Mount Kailash, the abode of Shiva and Parvati, is worshipped alike by the Hindus, Buddhists and Jains, says Rekha Jhanji
Sapphire
lakes and
diamond mountains

THE tragedy that befell on the 12th batch of Kailash-Mansarovar yatris has given a new perspective to my reminiscences of this yatra. I went with the fourth batch which left for this journey on June 23, 1998. Like all children raised in a traditional Hindu family, I also grew up listening to grandma’s tales about the celestial abode of Shiva and Parvati and the holy lake of Mansarovar with heavenly swans and golden lotuses in it. I had secretly cherished a dream of going there one day. I had thought of undertaking this journey despite being aware of the dangers involved in trekking over high altitudes and perilous cliffs overlooking roaring rivers. But such dangers are only notional till one is actually confronted by them. Then the benign and nurturing face of nature acquires a destructive and frightening character.

From time immemorial travellers and pilgrims have been going to the Kailash-Mansarovar region. Kailash is worshipped alike by the Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. For the Hindus Kailash is the abode of Shiva and Parvati. The Buddhists hold that the Buddha, 100 Bodhisattvas and the guardian deity Demchhok (Dharmapala), along with his consort Dorje-phangmo (Vajra Varahi), are seated on the sacred peak of Kailash. In Jaina literature, at Astapada — a place which gives a magnificent view of Mt. Kailash — Adinatha Vrishabhadeva is said to have attained nirvana. Mansarovar is similarly holy for both the Hindus and the Buddhists. It is situated between two majestic mountains — Kailash on the north and Gurla Mandhata on the south. To its west is another beautiful lake, Rakshastala, which is connected to it by a natural canal. Rakshastala and Mansarovar symbolise the forces of darkness and light, of evil and good. Kailash symbolises the axis of the universe.

This region is the source of four big rivers, the Brahmaputra, the Indus, the Sutlej and the Karnali. The pilgrimage to Kailash and Mansarovar had been stopped between 1959 and 1980 due to strained relations between India and China, and was resumed only in 1981. Since then the Indian Ministry of External Affairs with the cooperation of Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam organises the yatra every year between June and September. Every week a batch of yatris is sent. The yatris have to undergo a thorough medical examination to prove their fitness for undertaking this journey. The yatra begins at Delhi from where one boards a train to Kathgodam at night.

The next morning there are buses waiting to take the yatris to Dharchula. After a night halt in Bageshwar, the bus reaches Dharchula the next evening. After a nightly stay in Dharchula, the buses take the yatris up to Tawaghat (19 km from Dharchula) from where trekking begins. In Tawaghat porters and ponies are available. Early morning a crowd of ponies, porters and pony men arrives. Interested parties contract one or the other. Once this is settled, the trek begins.

The first night halt on this trek is at Pangu, which is about 9 km from Tawaghat. It involves a continuous climb up to Sosa. The trek between Pangu and Sirkha goes through the Narayan ashram — a beautifully maintained hermitage established by Narayan Swami about 50 years ago. The ashram has a beautiful garden, a temple, a meditation room, a samadhi sthala and a library. During his life Narayan Swami made all efforts to help the Kailash-Mansarovar yatris. The tradition still continues under the leadership of Gangotri Devi Garbiyang. The yatris are treated to hot tea and halwa. It is a welcome break after a continuous climb. After the visit to the ashram the yatris proceed to Sirkha, where they are scheduled to have a night halt.

The next night halt is at Gala, which is 10 km from Sirkha. Between Sirkha and Gala one passes through a dense forest full of tall ferns and a carpet of flowers. From Gala one goes to Malpa, although it is only 11 km away. After Jipti it involves a steep descent that is quite strenuous. It takes one to the banks of the Kali and, thereafter, the walk continues adjacent to the river till one reaches Malpa after crossing the Najang water fall. Kali is in its true form in the whole stretch between Gala and Buddhi. Its speed is 140 km per hour and it has a deafening roar.

Since the trek between Gala and Malpa involves a steep descent constituting around 2,500 stone steps, we were told by our liaison officer not to look at the river while going down the steps. The velocity of the current is so high that one feels dizzy looking at it. The Malpa camp was situated right next to the Kali. The colour of the river is like milk coffee and perhaps because of its ferociousness and its sandy colour, it started being called Kali. At the Malpa camp it was an exhilarating experience to watch the river roar and dash against the huge boulders lying on its course. Little did we realise that this sublime experience could turn into a horrifying deluge.

