Yatra to Mansarovar Kailash                       Best viewed in Mozilla Firefox                

Sri M and a group of 60 yatris undertook a yatra to Kailash Mansarovar from 2^nd July to 17^th July. The yatra began at Kathmandu with the yatris gathering at the Park Village Resort, Kathmandu on the 2^nd of July. It was quite a heterogenous group with people coming from various parts of the world such as Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Kutch, Dubai, US having different backgrounds and the age of the participants varying from 16 to 75!

Passage into Tibet

The group started their journey into Tibet after crossing the Zhang Mu border on 4^th July 2009. The first halt was at Nyalam, a hill town situated at approx 11000 feet above sea level where the group spent the day of 5^th July also in order to acclimatize to the high altitude. The Yatris traveled to Saga on the 6^th of July climbing another 3000 feet or so on the way. During the journey we enjoyed the view of the Shisa Pangma mountain which is one of the highest snow covered mountains of Tibet. On the way we passed through the Labungla Pass which is 16000 feet above sea level where a panoramic view of the Himalayan and Tibetan landscapes can be seen. There also came a huge blue lake called Paiku Tso lake where the convoy halted to enjoy the beautiful view of the lake surrounded by mountains. The night stay was at Saga which is a fairly big town in this region. The high altitude could be felt here as a short climb on the staircase made everyone breathless. The group relaxed during the evening filling up on the provisions for the journey.

Guru Purnima at Prayang

The yatra proceeded to Prayang on 7^th of July which was a very special day being Guru Purnima. After a dusty drive through the Tibetan plateau we reached the hotel at Prayang. A satsang was held in the evening during which Sri M gave his message on the significance of this day and also of the pilgrimage that we were undertaking. The crackling fire reduced the chill and the ominous clouds cleared away after a while to reveal a beautiful night sky and the full moon of this very special night.

First view of Mount Kailash

On 8^th July on the way to Mansarovar, the convoy reached the Myamula pass where the vehicles halted and everyone came out to see the first lofty sight of the holy Mount Kailash standing out in all its glory and splendour. Everyone bowed to this wonderful sight with tears of reverence as for many this sight had been a long standing dream. D

Upon reaching Lake Mansarovar, everyone was ecstatic to see the serene and beautiful lake and many people took a dip in its holy waters. The night was spent at Horchu, a lodge very close to the Mansarovar lake. Before starting for the base station of Darchin, Sri M talked to the yatris regarding what should be kept in mind while going on the parikrama. He reminded everyone that this was a pilgrimage and we should think of the great Beings who are associated with these holy places and have an attitude of reverence and humility.

The group reached Darchin on 9^th July where the day was spent in packing and preparation for the parikrama. It was a cold and rainy day and a thoughtful mood pervaded as everyone hoped and prayed to be able to make the yatra around the holy Kailash with out any difficulty.

The day of the holy trek dawned finally and the group arrived at Tarboche, the starting point of the parikrama around the holy Kailash mountain at a height of 16500 above sea level. It was a lovely clear day and here was sighted a wonderful and clear view of Mount Kailash. At this place is also a small temple like structure called Yamadwar where the pilgrims offer their obeisance here before starting the walk. The first day’s yatras is along a trail which rises and descends gradually along a winding river. After about 4-5 hours of trekking the yatris arrived at Diraphuk where the western face of Kailash is visible, overhanging the valley like a linga. A torrential downpour occurred after the arrival at Diraphuk after which a rainbow appeared below the snow covered Kailash. It was indeed a celestial sight. The night was spent in tents followed by a beautiful morning with the golden light of the rising sun lighting up some of the surrounding peaks. This was the second day of the parikrama.

Passing through holy land

The yatris went on to climb to the Dolmala pass at 18600 feet which is the most difficult part of the parikrama. Fortunately it was another clear day and the climb began with another wonderful view of Kailash standing in its snow covered visage in all its grandeur and sublime beauty. After crossing the Dolmala pass the trek comes upon a wonderful sight of a sea green circular pond at the base of the mountain. This pond is the Gauri Kund where the holy consort of Lord Shiva is supposed to have her bath. The walk then descends on a rocky trail to the valley towards Zuthulpuk, the halt of the second night. The pilgrims covered a distance of 22 Kms which was completed by the evening.

End of the trail

On 12^th July the walk was just about 6 Kms passing along the river with beautiful views of the mountains and valleys to reach the end of the parikrama. At this point the jeeps were waiting for the yatris to go back to Mansarovar. Thus came the yatra to its conclusion. A difficult and arduous journey like this was completed without any major difficulty / mishap with weather remaining extremely favorable. This was in itself a great miracle and could only be possible through intercession of a great and holy person, our beloved Sir, who undoubtedly helped each one of us through our pilgrimage.

A Peaceful day

After the yatra the day was spent on the banks of the Mansarovar from where the Kailash could be seen again. The group spent a happy and relaxed day enjoying the lovely view of the lake, some taking a dip again and soaking in the beauty and spiritual peace that Nature and Divinity seemed to offer.

The Return

The return journey was through Prayang, Saga and Nyalam with arrival at the border and crossing into Nepal taking about 4 days. After a lovely lunch at Borderland, an adventure resort on the banks of a river, the group reached Kathmandu. A great bonhomie and friendship had developed among the entire group which was reflected in the evening dinner when everyone was in high spirits.

Bidding Goodbye

On 17^th July a satsang was held where Sri M thanked the organisers and the satsang members who had assisted in the arrangements with a special word of thanks to Dr.Rajendra Prasad and his wife who put in utmost efforts to keep everyone’s health in good shape. It was a nostalgic flight back home after a wonderful journey into these holy regions. The fond goodbyes reflected the All due to the grace of Lord Shiva, Divine Mother and the great Masters!