The Mythical Lakes and Cosmology Home to every Hunter and Forager, Every Hero and Coward, Every Creator and Destroyer, Every King and Peasant, Every Inventor and Explorer, Every Mother, Father and Child, Every teacher of Morals, Every Corrupt politician, Every Superstar, Saint and Sinner, Aggregate of our Joy and Suffering, This tiny mote of dust, Suspended in a sunbeam, This is Home, This is Us!- Beautiful words by Carl Sagan Old stories can be divided into history, myths and legends. History describes events we know actually happened, whereas myths and legends, though often repeated by generation after generation, were never actually proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. The difference between legends and myths is that legends, or saga, tell the stories of heroes and their heroic actions, whereas myths tell the stories of creatures, divine beings and gods and how they came to be. In this sense, myths are more like fairy tales told to young children. Water plays an important role in many legends and myths. There are mythological water beings and gods, stories of heroes that have something to do with water, and even stories of isles and continents lost below the surface. This page contains a selection of the most commonly known legends and myths with regard to water. In the final section we recommend some literature for those who are interested. A water deity on the other hand is a deity in mythology associated with water or various bodies of water. Water deities are common in mythology and were usually more important among civilizations in which the sea or ocean, or a great river was more important. Another important focus of worship of water deities has been springs or holy wells. As a form of animal worship, whales and snakes (hence dragons) have been regarded as godly deities throughout the world (other animals are such as turtles, fish, crabs, and sharks). In Asian lore, whales and dragons sometimes have connections. Serpents are also common as a symbol or as serpentine deities, sharing many similarities with dragons. In this article we consider a real and a metaphysical concept of the lake in the imaginary realm of Jambudweep in Buddhism and Hinduism. The physical equivalent is the lake Mansarovar near the Mountain Kailasha which again can be euated to Mt.Meru. The Great Himalayan beauty is not just limited to mountains! The Himalayan Lakes are breathtaking too! Many of these high altitude lakes are freshwater lakes formed by glacial activity. Some of these stunning lakes are only accessible through difficult treks to these regions and that’s one of the reason they have managed to retain their beauty and charm! These high altitudes will take your breath away by not only their beauty but by their unique features! Some have ever-changing colors and some are the best birding spots. People might not know about these mesmerising lakes but some determined trekkers trek for days all the way just to see the beauty of these great Himalayan Lakes! In East Asian pictorialization of worldview, Maps of Mt. Sumeru, which depict the mountain at the core of the world, are often paired with Maps of India, in which the Anavatapta Lake occupies a significant place. When the concept of the Anavatapta Lake was transmitted from India to China and Japan, it was understood through the lens of local cultures and ideologies, and the lake was envisioned as a site spatially connected to various places in China and Japan. As a result, the idea of the Indian lake located at the center of the human world helped China and Japan formulate their statuses and positions within the religious and geopolitical discourse of Buddhist cosmology. Tibetan Cosmological Models :Fundamental to the Tibetan worldview is the artistic and symbolic representation of the cosmos (or some aspect of it, such as the palace of a specific meditational deity) called a mandala. Although representing a three-dimensional structure, mandalas can be two-dimensional paintings on cloth as well as the famous temporary sand mandalas created for specific rituals. Mandalas can also be generated mentally, or symbolized through intricate hand gestures called mudras. In Tibetan astro science, two distinct flat-earth, stationary, geocentric cosmologies are recognized, both developed in India and later translated into Tibetan. The first is the Abhidharma system, expounded in the 4th or 5th century Indian text Abhidharmakosha (Treasury House of Knowledge) by Vasubandhu, and the Kalachakra system (Wheels of Time), whose root text was translated into Tibetan in 1027 A.D.. Both systems are mandala-like world systems made of concentric oceans and mountain ranges centered around an axis, Mount Meru. The known world exists on one of the four major continents (with other minor accompanying continents), the southern continent, called Jambudvipa. Lake Anavatapta is at the base of jambudweep. According to Charles Higham (archaeologist), Lake Anavatapta was a "sacred Himalayan lake imbued with miraculous curative powers to remove human sins. George Coedes states the lake, "...according to Indian tradition, is located in the confines of the Himalayas, and its waters gush out of gargoyles in the form of the heads of animals." Knowledge of the eternal Lake at Time os Ashoka: Ashoka Aśoka, English, also known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty, who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from c. 268 to 232 BCE. A grandson of the dynasty's founder Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka promoted the spread of Buddhism across ancient Asia. Considered by many to be one of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka expanded Chandragupta's empire to reign over a realm stretching from present-day Afghanistan in the west to Bangladesh in the east. It covered