FOR MILLENNIA HINDUS HAVE REVERED THE SANCTITY of Mt. Kailash
and Manasarovar as a heaven on earth. They are a part of the Himalayas and are
situated in northwest Tibet (or Gangdesh).
The most beautiful and captivating of all the lakes in the
world is Manasarovar. Formerly, in ancient India, it was known as Brahmasar. It
is a fresh water lake perched at 15,000 ft. above sea level. Since Vedic times
thousands of years ago, it has been revered as a holy pilgrim place and is
believed to be the source of four subterranean rivers, namely, Shatdru
(Sutlej), Sindhu, Brahmaputra and Saryu (Karnali).
The Hindu scriptures called the Purans describe the death of
Bhasmasur, a demon, at this place. Many nearby landmarks are also related to
infamous and famous people of Indian culture. Ravan, the King of Lanka,
performed austerities at Ravanhrud or Rakshas Tal. The noble King Mandhata
renounced his regal comforts to perform severe austerities at Mt. Mandhata.
The glory of Kailas and Manasarovar, where nature unleashes
its fury and dons its beauty, are sung at length by the shastras of Sanatan
Dharma. The Shrimad Bhagvad Gita describes Mt. Kailas as a divine form of God,
"Meruhu shikharinãmaham," meaning, "I am Kailas (Meru) among all
mountains.
Once Rishi Dattatrey travelled from Vindhyachal Mountains in
the south to the Himalayas and then arrived at Manasarovar. After a holy dip in
its waters and seeing the royal swans (rajhansas) he asked Shiv and Parvati
residing in a cave in Mt. Kailas, "Which is the holiest of holy places in
the world?" Shivji replied, "The holiest of holy places is the
Himalaya in which lies Kailas and Manasarovar."
The Valmiki Ramayan, in the Kishkindha Kand and Bal Kand,3
and the Bhishma Parva, Van Parva, Dron Parva and Anushashan Parva of the epic
Mahabharat describe, through stories, the glory and beauty of
Kailas-Manasarovar. According to the Uttar Puran, the first Tirthankar in Jain
dharma, Rishabhdev, performed austerities and gave up his mortal existence at
Mt. Kailas. The grandmaster of all Indian poets, Kalidas, pours his heart in
penning the grandeur of Kailas and Manasarovar in his work called Meghdut
European explorers, trekkers and nature lovers have also
been fascinated by their visits. In 1906 the renowned Swedish explorer Dr. Sven
Hedin writes, "There is no finer ring on earth than which bears the names
of Manasarovar, Kailas and Gurla Mandhata; it is a turquoise set between two
diamonds. The grand impressive silence which reigns around the inaccessible
mountains, and the inexhaustible wealth of crystal-clear water which makes the
lake the mother of the holy rivers... Whoever is of a pure and enlightened mind
and bathes in the waves of Manasarovar attains thereby to a knowledge of the
truth concealed from other mortals.
Dr. Sven Hedin describes his first sight of Manasarovar,
"Even the first view from the hills on the shore caused us to burst into
tears of joy at the wonderful, magnificent landscape and its surpassing beauty.
The oval lake, somewhat narrower in the south than the north, and with a
diameter of about 15.5 miles, lies like an enormous turquoise embedded between
two of the finest and most famous mountain giants of the world, the Kailas in
the north and Gurla Mandhata in the south, and between huge ranges, above which
the two mountains uplift their crowns of bright white eternal snow. Yes,
already I felt the strong fascination which held me fettered to the banks of
Manasarovar, and I knew I would not willingly leave the lake before I had
listened, until I was weary, to the song of its waves.
