Date: FEBRUARY 1, 2019

A Spiritual Overland Trip To The Kailash Mansarovar

The snow clad mountains of Himalayas has always mesmerized the tourists for years. In Hindu mythology, Mt. Kailash is considered as the abode of Lord Shiva. Every year, lakhs of pilgrims take the spiritual journey of Mt. Kailash to secure the blessings for lifetime. The pilgrims believe that the sacred expedition of Mt. Kailash comes true with utmost devotion. The spiritual land of Mt. Kailash revolves around mysticism. This trek signifies a complete blend of mythology, cultural significance and scenic beauty of mountains. In Hinduism, nirvana holds an importance place in our life. One attains liberation by enduring arduous journey. Kailash Yatra signifies that exhausting journey, but without hardship liberation will not be attained.

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is not an adventure trekking but it has an importance in the lives of the mortal beings. This spiritual journey can be taken once in a lifetime. Mt. Kailash stands high as the symbol of spiritual energy. This yatra comprises of circumambulation around the mountains and dip in the sacred water of Lake Mansarovar. This metaphysical journey will take you away from the worldly pleasure. You will be thrilled with the beauty of this landscape.

Quick Look into the itinerary

Mt. Kailash has always been an awe inspiring location for most of the pilgrims. The grandeur of Mt. kailash will give you the thrilling experience. One endures this hardship of Kailash Yatra to secure inner peace. It is believed that this spiritual journey is the gateway to reach heaven. Most of the pilgrims are quite not aware of the route of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. You can reach Mt. Kailash either by air or overland. Kathmandu is the point of origination for Kailash Yatra. This spiritual land has overwhelmed the believers of other religions like Buddhist, Jains, Bon as well. You will be starting your journey from Kathmandu, so you can roam around the places around the capital city.

Pashupatinath temple, Swayambhunath temple, Budhanilkantha temples are some of the important pilgrimage sites to visit in the capital city.

Pashupatinath Temple: this religious site is very popular among the Hindus due to its mythological significance. This shrine is dedicated to Lord Shiva built in the 5th century. Later Malla Kings renovated the temple for the Shiva followers. This temple is located alongside the Bagmati River. The Hindus consider it pious. The pagoda-like ornamented temple had a slanting roof. The walls of the temple show the finest wood carvings along with silvery decoration.

Swayambhunath Stupa: Located in the northwestern part of the Kathmandu valley, the tourists take a tour of this “monkey temple” for understanding the Buddhists religious faith. It is one of the most pious Buddhist locations in Nepal. More than 2000 years ago, this naturally evolved stupa had come into existence. King Manadeva built this shrine in 460 AD. Swayambhu means “self-existent one”. Even Shiva has been called by this name as well.

Boudhanath Stupa: the stupa with a height of 36 meters is Asia’s one of the largest stupas. It is the shrine devoted to the Tibetan Buddhist followers. This stupa is built as the replication of Gyangtse of Tibet in the shape of a mandala. In the 8th century, Licchhavi rulers renovated it for the followers. From the past documents, it is noticed that the stupa is situated on the old trade route to Tibet. Earlier, the merchants offered prayers in the shrine during the time of trading. This Buddhist tour is very popular among the followers.

Budhanilkantha: it is the religious monument dedicated to the Lord Vishnu. The tourists can visit the beautiful posture of sleeping Vishnu in the shrine. It is located in the foothills of Shivpuri. It is the largest statue of Vishnu made of stone in Nepal. One can find the ornamentation of serpents across the bed where the lord is lying. This statue was made in Licchhavi period. Your short stay will attain the fulfillment after taking Nepal pilgrimage tour.

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra: Finally it is the most sacred journey that the pilgrims want to undertake once in the lifetime. It is not only the spiritual change for the pilgrim but the mental transformation as well. The beauty of enormous Mt. Kailash and the holy water of Lake Mansarovar will bring a complete change in the thoughts of the pilgrims. One starts thinking about the beauty of these places again.

Overland route

The overland route is completely different from that of the helicopter route. Firstly, you have to arrive at Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal and from there your tour will be commenced. Then the following day you can go for sightseeing of the pilgrimage sites of Nepal like Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath, Budhanilkantha and many other places. Apart from this exploration around Kathmandu, one can take an early morning flight to get a breath taking view of snow clad Mt. Everest. Mostly the Kailash Mansarovar yatra is planned as per the full moon schedule. It is believed to be auspicious to get the view of silver shinning moon beams on the water of Lake Mansarovar.