the entire Indian subcontinent except for parts of present-day Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. The empire's capital was Pataliputra (in Magadha, present-day Patna), with provincial capitals at Taxila and Ujjain.Four years after the famous (Asoka) had won for himself the undivided sovereignty he consecrated himself as king in the city Pataliputta. Straightway after his consecration his command spread so far as a yojana (upward) into the air and downward into the (depths of the) earth. Day by day did the devas bring eight men’s loads of water of (the lake) Anotatta; the king dealt it out to his people. From the Himalaya did the devas bring for cleansing the teeth twigs of naga-creeper, enough for many thousands, healthful fruits, myrobalan and terminalia and mangofruits from the same place, perfect in colour, smell, and taste. The spirits of the air[10] brought garments of five colours, and yellow stuff for napkins, and also celestial drink from the Chaddanta-lake. Out of the naga-kingdom the nagas (brought) stuff, coloured like the jasmine-blossom and without a seam, and celestial lotus-flowers and collyrium and unguents; parrots brought daily from the Chaddanta-lake ninety thousand waggon-loads of rice.[12] Mice converted this rice, unbroken, into grains without husk or powder, and therewith was meal provided for the royal family. Perpetually did honey-bees prepare honey for him, and in the forges bears swung the hammers. Karavika-birds, graceful and sweet of voice, came and made delightful music for the king. And being consecrated king, Asoka raised his youngest brother Tissa, son of his own-mother, to the office of vice-regent. Jambudvīpa (Sanskrit: जम्बुद्वीप) is the dvīpa ("island" or "continent") of the terrestrial world, as envisioned in the cosmologies of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, which is the realm where ordinary human beings live. The word literally refers to "the land of Jambu trees" where jambu (also known as jamun) is the Indian Blackberry (Syzygium cumini) and dvīpa has two meanings "island" or "continent" and "planets" situated in the ocean of outer space. "The planets are called dvīpas. Outer space is like an ocean of air. Just as there are islands in the watery ocean, these planets in the ocean of space are called dvīpas, or islands in outer space" (Chaitanya Caritamrita Madhya 20.218, Purport). Mount Meru (Sanskrit: मेरु), on the other hand, also recognized as Sumeru, Sineru or Mahāmeru, is the sacred five-peaked mountain of Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cosmology and is considered to be the center of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes. Many famous Buddhist and similar Jain as well as Hindu temples have been built as symbolic representations of this mountain. The "Sumeru Throne- xūmízuò style base is a common feature of Chinese pagodas. The highest point (the finial bud) on the pyatthat, a Burmese-style multi-tiered roof, represents Mount Meru. Getty Images For Hindus and Buddhists, Mount Kailash is the physical embodiment of Mount Meru. Here are 10 of the most interesting, little-known facts about one of the world’s most sacred and mysterious mountain peak—Mount Kailash. Mount Kailash—the Stairway to Heaven—is the most intriguing mountain range is the whole of Himalayas, so we thought of divulging some things that you might not know about it. As a matter of fact, Mount Kailash is 22,000 ft from the Tibetan Plateau, which is largely considered to be inaccessible. • Contrary to popular claims, the pyramid-shaped Mount Meru is the result of the possessed technical expertise of some superhuman divine beings. • According to the Buddhist and Hindu scriptures, around the Mount Meru exist ancient monasteries and caves wherein the holy sages reside in their material and subtle bodies. These caves can be seen by only a few fortunate ones. • Every year, thousands of pilgrims enter Tibet for pilgrimage to the holy Mount Kailash. A few make it to the region and a very few manage to finish circumambulating the hallowed peak. As for climbing up the summit, some daring mountaineers have attempted to do so, but with no luck. Credit: Getty Images • Trekking all the way up to the peak of Mount Kailash is held to be a forbidden act among Hindus for the fear of trespassing the sanctity of the mountain and disturbing the divine energies residing there. As per a Tibetan lore, a monk named Milarepa once ventured far enough to reach the top of Mount Meru. When he returned, he forewarned everyone to avoid bothering the God resting high up in the peak. • Two beautiful lakes, namely Mansarovar and Rakshas Tal, are located at the base of Mount Kailash. Of the two, Mansarovar, which lies at an altitude of 14, 950 ft, is considered the highest freshwater body in the world. • While Mansarovar has a deep spiritual significance, its antithesis, Rakshas Tal, was born of the intense austerities performed by the demon King Ravana to please Lord Shiva. For its close association with a demoniac entity, the Rakshas Tal Lake is endowed with salty water and deprived of aquatic plant life and marine life. • Mount Kailash is believed to be the Axis Mundi aka the cosmic axis, world axis, world pillar, centre of the world, the world tree. It is the point where heaven meets earth. The Google Maps vouch for the validity of this fact. • True to its nature, the water of the holy Lake Mansarovar stays placid whether it is windy or not. Also, its next-door neighbour, Rakshas Tal stays more or less turbulent. Credit: Getty Images • Do not be surprised if you find your nails or hair grown by a few millimetres after returning from your Mount Meru trip. Tourists and pilgrims have discovered that the air of this ancient peak amps up the process of ageing! • Once a group of climbers of Siberian origin reached ahead of a certain point and immediately aged by a few decades. Shockingly, all of the trespassers died of old age a year after! 