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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com)

 

A spiritual destination

Holy to the devout of many faiths, Mt. Kailash and Lake

Mansarovar combine scenic splendour and geographic mysteries.

Written from a Hindu perspective, there is more enthusiasm than

literary merit in the book under review, says THINLAY DENSAPA.

 

IN the northern reaches of the Tibetan Himalayas are barren

stretches of rock and cacti, "a vast, sterile and terrible

desert" according to the first European who travelled there, an

Italian Jesuit monk. Crossing this desert and following the

Tsangpo river, you can go all the way to Lhasa as the monk did

during a bitter winter in 1775. On the way, like him, you would

pass Lake Mansarovar and Mount Kailash. Buddhists believe that a

stream from the mountain tumbles into a nearby lake from which

rivers flow in the four cardinal directions; and curiously

enough, the source of four major sub-continental rivers, the

Indus, the Brahmaputra, the Sutlej and the Karnali, can be traced

to a point near Mt. Kailash, at a height of 6,740 metres.

 

Given the combination of scenic splendour and ancient

geographical mysteries, it is little wonder that Mt. Kailash is

holy to the devout of many faiths. Pre-Buddhist animistic Bons

trace the birth of their prophet to this peak. The first Jain

Tirthankara, Adinath Rishabnath, is said to have attained

salvation here. Buddhists consider the peak to be the navel, or

centre, of the world. Near here the renowned Buddhist poet-saint

Milarepa is said to have spent years in a cave in meditation and

prayer. Kailash is also known as Mt. Meru, the abode of Shiva and

Parvati, one of the holiest places for Hindu pilgrims.

 

Every year, such pilgrims make their way to Mansarovar and

Kailash through a special arrangement between the Indian and

Chinese governments. From Tarun Vijay's account of his

pilgrimage, it is no picnic. Wet shoes, tired knees, gorgeous

views, indifferent food, glorious sunsets, dirty sleeping bags

and dangerous ascents are all a part of the pilgrim's mixed bag.

It was during one of these pilgrimages a couple of years ago that

many travellers were killed in a landslide at Malpa, one of the

halts on the way. To allay people's fears, the government has now

provided them with everything from helicopters and hospitals to

telephones and professional guides. And the trek no longer halts

at Malpa.

 

There is more schoolboyish enthusiasm than literary merit in this

book. Writing for the devout Hindu, the author tries to

communicate his feelings of spiritual fulfilment. There are

descriptions of the experience of high altitudes, arduous

climbing and fellow travellers. The book has some interesting

photographs and boxes containing religious legends and snippets

from history. It is printed on glossy paper in full colour;

curiously, most pages have an orange border printed on them.

An Odyssey in Tibet: A Pilgrimage to Kailas Mansarovar, Tarun

Vijay, Ritwik, hardback, p.128, Rs 800.

 

The writer is a Tibetan scholar in Delhi.

 

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