Mount Kailash : Exploring this sacred mountain
Mount Kailash is a sacred pyramid‑shaped peak in Tibet's far-western region. It is also known as Gang Rinpoche in the Tibetan language. It stands at about 6,638 m (21,778 ft).
Mount Kailash, the name itself says everything. It is believed that Lord Shiva also known as Kailash lies within this mountain. Many people believe that he has meditated in this mountain for much period of time. They even given the name 'Kailash Parvat' ti this holy mountain. The mountain has magnificient appearance overall. It looks like beautiful triangular shaped mountain that has been remained untouched. The beauty of the mountain is out of the world.
What lies ahead of Mount Kailash is the holy and famous Lake Mansarovar and Rakshastal.
An Overview of Lake Mansarovar
Lake Manasarovar is a sacred lake located in Tibet. This lake is a well-known lake for being one of the rarest and pure lakes that carries religious value. People from the main religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Bon serve this holy lake as a component of their religion. In Hinduism, people say that the lake was formed from Lord Brahma’s mind, which is called manas-sarovara. Hindu people believe that if anyone takes a bath in this lake, then all the sins of their lifetime will be cleansed. While the Buddhist religion people say that Queen Maya took a bath in the lake before giving birth to Gautam Buddha. The Jains, on the other hand, consider the lake to have a connection with the spiritual awakening of anyone’s mind.
Parikrama at Mount Kailash
One of the most significant things about Mount Kailash is the parikrama. This is the holy parikrama around the sacred mountain. It is also known as the ‘Kora’. Basically, it's a complete circumambulation around Mount Kailash which covers a distance of 52-kilometer. The Kora is around for 3 days.
The Itinerary for the 3-day Kora route around Mount Kailash looks like this:
Day 1: Kora starts from Darchen(4,574 m). The trek starts from ~20 km from the Mani stones. It continues after moving from small valleys to Drirapuk Monastery. This area covers the south face of Mt. Kailash.
Day 2: On the second day, with the ongoing treks reaching up to Dolma La Pass (5,630 m). It is the highest point on the Kora. During this day, you can also pass through Gauri Kund (“Lake of Compassion”). Then you can move downward to Dzultripuk Monastery with a distance of 18 km. This will take around 7–8 hours.
Day 3: The last day is quite longer compared to the other days. On this day, we complete the entire parikrama and move back to Darchen through the lower valley. The distance covered on this day is 14 km. It is possible to be picked up by vehicle on this final day.
What is the significance of the 2026 Horse Year?
The year 2026 is very special since it is the fire horse year. In other words, this year is considered the Tibetan year of the horse. Therefore, it is believed that doing the parikrama or Kor around Mount Kailash in this year is extremely sacred and worthy. It is a rare event that occurs once every 12 years. People in the region have named it the Mahakumbh of Kailash. In fact, this fire horse year has come after 60 years.
It is beleived that the parikram around Mount Kailash in the year 2026 bring lots of good fortune in their lives. It cleanses all the karmic debt and sins for a lifetime. The single parikram or Kora during this year is equal to completing 13 times regular parikrama.
Final Words
Mount Kailash is known for being a sacred mountain peak. The parikrama around Mount Kailash 2026 is one of the phenominal ritual act. Hence, this year, being the horse year, brings a better reason to do the parikrama.
If you are thinking of visiting Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in 2026, then this is your chance. ABC and EBC Nepal Trekking Adventure have their own package designed to make your journey to this holy place a memorable one. You can always go through our website or simply click on its tour package link