On the seventh day the group goes from Malpa to Buddhi covering a distance of 9 km. The Buddhi camp has a unique view of a glacier in the midst of a lush green forest on one side and the Kali on the other. From Buddhi one goes to Gunji. This is a trek specially noteworthy for wild flowers and trees. On the way one crosses the sinking village of Garbiyang. During the rains the trek along Garbiyang gets muddy and slippery. One has to be very careful walking this stretch. Once in Gunji one has to undergo another medical examination so that one’s fitness to travel to higher altitudes is checked. The next day one goes from Gunji to Kalapani, the source of the Kali. There is a temple of the goddess at the source of the Kali and the place is charged with the positive energy emanating from it.

Despite being a small place, the yatris are captivated by the atmosphere of the temple. From Kalapani the yatris go to Nabhidang, the last halt in Kumaon before crossing the Lipulekh pass to enter Tibet. The highlight of the stay in Nabhidang is the view of the Om Parbat. The night halt in Nabhidang has to be cut short in order to reach Lipulekh pass at 7 a.m. (Beijing time is 150 minutes ahead of the IST). The yatris have to leave Nabhidang around 2 a.m. From Nabhidang to the Lipulekh Pass the yatris have to walk alongwith the ITBP personnel and they insist on all the yatris moving together. This is especially necessary during the climb to the Lipulekh Pass because one is walking in pitch dark parallel to a stream. When the yatris cross the Lipulekh Pass, they have horses waiting for them on the Chinese side. After covering a 6 km track on horseback, there is a bus waiting for them to go to Taklakot. In Taklakot the immigration formalities are completed and the yatris rest for a day before starting their parikrama of Kailash and Mansorovar.

In Taklakot the group is divided into two smaller groups, half the yatris go for the parikrama of Kailash and the other half for the parikrama of Mansarovar. Those who start with Kailash parikrama go to Darchan, while the others go to Hor. The bus crosses the Gurla Pass (4900 mt) and reaches the banks of the Rakshas Tal. Here one gets the first view of Mount Kailash (6675 mt.) All through the two parikrama ponies and yaks can be hired — ponies for the Mansarovar and yaks for the Kailash parikrama. Yaks are innocent looking creatures but they are quite wild in their behaviour. If one is not careful one can easily fall from them.

The yatris doing the Kailash parikrama trek around 20 km to Deraphuk from Darchen and stay for the night in Deraphak Gompa (4909 mt.) situated on the northern face of Kailash. The second day they climb the Dolma pass (5636 mt). The altitude is high. Unless one is acclimatised, one can have breathlessness and headaches. From the Dolma Pass there is a beautiful view of Gauri Kund, another beautiful lake in this region. Those who are strong walk down to Gauri Kund to have the holy water of this lake. The descent from the Dolma Pass mountain is as steep as the climb. The yatris reach Zong Zerbu and stay there for the night. On the third day they complete the parikrama return to Darchan walking about 10 km.

Yatris doing the Mansarovar parikrama start their trek at Hor and walk about 40 km to spend the night in Chugu close to the Chugu monastery. This parikrama is particularly enchanting because of the magnificence of Mansarovar. Since one is walking very close to the lake one can barely keep one’s eyes off the grand spectacle of the inter-play of clouds and the sunshine which create a dramatic effect on the lake. sometimes it shines forth like a large sapphire, sometimes like a turquoise and sometimes it looks like molten charcoal. The parikrama involves a plain walk but it makes one breathless because the terrain is sandy and the altitude is 4588 metres above sea level.

The next day the yatris reach Zaidi camp for a day’s rest to take in the atmosphere of Mansarovar. Those who want to bathe in the lake and do pooja on the banks of the sarovar, utilise this day in different religious activities. After this those who had done the Kailash parikrama now leave for Mansarovar. Those who had been to Mansarovar start the Kailash parikrama .

During the first day of the Kailash parikrama for about 20 km one has a constant view of the holy mountain. Then for about 15 km the mountain is not visible till it suddenly appears towards the latter part of the parikrama. Kailash is not amongst the three highest mountains of the world but it has personality and a subtle attraction.