1 Mount Meru is lapis-blue on our side, which explains why it cannot be seen, but instead blends in with the sky's color.The heavenly bodies orbit around Mount Meru. The cosmic mandala pictured in the header above shows a bird's-eye view of Mount Meru and the orbits of the planets (including sun and moon).The world system, with its complex layered base, floats in space, and is only one of an immense number of such world systems, termed the trichilicosm (a number usually considered to be over a billion). The most obvious differences between the two cosmological systems are geographic and geometric, such as the shape of Mount Meru. Compare the pictures below for more details. This process is eternal and without beginning or end, and in a sense defines time itself (as a series of changes of impermanent reality).Through investigations of both pictorial and textual sources, this article explores the significance and place that the Anavatapta Lake occupied in East Asian religion and literature. In the process of transmission of Buddhism from India to East Asian counties, the idea of the Anavatapta Lake carried layers of meanings beyond its initial role as a sacred water source located in India. Buddhist cosmology placed India at the center of the world and at the top of the hierarchy of sacredness. The adoption of this cosmology in China or in Japan therefore caused tensions with their ideologies that placed China at the center of the world or that regarded Japan as a divinely protected sacred country. Against the backdrop of these tensions, the Anavatapta Lake played a crucial role in adapting and adopting Buddhist cosmology in China and Japan. In the localization of the concept of the lake, the sacred source of all water in the world became intricately associated, and sometimes believed to even be spatially connected, with places of cultural, religious, and ideological significance in China and Japan, such as China’s Yellow River or Japan’s Shinsen’en pond. These conceptual and spatial connections helped the reconciliation of the India-centered cosmology and the local ideologies in China and Japan, and reformulated political and cultural visions in East Asia. But Anavatapata also known as Anottata (अनोत्तत) is a Lake in Himalayas. Anottata is considered to be the place of origin of Rivers: Ganges, Vakshu, Sindhu River and Sita River,  lying at the center of the world, according to an ancient Buddhist cosmological view. It is often identified with Lake Manasarovar, which lies at the foot of Mount Kailash in the Himalayas.Also known as. Anavatapta (अनवतप्त) Anottata (अनोत्तत) (AS, p.23) Anavatata (अनवतत) (AS, p.20) Ravanahrada (रावणहृद) (AS, p.796) The name Anavatapta means "heat-free"; the waters of the lake were thought to be able to soothe the fires that torment beings. Anavatapta is also the name of the dragon that lives in the lake; having become a Bodhisattva, it was free from the distresses that plague other dragons, which are tormented by fiery heat and preyed on by Garuda birds. _________________________________________________________________________ Mount Kailash facts: mindboggling things you may not know about Lord Shiva’s home Resham Sengar|Times Travel Editor|SIGHTSEEING, TIBETUpdated : Nov 8, 2019, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/mount-kailash-facts-mindboggling-things-you-may-not-know-about-lord-shivas-home/as61220500.cms List of Naga Rajas includes a Naga King named Anavatapta Nagaraja (अनवतप्त नागराजा) Location: Lying south of Gandhamadana (Perfume Mountain), Lake Anavatapta is said to be 800 li in circumference and bordered by gold, silver, and precious stones. Four rivers issued from the lake. The earthly manifestation of the lake is often identified with Lake Manasarovar, which lies at the foot of Mount Kailash (Gandhamadana or Perfume Mountain) in the Himalayas. The four mythical rivers are sometimes identified with the Ganges (east), the Indus (south), the Oxus (west), and the Tarim or the Yellow River (north). According to Charles Higham (archaeologist), Lake Anavatapta was a "sacred Himalayan lake imbued with miraculous curative powers to remove human sins. George Coedes states the lake, "...according to Indian tradition, is located in the confines of the Himalayas, and its waters gush out of gargoyles in the form of the heads of animals." [ Anavatapata in Cambodia: There are around 4000 temples in Cambodia, out of which most of them are located at Siem Reap, Battambang, Preah Vihar, and Kampong Thom. Some 72 major temples or other buildings are found within this area, and the remains of several hundred additional minor temple sites are scattered throughout the landscape beyond. god Vishnu.A knowledge of Cosmology of the Hindus was well known to Cambodians at the time they built Neak Pean. Angkor Wat is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu who is one of the three principal gods in the Hindu pantheon (Shiva and Brahma are the others). The cause of the Angkor empire's demise in the early 15th century long remained a mystery. But researchers have now shown that intense monsoon rains that followed a prolonged drought in the region caused widespread damage to the city's infrastructure, leading to its collapse. Neak Pean (or Neak Poan ("The entwined serpents") at Angkor, Cambodia is an artificial island with a Buddhist temple on a circular island in Jayatataka Baray, which was associated with Preah Khan temple, built during the reign of King Jayavarman VII. It is the "Mebon" of the Preah Khan baray (the "Jayatataka" of the inscription). Some historians believe that Neak Pean represents Anavatapta, a mythical lake in the Himalayas whose waters