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Page 1 of 5 In the heart of the highest mountains on earth, Mount Kailash rises to an altitude of 6,714 metres, and is one of the most stylish and captivating peaks in Tibet. Traditional Buddhist cosmology has often connected Kailash with Mount Meru, the great mythological mountain that forms the axis of this world system.
South of Mount Kailash, across the base of the majestic Mount Gurla Mandhata, are the two lakes Mansarovar and Rakkshas Tal (lake). They are the highest bodies of fresh water in the world, with Manasarovar (330 sq. km), at 4,558 meters, about fifteen meters higher than Rakshas Tal. Buddhist believe that Queen Maya, the Buddha's mother was carried here by the gods and washed prior to giving birth to the Buddha. The sacred peak of Mount Kailash (6,658 m/21,838 ft) is the final destination for many travelers to Tibet, ranging from tourists to Buddhist pilgrims and other followers of spiritual traditions from far and beyond. From the slopes of Mount Kailash flow four of the world's great rivers - the Indus, Brahmaputra, Karnali and Ganges; embodying its reputation as the 'heart of the world'. Starting our overland journey from Lhasa, the holy capital of Tibet, we will cross the rough terrain across the valleys of Kyichu and Brahmaputra into the expanse of West Tibet. Mount Kailash (officially: Kangrinboqê; Tibetan: Gang Rinpoche, Wylie: Gangs Rin-po-che; ZWPY: Kangrinboqê; simplified Chinese: traditional Chinese: pinyin: Gāngrénbōqí Fēng; Hindi कैलाश पर्वत, Kailāśā Parvata) is a peak in the Gangdisê mountains which is part of the Himalayas in Tibet, the source of some of the longest rivers in Asia—the Indus River, the Sutlej River, a tributary of the Indus River, and the Brahmaputra River—and is considered as a sacred place in four religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Bön faith. The mountain lies near Lake Manasarowar and Lake Rakshastal in Tibet.
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