After the local visits around Kathmandu, one will have to drive towards Dhunche. From Dhunche or Shyabru besi, the next stop will be Rasuwagadhi, small town located near the border of Nepal. As the road conditions are not so suitable, therefore, the tourists usually face hectic traffic on this particular road. Usually, the tourists get bored due to long road journey; because of beautiful scenic beauty you will never be bored. You can stop somewhere near on the way to take photographs for your memories. From Rasuwagadhi, your next destination will be Kerung. Mostly in Rasuwagadhi, you will have to complete your immigration formalities before entering Tibet. On your way, you will be getting constant help from the local guides, Sherpas and experienced local representatives from our end. Mostly, the pilgrims take a day off at Kerung. This small town of Kerung is located at an elevation of 2600m. Acclimatization day is very important for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Mostly, the pilgrims will have to trek towards Mt. Kailash for completing the circumambulation. Without this acclimatization day, it is quite difficult for them to adopt at the high altitudes.

On the following day you will be driving to New Dongba via Saga from Kerung. You will be driving for the whole day to reach New Dongba. This drive will also not be so tiring for you, if you want to be close with the nature and its beauty, this drive will be a complete solace for you. You will be enchanted with the beauty of your surrounding landscape. You will be driving next to Lake Mansarovar, from where you will be starting your parikrama. After taking dip in the holy water of Lake Mansarovar, you can go for the visit of Chui Gompa monastery.

On the following day you will be starting for the parikrama of Mt. Kailash. Your journey will be starting towards Darchen.  Darchen is considered to be the base camp for Mt. Kailash and from here one starts the circumambulation around Mt. Kailash. In the afternoon you indulge yourself in shopping in the local markets. You can keep an excursion trip to Astapad as an option from Darchen. For reaching Astapad, you will have to trek as there is no proper transport communication system over there.

The Kailash Mansarovar trek covers a total distance of 38km. So on three consecutive days, the trek has been segmented. On the first day, the pilgrims trek of around 10kms, on second day it is around 22km and on the last day it is around 5-6 km. Then you will be driving to Yamdwar, the place of origination of parikrama. For years it is believed that the pilgrims always try to catch a glimpse of Yamdwar before starting the parikrama. You will be trekking till Dhiraphuk. As you will be staying in Dhiraphuk, you can view the sunshine across Mt. Kailash. You will be completely mesmerized with the beauty of golden Kailash in the morning.

From Dhiraphuk one has to travel till Zuthulphuk via Dolma La Pass. This pass is the optimum height that the travelers can reach on this entire trek. You will feel the rugged landscape during the yatra. In the Dolma La Pass, you can notice Tibetan pray flags as well. On the top of the mountains, you can easily feel an emotional connection with the spiritual land. On the second day, the tourists have to cover the most hectic segment of the Kailash Yatra. They have to trek for 22 kms with a regular interval to reach Zuthulphuk. From Zuthulphuk, the following day, the pilgrims have to come back to Darchen again to complete the circumambulation around Lake Mansarovar. From Dolma La Pass onwards, the tourists start descending down, therefore, one has to be completely aware of the rugged landscape properly while trekking down. From Kerung you will be travelling back to Kathmandu following the same initial route.

Feasible time to visit

So mostly in Hindu mythology it is believed that one can take this spiritual journey only when the time comes. This yatra is scheduled as per the full moon dates as well. Mostly, due to adverse climatic conditions, the best time for taking the tour to this spiritual land is Mid May to Mid October.

Essential things to be carried

Warm clothes (for -5 degree temperature)

Trekking shoes

Torch

Inhaler (for asthma patients)

Mosquito repellent

Dry foods

First aid kit

Sunscreen cream

Sunglass

**As you will be travelling to the mountains, then you cannot spoil the beauty of the atmosphere by littering objects here and there. As you will be going there as a team, you have to follow your team mates properly. If you have decided to take the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, then start jogging regularly to keep yourself fit. You will be completely exhausted physically by taking this journey.