are thought to cure all illness. The name is derived from the sculptures of snakes (Nāga) running around the base of the temple structure, neak being the Khmer rendering of the Sanskrit naga. "They are Nanda and Upananda, two nagas traditionally associated with Lake Anavatapta." Neak Pean was originally designed for medical purposes (the ancients believed that going into these pools would balance the elements in the bather, thus curing disease); it is one of the many hospitals that Jayavarman VII built. It is based on the ancient Hindu belief of balance. Four connected pools represent Water, Earth, Fire and Wind. Each is connected to the central water source, the main tank, by a stone conduit "presided over by one of Four Great Animals (maha ajaneya pasu) namely Elephant, Bull, Horse, and Lion, corresponding to the north, east, south, and west quarters....The stone conduits in the little pavilions are fashioned to represent the heads of the Four Great Animals...the only exception being that on the east, which represents a human head instead of a bull's." Originally, four sculptures stood on the floor of the lake. The only remaining statue is that of the horse Balaha, a form of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, saving sailors from the ogresses of Tamradvipa. The temple on the lake was originally dedicated to Avalokitesvara. Willetts believed that "this is Jayavarman as he would have wished to have appeared to his people".Zhou Daguan refers to Neak Pean in his visit to Angkor in the late 13th century. The island temple Neak Pean Neak Pean “The entwined snakes”, small temple in the center of the Jayatataka baray Second half of the 12th century/;King Jayavarman VII Neak Pean, “the entwined snakes” is a small temple located on an island in the center of the now dry Jayatataka baray, a water reservoir 3,500 meter long and 900 meter wide. Initially dedicated to the Buddha, the temple was rededicated to Lokeshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion. Much of the temple area is flooded during the rainy season. A wooden walkway over the waters leads to the central sanctuary, which is fenced off to protect it from further decay. The Neak Pean was cleared from jungle vegetation in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Restoration works have been carried out using the anastylosis method in the late 1930’s. Central pond surrounded by four smaller ponds The temple area on the island in the center of the Jayatataka baray is enclosed by a square laterite wall measuring 350 meters wide, in which were contained a number of ponds. While the outer ponds have gone, the central pond and four surrounding ponds remain. The central pond of Neak Pean symbolizes lake Anavatapta, a lake located in the center of the world in Buddhist cosmology. At each of its four sides is a smaller pond (srah) and a chapel connecting the large central pond with the surrounding ones. The four chapels were used by pilgrims who would wash away their sins in the cleansing waters of the central pond. In each chapel there is a stone gargoyle in a different shape, namely a head of a King, an elephant, a lion and a horse. Through their open mouths flowed water that filled that chapel’s small basins with the healing waters from the central pool. Each of the chapels contains a base, on which the main idol stood. Several depictions of Lokeshvara can be found inside the chapels. Central sanctuary In the center of the central pond is a circular island with a diameter of 14 meters, on which stands the sanctuary. The sandstone sanctuary is set on a circular stone base, encircled by two Naga snakes, guarding the East entrance of the temple. At the other end (West) their tales intertwine, from which the temple derives its name; Neak Pean translates to “the entwined snakes”. Originally the sanctuary had doors on each of the four cardinal directions. At one point three of them were closed, leaving just the East entrance. The false doors were adorned with large carved depictions of Lokeshvara, believed to posses the powers of healing. On the pediment over the East entrance is a depiction of the Buddha. The image of the Buddha that was enshrined inside the sanctuary is no longer there. Scattered around the central sanctuary are several lingas (the representation of Shiva), and Yonis (the female counterpart of the linga). In front of the East entrance stands a statue of the flying horse Balaha, often partly submerged in the rainy season. A sculpting of Lokeshvara The flying horse Balaha The flying horse Balaha depicts a story from one of the Jataka tales, the stories that tell about the previous lives of the Buddha. A group of merchants were sailing the ocean, when a violent storm broke out that wrecked their ship. Clinging on to pieces of wood from the broken ship the merchants ended up on a beach of an island named Singhala. The island was inhabited by demons, that took the shape of attractive young women. The sailors were warmly welcomed by the women, who took them to their homes where they had children and lived as a family. One night the captain of the ship discovered a house with no doors and no windows from where loud cries of misery and weeping emerged. Locked inside the house were merchants previously stranded on the island, who told the captain that the women were in fact demons and that they had to escape the island while they still had the chance. Once a month the flying horse Balaha would appear on the island to rescue stranded sailors. The merchants are seen clinging to the horse’s manes and tail, escaping danger.The story serves as a reminder not to focus on worldly matters and temptations and instead reach for lasting happiness by following the teachings of the Buddha.To meaningfully discuss early Buddhism requires valid sources of information. The