there and how much is the trip?
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Originally posted by Rooney9:
u buddhist meh 7-11 lol. how many days were u there and how much is the trip?
With part of SevenEleven says I'm not? I spent abou $4K....actually I like nature more....maybe to boast about going to places ppl seldom visit -
Originally posted by SevenEleven:
With part of SevenEleven says I'm not? I spent abou $4K....actually I like nature more....maybe to boast about going to places ppl seldom visit 4k? got take photo bo? post the photo leh. nice or not there?
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Originally posted by Rooney9:
4k? got take photo bo? post the photo leh. nice or not there?
wah lau...you boh read my work....
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SevenEleven....
For $4k, I think you got a very good deal going all the way to Guge. The current rate for a 17 days trip starting from Kathmandu to Kailas is around US$1.5k, you have to add in plane tickets fare from Singapore and also cost of 2 to 3 days stay in Kathmandu at around US$40/day (based on standard hotel with attached toilet and 3 meals). The drawback starting from Kathmandu is that you missed out visiting Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse.
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Whenever I think of pilgrimage for Buddhists, I always thought of Putuo Shan (普陀山）,Jiu Hua Shan (��山）, Er Mei Shan （俄眉山）, Wu Tai Shan （五�山), so far, I've been to 2 of them, so 2 more to go. India is also one of the place to go.
After reading this post, I think these are also good places .Before this post, I know nothing about these places. The pictures that SevenEleven had taken were really scenic, I am attracted to it! Can you guys who have been to these places share with us what are the things to look out for ? For instance, are there a lot of climbing or walking etc.
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Originally posted by Dawnfirstlight:
Whenever I think of pilgrimage for Buddhists, I always thought of Putuo Shan (普陀山）,Jiu Hua Shan (��山）, Er Mei Shan （俄眉山）, Wu Tai Shan （五�山), so far, I've been to 2 of them, so 2 more to go. India is also one of the place to go.
After reading this post, I think these are also good places .Before this post, I know nothing about these places. The pictures that SevenEleven had taken were really scenic, I am attracted to it! Can you guys who have been to these places share with us what are the things to look out for ? For instance, are there a lot of climbing or walking etc.
probably the biggest obstacle is altitude sickness. walking, treking or climbing is very much dependent on you but a fittness will be a plus. One more "obstacle" for many of us will be toilet. Put away your expectation and you will really have fun.Other places I visited are
1) India - The four primary places of the Buddha
http://www.sgforums.com/forums/1769/topics/299292
2) Sri Lanka - where Therava Buddhism flourished when it almost disappeared in India,
http://www.sgforums.com/forums/1769/topics/331806
3)Cambodia - Angkor Wat, where Buddhism is greatly influenced by Hinduism when India invaded them.
http://www.sgforums.com/forums/1769/topics/264231
4) Nepal - where Hinduism has also greatly influence Buddhism, however today, the Tibetian is having a great impact to Buddhism there.
Pls feel free to comment
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Originally posted by Aik TC:
SevenEleven....
For $4k, I think you got a very good deal going all the way to Guge. The current rate for a 17 days trip starting from Kathmandu to Kailas is around US$1.5k, you have to add in plane tickets fare from Singapore and also cost of 2 to 3 days stay in Kathmandu at around US$40/day (based on standard hotel with attached toilet and 3 meals). The drawback starting from Kathmandu is that you missed out visiting Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse.
I took an International flight from Kathmandu into Lhasa direct. This will save us from missing Lhasa. Our stay in Kathmandu room is $US6 a day. the rest is just food. I would have gone in from Chengdu this time if it's not for the Chinese Embassy here. If I have gone in from Chengdu, the cost would be even lower. We have stick to budget hotels whenever we can only to upgrade after a few days for proper showers. -
US$6/day room charge is a bargain, my trip there at end December 2009 cost me $US20/day twin sharing in the Thamel area. I travel from Kathmandu through Pokhara to Lumbini.
Lumbini is certainly a town of contrast, with a dilapidated town centre surrounded by posh looking hotels and beautiful temples. There is even a church run girl school in the area.The whole town and the surrounding was covered with a thick blanket of mist even before the sun set. I stay in a hotel next to some farming fields and was suprised by the howling of foxes foraging for food in the fields. If you use a LED torchlight you can see that they are as big as median size dog.
Of course, the hightlight was to visit and pay homage at the actual site the Lord Buddha was born which is identified by a Marker Stone house in the Mayadevi Temple complex.
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Originally posted by SevenEleven:
wah lau...you boh read my work....so achingly beautiful! Thanks!
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Originally posted by Aik TC:
SevenEleven...
Did you go all the way to Kailas? I visited Tibet in April this year again but only go as far as Shigatse. Found the place so different from 1999 with paved roads all the way from Lhasa to Shigatse and this journey took only one day instead of two on dirt track in 1999.
Travelling through Simikot would be even more challenging than just by road through Nyalam and also more expensive.
I been there in 1986. Things were even more backward. Western region was not easily accessable and there were news of bandits plying that area. There were no known guesthouse then and everybody had to pitch tents. Thus, with the limitation of time and guts then, we didn't go to that region but I have heard about the beauty and mystery of that place. -
Heard the Moaist are pretty strong in that part of Nepal too. But you will need to take a local flight to Simikot first and then track across the border to Tibet. Tough journey but it should be worth the experience.
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Originally posted by SevenEleven:
probably the biggest obstacle is altitude sickness. walking, treking or climbing is very much dependent on you but a fittness will be a plus. One more "obstacle" for many of us will be toilet. Put away your expectation and you will really have fun.Other places I visited are
1) India - The four primary places of the Buddha
http://www.sgforums.com/forums/1769/topics/299292
2) Sri Lanka - where Therava Buddhism flourished when it almost disappeared in India,
http://www.sgforums.com/forums/1769/topics/331806
3)Cambodia - Angkor Wat, where Buddhism is greatly influenced by Hinduism when India invaded them.
http://www.sgforums.com/forums/1769/topics/264231
4) Nepal - where Hinduism has also greatly influence Buddhism, however today, the Tibetian is having a great impact to Buddhism there.
Pls feel free to comment
Envy you guys who have been to so many places. Have you thought of Bhutan which is also a Buddhist country. It seems that now is the trend to go there. I have seen the pictures of Bhutan, it seems that it is still remained "untouched" by the outside world. -
You can only go to bhutan with tour group. You need to spend at least us$200 per day there. Agree that it is still pretty untouched.
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The daily tariff payable to the government range from US$200-270 depending on the size of the group visiting the country. For that kind of money, you would have a lot of cheaper nearby alternatives such as Ladakh, Sikkim and Eastern part of Tibet.
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Originally posted by Aik TC:
The daily tariff payable to the government range from US$200-270 depending on the size of the group visiting the country. For that kind of money, you would have a lot of cheaper nearby alternatives such as Ladakh, Sikkim and Eastern part of Tibet.
agree. A trek from Kunming to Lhasa can offer more