Kailash Mansarovar Yatra for any Hindu across the world
is a yatra of lifetime. Mount Kailash is the earthly manifestation
of Mt. Meru, their spiritual center of the universe, described as a
fanatastic 'world pillar' 84,000 miles high, around which all else
revolves, its roots in the lowest hell and its summit kissing the
heavens. On the top live their most revered God, Shiva, and his
consort Parvati. For the Jains, an Indian religious group, Kailash
is the site where their first prophet achieved enlightenment. For
the older, more ancient religion of Bon, it is the site where its
founder Shanrab is said to have descended from heaven. It was
formerly the spiritual centre of Zhang Zung, the ancient Bon Empire
that once included all of western Tibet. Bon people walk around the
mountain in a counter clockwise manner, unlike the other religions.
Over the centuries pilgrims have constantly journeyed immense
distances to achieve enlightenment or cleanse themselves of sin,
braving enormous distances, particularly harsh weather and bandit
attacks.
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