primary sources in Pali, Chinese, Sanskrit, and Gandhari and their translations are indispensable. The sheer amount of material and the complexity of accessing these languages require overviews, systematizations and interpretations of scholars who are intimately familiar with the sources. Among the established scholars of the past decades are Bhikkhu Bodhi, Johannes Bronkhorst, Roderick Bucknell, Steven Collins, Lance Selwyn Cousins, Harry Falk, Rupert Gethin, Richard Gombrich, Oskar von Hinüber, Hajime Nakamura, Kenneth Roy Norman, Nyanatiloka Thera, Lambert Schmithausen, Gregory Schopen, Tillmann Vetter, and David Williams. In Buddhist cosmology, a large lake called the Anavatapta Lake lies at the center of the continent Jambudvīpa, the southern of the Four Continents surrounding Mt. Sumeru. This cosmology was transmitted from India to East Asia along with Buddhism. The Anavatapta Lake occupies an important place in this cosmology because it is the source of all water and therefore crucial to all life. The lake is the sacred abode of a water deity dragon, Nāga, and rivers run from the lake in all the cardinal directions―to China in the east, to India in the south, to nomadic lands in the north, and to the Middle East and Europe in the west―bringing water to everywhere in Jambudvīpa. The significance of the lake derives from this myth, that the water from the lake nourishes all creatures in the world. In the process of dissemination of Buddhist cosmology, the concept of the Anavatapta Lake was understood through the lens of local cultures and ideologies, and the lake was envisioned as a site spatially connected to various places in China and Japan. Premodern people in East Asia had access to a vast amount of sources that mention the Anavatapta Lake. This article examines such sources―a travel journal, Buddhist sutras, narratives, and visual images that describe and pictorialize the lake―and discusses how the imaginary lake was perceived in China and Japan while blending with local cultures and ideologies. One of the most detailed accounts of the Anavatapta Lake is found in Da Tang Xiyuji 大唐西域記 (Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions; hereafter Xiyuji). This twelve-fascicle travel account was written by the renowned Chinese scholar-monk Xuanzang 玄奘 (c. 602–664), who brought a vast amount of Buddhist scriptures from India back to Tang China and translated them into Chinese. It provides vivid records of the geography and customs of localities in Western China, Central Asia, and India of the time. Xiyuji also served later generations who sought authentic Buddhist teachings in India as a guidebook. It expounds legends and folklores of various regions, legends of the Buddha, jataka tales, anecdotes, historical accounts, and the like.2 In the center of the Jambu continent is the Anavatapta Lake, meaning “No Trouble of Heat”, which is south of the Fragrant Mountain and north of the Great Snow Mountains, with a circuit of eight hundred li. Its banks are adorned with gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and crystal. It is full of golden sand, and its water is as pure and clean as a mirror. The world-mountain of Sumeru is an immense, strangely shaped peak which arises in the center of the world, and around which the Sun and Moon revolve. Its base rests in a vast ocean, and it is surrounded by several rings of lesser mountain ranges and oceans. The three worlds listed below are all located on, or around, Sumeru: the Trāyastriṃśa devas live on its peak, the Cāturmahārājikakāyika devas live on its slopes, and the Asuras live in the ocean at its base. Sumeru and its surrounding oceans and mountains are the home not just of these deities, but also vast assemblies of beings of popular mythology who only rarely intrude on the human world Trāyastriṃśa त्रायस्त्रिंश or Tāvatiṃsa तावतिंस– The world "of the Thirty-three (devas)" is a wide flat space on the top of Mount Sumeru, filled with the gardens and palaces of the devas. Its ruler is Śakro devānām indra, शक्रो देवानामिन्द्रः ”Śakra, lord of the devas". Besides the eponymous Thirty-three devas, many other devas and supernatural beings dwell here, including the attendants of the devas and many heavenly courtesans (es or nymphs). The beings of this world are 1,500 feet (460 m) tall and live for 36,000,000 years (Sarvāstivāda tradition) or 3/4 of a yojana tall and live for 30,000,000 years (Vibhajyavāda tradition). The height of this world is 80 yojanas above the Earth. Cāturmahārājikakāyika चातुर्महाराजिककायिक– The world "of the Four Great Kings" is found on the lower slopes of Mount Sumeru, though some of its inhabitants live in the air around the mountain. Its rulers are the four Great Kings of the name, Virūḍhaka विरूढकः, Dhṛtarāṣṭra धृतराष्ट्रः, Virūpākṣa विरूपाक्षः, and their leader Vaiśravaṇa वैश्रवणः. The devas who guide the Sun and Moon are also considered part of this world, as are the retinues of the four kings, composed of Kumbhāṇḍas कुम्भाण्ड (dwarfs), Gandharvas गन्धर्व (fairies), Nāgas नाग (dragons) and Yakṣas यक्ष (goblins). The beings of this world are 750 feet (230 m) tall and live for 9,000,000 years (Sarvāstivāda tradition) or 90,000 years (Vibhajyavāda tradition). The height of this world is from sea level up to 40 yojanas above the Earth. Asura असुर : The world of the Asuras is the space at the foot of Mount Sumeru, much of which is a deep ocean. It is not the Asuras' original home, but the place they found themselves after they were hurled, drunken, from Trāyastriṃśa where they had formerly lived. The Asuras are always fighting to regain their lost kingdom on the top of Mount Sumeru, but are unable to break the guard of the Four Great Kings. The Asuras are divided into many groups, and have no single ruler, but among their leaders are Vemacitrin वेमचित्री (Pāli: Vepacitti वेपचित्ती) and Rāhu. