Do you know that Mount Kailash (कांग-ति-स्सू-शान) is one of the highest and most uneven regions of the Himalayan mountain system?
It is located in the southwestern part of the Tibet region of China. The axis of this range is from the northwest to the southwest and is located north of a basin, which is drained by the Longchu River in the western region and the Machuan River, the initial watershed of the Brahmaputra in the east. In the middle of this sedimentary area is Lake Maipam, which is famous as the world's highest freshwater lake, being located at an altitude of 4,557 meters above sea level. To the north of this lake lies the 6,714 meter high Mount Kailash, which is known as 'Gang Tise' in Tibet and is the highest peak in this category.
Mythological Mention
It is a famous mountain in ancient Indian literature, located near Mansarovar, on which is believed to be the abode of Mahadev Shiva and Parvati. There is a mention in our literature about Kailash Mountain from very ancient times. In Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kanda, Sugriva has also mentioned the Kailas in the places of that direction while sending the army of Shataval Vanar towards the north:-
"तत्तु शीघ्रमतिक्रम्य कान्तारं रोमहूर्गणम-कैलासं पांडुरं प्राप्य द्रष्टासूर्य भविष्यथ"।
Means: "You will be pleased to see the white Mount Kailash after crossing that dreadful forest."
Further verses describe Kubera's golden-built houses at Kailash the vast lake Mansarovar and Yaksharaj Vaisravana or Kubera and the Yakshaya. Kailash are mentioned in the Mahabharata, Vanaparva, in the context of the Pandavas' journey to the Gandhamadan mountain, where only the speed of Devarshi is possible in the latter's territory after crossing Kailash:-
अस्तयातिक्रम्यं शिखरं कैलासम्य युधिष्ठिर, गति परमसिद्धानां देवर्षीणीं प्रकाशते"।
Even today the travelers of Kailash are enchanted by seeing the white aura of this mountain, whose summits are always covered with snow, and they understand the significance of the beautiful similes of Kalidas. Meghdoot's Alkapuri was settled on Kailash. Mahakavi Kalidas has described Ganga in East Megh as situated in the lap of Kailash. Here, the direction of the Alaknanda from the Ganges must be understood, because Alaknanda flows near Badalnath near Kailash and joins the Gangotri source below the Ganges. Possibly it should be the original source of the Ganges. The magnificence of Buddhist stupas in 'Buddhacharit' has been compared to the snow-capped peaks of Kailash.
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