Kailasa Nathar Temple

Overview

Mount Kailash is a peak in the Kailash Range (Gangdise Mountains), which forms part of the Transhimalaya in Tibet China. It lies near the source of some of the longest rivers in Asia, to name them; : Brahmaputra River, Indus River, Sutlej River (a major tributary of the Indus River), and Karnali River (a tributary of the River Ganga). It is considered a sacred place in four religions: Hinduism, Bon, Jainism and Buddhism. The mountain lies near Lake Manasarovar and Lake Rakshastal in Tibet.
Kailasanathar Temple is the name of several famous megalith rock cut kovils dedicated to the deity Lord Shiva in the form of Kailasanathar, whose primary abode is Mount Kailash from which the temples take their names and inspiration.The temple is carved very beautifully..

About The Temple

The towering 22028 ft high peak Mt. Kailash in the Himalayas, 25 miles north of the Mansarovar lake is hailed as the abode of Shiva. It is an arduous trek to Kailash through the snow clad Himalayas and is attempted only by a few. The Tibetians refer to Kailash as Kangrimpoche (Jewel of Snow). Kailash is also referred to as Hemakootam. This is one of the 4 Tevarastalams in the Himalayas the other three being Indraneela Parvatam, Gowrikund and Kedarnath.. Major rivers have their originated around the Manasarovar lake and Kailash.

Tirunavukkarasar on his way to Kailasam is said to have been transported by divine intervention to Tiruvaiyaru - Dakshina Kailasam. Karaikkal Ammaiyar is said to have trekked to Kailasam and returned to Tiruvalangadu. Sundaramoorthy Nayanar is said to have travelled to Kailasam on a white elephant, while his contemporary Cheraman Perumal Nayanar ofTiruvanjaikkalam composed Tirukkayilaya Gnana Ula at Mt. Kailash. Sambandar sang praises of Kailasam from Sree Kalahasti. Kailash is the fifth of the Tevara Stalams hailed by the Tamil hymns of the Nayanmars, located outside of Tamilnadu/Kerala/Karnataka i.e. in Vada Naadu (the northern lands).

About The Deity

According to Hinduism, Lord Shiva, the destroyer of ignorance and illusion, resides at the summit of a legendary mountain named Kailasa, where he sits in a state of perpetual meditation along with his wife Parvati. He is at once the Lord of Yoga and therefore the ultimate renunciate ascetic, yet he is also the divine master ofTantra.

Mt. Kailash is regarded by Hindus as an embodiment of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. The Jains regard Mt. Kailash as the Ashtapada mountain where the first Tirtankara Adinath (Rishabhadeva) attained nirvana. The Buddhists refer to the sacred mountain as Kangri Karchchak; they regard the presiding deity of Mt. Kailash as Deity with three eyes, holding the damaru and the trishul; his consort is referred to as Dorje Fangmo.

Pilgrimage

Every year, thousands make a pilgrimage to Kailash, following a tradition of thousand years. Pilgrims of several religions believe that circumambulating Mount Kailash on foot is a holy ritual that will bring good fortune. The path around Mount Kailash is 52 kms (32 mi) long. Followers of the Jain and Bonpo religions circumambulate the mountain in a counterclockwise direction. The peregrination is made in a clockwise direction by Hindus and Buddhists.

Some pilgrims believe that the entire walk around Kailash should be made in a single day, which is not considered an easy task. A person in good shape walking fast would take perhaps 15 hours to complete the 52 km trek. Some of the devout do accomplish this feat, little daunted by the uneven terrain, altitude sickness and harsh conditions faced in the process. Indeed, other pilgrims venture a much more demanding regimen, performing body-length prostrations over the entire length of the circumambulation: The pilgrim bends down, kneels, prostrates full-length, makes a mark with his fingers, rises to his knees, prays, and then crawls forward on hands and knees to the mark made by his/her fingers before repeating the process. It requires at least four weeks of physical endurance to perform the circumambulation while following this regimen. The mountain is located in a particularly remote and inhospitable area of the Tibetan Himalayas. A few modern amenities, such as benches, resting places and refreshment kiosks, exist to aid the pilgrims in their devotions. According to all religions that revere the mountain, setting foot on its slopes is a dire sin. It is claimed that many people who ventured to defy the taboo have died in the process. It is a popular belief that the stairways on Mount Kailash lead to heaven.

Following the political and border disturbances across the Chinese-Indian boundary, pilgrimage to the legendary abode of Lord Shiva was stopped from 1954 to 1978. Thereafter, a limited number of Indian pilgrims have been allowed to visit the place, under the supervision of the Chinese and Indian governments either by a lengthy and hazardous trek over the Himalayan terrain, travel by land from Kathmandu or from Lhasa where flights from Kathmandu are available to Lhasa and thereafter travel over the great Tibetan plateau by car. The journey takes four night stops, finally arriving at Darchen at elevation of 4,600 m (15,100 ft), small outpost that swells with pilgrims at certain times of year. Despite its minimal infrastructure, modest guest houses are available for foreign pilgrims, whereas Tibetan pilgrims generally sleep in their own tents. A small regional medical center serving far-western Tibet and funded by the Swiss Ngari Korsum Foundation was built here in 1997.

Walking around the holy mountain - a part of its official park - has to be done on foot, pony or yak, taking some three days of trekking starting from a height of around 15,000 ft (4,600 m) past the Tarboche (flagpole) to cross the Drolma pass 18,200 ft (5,500 m), and encamping for two nights en route. First, near the meadow of Dirapuk gompa, some 2 to 3 km (1.2 to 1.9 mi) before the pass and second, after crossing the pass and going downhill as far as possible (viewing Gauri Kund in the distance).

Accessibility

Pilgrims go to Kailash via the Lipu Lekh pass. They first go to Tonakpur, then through Pithorgarh, Askot and Dharchula and Garbiang the last town in Indian territory. The Lipu Lekh pass is 16750 feet above sea level, and is at the Tibet frontier. Pilgrims then reach Taklakot, a Budhist center. Manasoravar is 34 miles away from here. 12 miles from Taklakot in Bhutan, is Kocharnath. An alternate route to Mansarovar is via Kathgodam, Karpot, Milon, Tirthapuri and Kailash. Yet another route is from Haridwar via the Niti pass.

The Mansarovar lake is known as Cho Mapan. There are two lakes here; one the rakshasa tal, where Ravana performed penances of Lord Shiva, and the other Mansarovar, considered to be one of the 51 Sakth Peethams.

Mount Kailash is located 20 miles from Mansarovar; it appears like a giant Shivalingam placed in a 16 petaled lotus. Pilgrims first reach Darchin, and then start their 32 mile pradakshina or circumambulation around the sacred mountain. From Darchin, they proceed to Landifu, then Derfu, and then in a north east direction to Gowrikund 19000 feet above sea level. Gowri Kund in Tibet is known as Thuki Singbu. Then they go to Jandalfu and come back to Darchin. There are several Buddhist temples in this area.

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