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Idea of the Anavatapta Lake in India and Its Adoption in East Asia-Yang Gao, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Tsinghua ,Uiversity, Beijing 100084, China, 2020.Religions 2020, 11(3), 134; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11030134 A Bodhisattva of the eighth stage, having transformed himself into a Nāga king by the power of his resolute will, makes his abode at the bottom of the lake and supplies water for the Jambu continent. Thus from the mouth of the Silver Ox at the east side of the lake flows out the Ganges, which after going round the lake once enters the Southeast Sea; from the mouth of the Golden Elephant at the south side of the lake flows out the Indus, which after winding round the lake once enters the Southwest Sea; from the mouth of the Lapis Lazuli Horse at the west side of the lake flows the Oxus, which after meandering round the lake once enters the Northwest Sea; and from the mouth of the Crystal Lion at the north side of the lake flows out the Sītā, which after encircling the lake once enters the Northeast Sea, or it is said that it flows by a subterranean course to the Jishi Mountain, where the water reappears as a tributary of the Sītā and becomes the source of the Yellow River in China. The Anavatapta Lake occupies a particularly important place in this geography. The four sides of the lake are flanked by the four animals associated with the four cardinal directions. On each side of the lake, a river flows out of the mouth of the animal. The account also states that the Sītā River is the headstream of China’s Yellow River. I will later expand on this supposed connection between the lake and the Yellow River. These descriptions show that the Anavatapta Lake was a geographical concept that connected the imaginary Buddhist cosmology to reality, and in the course of time, it became so prevalent that it often appeared in various works of literature. The Map of India in the scroll portrays the Anavatapta Lake in a similar manner to its description in Xiyuji, as if pictorializing it. India is represented as a continent in the shape of rounded trapezoid, surrounded by the neighboring countries such as China and Korea.4 The map does not depict Japan, even on the periphery. The Anavatapta Lake, which is enclosed by a double square, is drawn in the center of the northern part of India. Subsequent to the Map of India is the Diagram of the Anavatapta Lake, which shows the lake in close-up at its center (Figure 1). Figure 1. A diagram of the Anavatapta Lake from the Harvard scroll. Section from Buddhist Cosmology (Nihon koku narabini Shumi shoten zu) with text copied by Monk Ryūi; Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of the Hofer Collection of the Printed and Graphic; ©President and Fellows of Harvard College; Accession Number: 1973.66; Image Numbers: DDC101828. Figure 2. Passages on the Anavatapta Lake in the Harvard scroll. Section from a Buddhist Cosmology (Nihon koku narabini Shumi shoten zu) with text copied by Monk Ryūi; Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of the Hofer Collection of the Printed and Graphic; ©President and Fellows of Harvard College; Accession Number: 1973.66; Image Numbers: DDC101827. Discussions on the Anavatapta Lake in Buddhist Sutras Due to the imaginary geography of the Anavatapta Lake, it has several aspects that attracted discussions. These discussions mostly appear in Buddhist texts, as summarized below. Regarding the Nāga king in the Anavatapta Lake: The Nāga king is a provisionally manifested form of a Buddhist deity―but there are several accounts as to what deity it is: for instance, it is the Bodhisattva of the seventh stage 七地菩薩 in the Avataṃsaka Sutra 大方広佛華厳經 (Jp. Daihō kōbutsu kegon kyō);11 it is the Bodhisattva of the tenth stage 十地菩薩 in Fozu tongji 佛祖統紀 (Jp. Busso tōki).12 Regarding lotus flowers in the Anavatapta Lake: The lotus flowers in the Anavatapta Lake are in four colors. These flowers were born from the Nāga king’s vow to save sentient beings.13 There are many setsuwa (tales and anecdotes) involving the lotus flowers in the Anavatapta Lake. These anecdotes usually center around the episode of King Ruri’s (Virūḍhaka) massacre of the Shaka (Śākya) people. To take an example, Shaka women who had been killed by King Ruri attained salvation when Mahākāśyapa, one of Shakyamuni’s major disciples, poured water contained in lotus of the Anavatapta Lake on them. Regarding the number of the Anavatapta Lake(s) While the majority of the sources say that there is one lake and that four rivers flow from that lake,15 one source says that there are four lakes and that sixteen rivers flow from them.16 Regarding water in the Anavatapta Lake The Anavatapta Lake originated not as a real geographic concept, but as a religio-cultural concept. The Anavatapta Lake continued to be a Buddhist idea, and has become a backdrop for many religious events. Therefore, as will be seen below, the lake embodies various metaphors in Buddhist sutras.The Anavatapta Lake is regarded as a sacred site worthy of holy beings: Medicinal values of its water: The eradication of afflictions brings about many benefits, in just the same way the ablution in the Anavatapta Lake eradicates sins. Breathing disorder will be cured if one visualizes the Anavatapta Lake. Shakyamuni’s fearless mind at his defeat of Māra is likened to the calmness of the full water of the Anavatapta Lake and to the immovability of Mt. Sumeru. These examples show the ways in which the sacred Anavatapta Lake was used as a metaphor of dharma and enlightenment. Naga-Protected Buddha with Avalokiteshvara and Prajnaparamita12th or 13th century- Cambodia-Angkor . Lake Manasarovar-Mapham Yumtso LocationTibet