Hyderabad: “Shiva Tattva is where there is no mind. The moon signifies the mind. When there is no mind, how can this ‘no-mindedness’ be expressed? You need a little bit of the mind to understand, experience, and express. The no-mind, infinite consciousness requires that little bit of mind to express itself in the manifest world. So, to express that inexpressible, that little mind (crescent moon) is on Shiva’s head. Wisdom is beyond the mind, but it needs to be expressed with a tinge of mind—and this is symbolized by the crescent moon,” explains spiritual master Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
Once, a promising student from Delhi University, armed with distinctions and a world of opportunities—Civil Services, corporate career, journalism—chose instead a different path: a pilgrimage to the lofty peaks of Mount Kailasa.
Meanwhile, a close friend, a high-ranking bureaucrat ensconced in the corridors of Rail Bhavan, was suddenly diagnosed with osteoporosis. To combat her pain, she joined the Bihar School of Yoga, where she found partial healing. When her course-mates planned a pilgrimage to Mount Kailasa and Lake Mansarovar, she too resolved to undertake the arduous journey, defying pain and frailty to behold the sacred peaks.
Another friend, a travel tycoon living life king-size, suffered a seizure that forced him into introspection. Once he recovered, a powerful urge arose within him—to reconnect with pristine nature and rediscover purpose.
All three, in their unique ways, were grappling with existential questions. Yet at the sight of Mount Kailasa’s snow-clad majesty, they found something profound—a silent, sacred celebration of the soul, unlike anything their worldly successes had ever offered.
Rising 6,638 meters above sea level, Mount Kailasa, part of the Gangdisê Range in Tibet, stands as one of the most revered and mysterious peaks on Earth. Nestled near the holy lakes of Mansarovar and Rakshastal, this sacred massif gives birth to Asia’s four great rivers—the Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra, and Karnali.
For millennia, Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Bon practitioners have revered this mountain as sacred ground.
- To Hindus, it is the abode of Lord Shiva.
- To Jains, it is where their first Tirthankara attained enlightenment.
- To Buddhists, it is the navel of the universe.
- And to Bon followers, it is home to the Sky Goddess Sipaimen.
In Tibetan, the mountain is called Gangs Rinpoché—“Precious Jewel of Snows.” Bon scriptures describe it as the Nine-Stacked Swastika Mountain or Water’s Flower, each name a poetic tribute to its sanctity.
After hostilities between India and China (1954–1978), pilgrimages to this sacred abode were suspended. Since reopening, limited numbers of Indian pilgrims have been permitted under strict supervision, via long and challenging routes—either trekking across the Himalayas or traveling from Kathmandu or Lhasa across the vast Tibetan plateau.
Pilgrims reach Darchen (4,600 m), a small settlement that comes alive during pilgrimage season. Facilities remain basic—humble guesthouses for visitors and tents for Tibetan pilgrims. In 1997, a regional medical center funded by the Swiss Ngari Korsum Foundation was established to assist travelers.
The circumambulation (parikrama) of the sacred mountain—on foot, by pony, or yak—takes about three days, crossing the Drölma Pass (5,650 m) and passing through Tarboche, a site adorned with prayer flags.
Interestingly, though Mount Everest (8,848 m) has been scaled by thousands, Mount Kailasa’s summit remains unconquered. In 1926, mountaineer Hugh Ruttledge examined its formidable north face and called it “utterly unclimbable.” In 2001, rumors surfaced that China had permitted a Spanish team to attempt an ascent—provoking global outrage. The Chinese authorities denied it, reaffirming that all climbing on Kailasa is forbidden.
Legendary mountaineer Reinhold Messner condemned any attempt, saying,
“If we conquer this mountain, then we conquer something in people’s souls. Kailasa is not so high and not so hard—but it is sacred.”
As Sir Edmund Hillary once said, “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” The journey to Mount Kailasa and Lake Mansarovar is just that—a pilgrimage into one’s inner universe.
About the Author:
Ravi Valluri is Advisor, Krishnapatnam Railway Company Limited. He has authored both fiction and non-fiction works and is a faculty member of the Art of Living Foundation.
His latest book is Sita to Abhaya: Have Things Changed?
He can be reached at valluri.ravi@gmail.com or WhatsApp: 9618564024.