Manasa Sarovar - Kailash.

Lake Mansarovar is a majestic Gift of Lord Brahma - the Creator God which came straight from his Mind i.e. Manas in Sanskrit so as per the legend name is Mansarovar. The sprawling lake lies below Holy Kailasa The Abode of Lord Shiva & Goddess Parvati in Western Tibet 4560 Meters above sea level with an approximate area of 320 Sq. Kms.

Manasa Sarovar

It is indeed one of the holiest & most revered lake in the Universe for Hindus/Jains & Buddhist alike. The circumference of Lake is 90 Kms. & takes approximately Three Hours to cover the Parikrama (circumambulation) by 4WD Jeeps.

First Sight of the Holy Lake takes away all the hardships & sufferings of the pilgrims & revives the mind & soul. A ritual Bath at Mansarovar is considered to attain Moksha and a drink of it’s water relinquish. Holy Manasarovar in the form of dark blue waters is the most beautiful, fresh water wonder lake at around 15,000 ft altitude – at the sight of it, the mind dances with wonder and ecstasy said Sri Swami Tapovanam.

Manasarovar is to the south of Kailash mountain. A bath in it is stated to take one to Brahma loka and to Shiva loka – as per Ramayana. It’s water is very sweet and said to posses medicinal properties. It is about four million years old.

Gowri Kund

Aum Parvat: Its miracle of nature, the shape of valley & peaks forms natural AUM. One can see white (snow) AUM on black background. No hypothesis, no assumption, no approximation & no imagination is required to visualize Aum.

Aum Parvat

Its so clear that in Aug -Sept month even dot (bindi) on the crescent (chandrakaur) is also clearly visible. According to puranas there are 8 such Aums in Himalaya. At present world knows only one AUM! In skanda purana, it is stated that the lake was created out of Brahma’s mind. Hence it is called Manasa Sarovar. Sanaka, Sanandana and other maharishis performed tapas here.

It appears Buddha’s mother dreamt before Buddha’s birth, a white elephant from Kailas mountain entering her womb. Daily at Brahma Muhurth time, they say Devatas come down and take bath, especially on the northern side. Some people can even see the Devatas in the shape of the stars descending into the lake and go back. Gandhi’s ashes have been mixed in these waters. It is said Arjuna is said to have received his pasupathastra here.

"Feeling that the purpose of my birth had been accomplished, I congratulated myself on my good fortune" – So wrote Swami Tapovan Maharaj in his famous book – Wanderings in the Himalayas."I could live and die on this heavenly lake without ever growing weary of the wonderful spectacle always presenting fresh surprises" – So wrote the famous Swedish traveler, Swen Hedin, who traveled over the region in 1907, recording the boundless joy of his wonderful experience.

Before getting on with this very interesting tale of religion and romance it is necessary to say a few words about Manasa, the Hindu goddess who plays a major role in it. In most ancient Hindu religious texts; Manasa is said to be the daughter of Kasyapa, a famous sage, and Kadru, the sister of the serpent-king Sesha. Unlike her uncle, Manasa is still actively worshipped as a goddess who protects and saves humans from snake-bites.Her cult is most prevalent in Bengal where she is ceremoniously worshipped in temples. She is also attributed with the powers of curing infectious diseases like small-pox and of bringing wealth and prosperity.

Kailash Parvat

At the onset of the rainy season, when the snakes are most active, she is ritually invoked with sacrifices and offerings. She is probably a pre-Aryan goddess but this tale is of more recent vintage and comes from Bengal where she is most revered and tells how she gained recognition for herself as a potent member of the Hindu pantheon.

Entire trek is along Indo-Nepal border. Special permission called inner line permit is must for the visit. It could be obtained by submitting passport xerox (no-objection certificate from police commissioner, incase passport is not available), character certificate, personal information along with photographs & day to day schedule at Dharchula, magistrate's office. From Chiyalekh onwards ITBP (Indo Tibet Border Police) jawans check the pass regularly at all the check post & no one is allowed in the region without proper documents.