Autonomous Region, China.Coordinates30.65°N 81.45°ECoordinates: 30.65°N 81.45°E Surface area410 km2 (160 sq mi)/Max. depth90 m (300 ft)/Surface elevation4,590 m (15,060 ft) Frozenwinter Lake Manasarovar (also Manas Sarovar, Mapam Yumtso; Wylie: ma pham g.yu mtsho; Sanskrit: मानसरोवर ; Chinese: 玛旁雍错) is a freshwater lake in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China, 940 kilometres (580 mi) from Lhasa. To the west of it is Lake Rakshastal; to the north is Mount Kailash. It lies at 4,590 metres (15,060 ft) above mean sea level, a relatively high elevation for a large freshwater lake on the mostly saline lake-studded Tibetan Plateau. Despite claims to the contrary, there are hundreds of higher freshwater lakes in the world, including a larger and higher freshwater lake at 4,941 metres (16,211 ft) above sea level and 495 km2 in size, Angpa Tso (also known as Chibzhang Co, Migriggyangzham Co, East Chihpuchang Hu), further east on the Tibetan Plateau at 33°24′N 90°17′E. The largest freshwater lake of its size (290 km2) over 5000 meters elevation is Pumoyong Tso (also known as Puma Yumco, Po-mo Hu, Pumuoyong Tso), also on the Tibetan Plateau, at 28°34′N 90°24′E at 5,018 metres (16,463 ft) elevation. Lake Manasarovar. is relatively round in shape with the circumference of 88 kilometres (55 mi). Its depth reaches a maximum depth of 90 m (300 ft)[citation needed] and its surface area is 320 square kilometres (120 sq mi). It is connected to nearby Lake Rakshastal by the natural Ganga Chhu channel. Lake Manasarovar is near the source of the Sutlej, which is the easternmost large tributary of the Indus. Nearby are the sources of the Brahmaputra River, the Indus River, and the Ghaghara, an important tributary of the Ganges. Lake Manas Sarovar overflows in to lake Rakshastal which is a salt-water endorheic lake. These lakes used to be part of the Sutlej basin and were separated due to tectonic activity. . The word "Manasarovara" originates from Sanskrit, which is a combination of the words "Manas" "sarovara" manas meaning mind and sarovara meaning lake. According to the Hindu religion, the lake was first created in the mind of the Lord Brahma after which it manifested on Earth. Religious significance View from Chiu Gompa Satellite view of lakes Manasarovar (right) and Rakshastal with Mount Kailash in the background. In Hinduism In Hinduism, Lake Manasarovar is a personification of purity, and one who drinks water from the lake will go to the abode of Shiva after death. He is believed to be cleansed of all his sins committed over even a hundred lifetimes. Like Mount Kailash, Lake Manasarovar is a place of pilgrimage, attracting religious people from India, Nepal, Tibet and neighboring countries. Bathing in Manasarovar and drinking its water is believed to cleanse all sins. Pilgrimage tours are organized regularly, especially from India, the most famous of which is the yearly "Kailash Manas Sarovar Yatra". Pilgrims come to take ceremonial baths in the cleansing waters of the lake. Lake Manasarovar has long been viewed by the pilgrims as being nearby to the sources of four great rivers of Asia, namely the Brahmaputra, Ghaghara, Indus and Sutlej, thus it is an axial point which has been thronged to by pilgrims for thousands of years. The region was closed to pilgrims from the outside following the Battle of Chamdo; no foreigners were allowed between 1951 and 1980. After the 1980s it has again become a part of the Indian pilgrim trail. According to the Hinduism, the lake was first created in the mind of Brahma after which it manifested on Earth. Hence it is called "Manasa sarovaram", which is a combination of the Sanskrit words for "mind" and "lake". The lake is also supposed to be the summer abode of the hamsa. Considered to be sacred, the hamsa is an important element in the symbology of the subcontinent, representing wisdom and beauty. In Buddhism Buddhists associate the lake with the legendary lake Anavatapta (Sanskrit; Pali Anotatta) where Maya is believed to have conceived Buddha. The lake has a few monasteries on its shores, the most notable of which is the ancient Chiu Monastery built on a steep hill, looking as if it has been carved right out of the rock. The lake is very popular in Buddhist literature and associated with many teachings and stories. Buddha, it is reported, stayed and meditated near this lake on several occasions. Lake Manasarovar is also the subject of the meditative Tibetan tradition, "The Jewel of Tibet". A modern narration and description of the meditation was made popular by Robert Thurman. In Jainism. In Jainism, Lake Manasarovar is associated with the first Tirthankara, Rishabha. I have come to learn the fact that the idea if maha meru is not only included in the buddhist canon but in many other beliefs and cultures which are not Buddhist. I know that this has nothing to do with nirvana but i am curious of this and i also read this I guess i want an answer to the question "While all other things are logical and also even scientific, why this (Maha meru) makes no sense?" As per my understanding in listening to Dhamma the maha meru is the mount Himalya. The anawatapta lake is located in the maha meru as per the scripts & now it is found hat this lake exists in the Himalya range. Hope you will be able to find the stories about Maha meru more logical of you read articles on Himalya region, earth's structure, universal physics etc. Mt. Kailash as we refer to it in the present day is the Mount Meru of yesteryear. It is in the region around Mt. Kailash that Pacceka Buddhas will reside at a time just before a Supreme Buddha is born to this world. That is when the eminent coming of a Supreme Buddha is talked about amongst the general population of that time.So Mt. Kailash is a very storied mountain, the equally storied lake and the storied flower in it. Mt. Kailash is the mythical Mt. Meru. Read about it in the "Saptha Suryodgamana Sutta" The Sermon of the Seven Suns (Anguttara Nikaya VII. 62). In it the Buddha explains in detail about the events that would unfold, and in it, this monarch of mountains will get consumed and burnt, that neither ashes not soot will remain. The Lake Anavatapta is said to be so sheltered and covered that the direct rays from the sun would not fall and the lake would not dry up until the day this world would come to an end, as per the Saptha Suryodgamana Sutta. In this "Sermon of the Seven Suns" the Supreme Buddha, tells us about the end of the earth due to the expansion of the dying sun.In the Manual of Buddhism by Spence Hardy he has this to say about Mt. Kailash & the Lake Anavatapta - in page 42: "The great forest is in the northern part of Jambudwipa, which, from the southern extremity, gradually increases in height, until it attains an elevation of 500 yojanas, in the mountains of Gandhamadana, Kailasa, Chitrakuta, and others, there being in all 84,000.. These mountains are inhabited by an infinite number of dewas and yakas, and are beautified by 500 rivers, filled with the most delicious water, and by the seven great lakes, among which is the Anotatta-wila. This lake is 800 miles long, and as many broad and deep; and there are four places in it in which the Budhas, Pase-Budhas, rahats, and rishis are accustomed to bathe; and six other places where the dewas from the six inferior heavens bathe.” ..... On the four sides of Anotatta are four mouths or doors, whence proceed as many rivers; they are, the lion-mouth, the elephant, the horse, and the bull. The banks of these rivers abound with the animals from which they take their name. The rivers that pass to the north-east and west flow three times round the lake without touching each other, and after passing through countries not inhabited by man, fall into the sea. The river that runs to the south also passes three times round the lake, then rushes from the midst of a rock, and flows in a straight line 60 yojanas.. It then strikes against another rock, and rises into the sky, like a mount of gems 12 miles in size, flows through the sky for the space of 60 jojanas, and strikes against the rock Tiyaggala. This rock it has broken by its immense force; and after this it violently rushes on a further space of 60 yojanas, after which it flows on an inclined plane, strikes and breaks the ponderous Pansu-parwata or Five Mountains, and again passes on 60 yojanas. It then flows 60 yojanas further, through a cave, strikes the four-sided rock Wijja, and is lastly divided into five streams, like five fingers, that are the five great livers (Ganga, Yumuna, Acirawati, Sarabhu, and Mahi), which, after watering Jambudwipa, fall into the sea." The five great rivers of India: the Ganga, the Yamuna, the Aciravati, the Sarabhu, and the Mahi, is said to have its beginning in Lake Anavatapta & around Mt. Meru. Himalaya is defined as Buddha. Buddha called Himalaya Pabbatarāja, ‘the lord of mountains’. (S.II,137). The exact meaning of the name Himalaya is uncertain. It may have been formed from the words hima and mala meaning ‘garland of snow’ or from hima and alaya meaning ‘abode of snow’. But when speaking about cosmology and "Maha Meru" You can see all Viharas, Chorten or Buddhist temples are built in five layers that are defining "Maha Meru" or "Cosmology". The Buddha said this about the body of living being (quoting the 7th point at the bottom of page 131 in The Buddha and His Dhamma by Dr B. R. Ambedkar): The body of a living being consists of the combination of four great elements, viz., earth, water, fire and air, and when this combination is resolved into the four component elements, dissolution ensues. Abhidharma describes Mount Meru/Kailash as a cosmological system; similar descriptions found in Kalachakra Tantra.The tradition of Bon calls the mountain Yungdrung Gutsek; the surrounding realm is termed Tazig Olmo Lung Ring. Olmo Lung Ring is not a location on the Earth; rather, a kind of meditational Anavatapta on a Buddhist world map (1710) Anavatapta (Sanskrit अनवतप्त "the Unheated", Chinese: 阿那婆達多; pinyin: Ānàpó-dáduō; Japanese pronunciation: Anabadatta, also called Chinese: 無熱(悩)池; pinyin: Wúrènǎochí; Japanese pronunciation: Munetsu(nō)chi "the Pond without Heat") is the lake lying at the center of the world, according to ancient Indian tradition. The name Anavatapta means "heat-free"; the waters of the lake were thought to be able to soothe the fires that torment beings. Anavatapta is also the name of the dragon that was said to live in the lake; having become a bodhisattva, it was free from the distresses that plague other dragons, which are tormented by fiery heat and preyed on by garudas. According to Charles Higham, Lake Anavatapta was a "sacred Himalayan lake imbued with miraculous curative powers to remove human sins." George Cœdès states the lake, "...according to Indian tradition, is located in the confines of the Himalayas, and its waters gush out of gargoyles in the form of the heads of animals."  Lying south of Perfume Mountain, Lake Anavatapta is said to be 800 li in circumference and bordered by gold, silver, and precious stones. Four rivers issued from the lake. The earthly manifestation of the lake is often identified with Lake Manasarovar, which lies at the foot of Mount Kailash (Gandhamadana or Perfume Mountain) in the Himalayas. The four mythical rivers are sometimes identified with the Ganges (east), the Indus (south), the Amu Darya (west), and the Tarim or the Yellow River (north). Anottata is a Lake in Himalayas. Anottata is considered to be the place of origin of Rivers: Ganges, Vakshu, Sindhu River and Sita River. ] Anotatta  is the lake lying at the center of the world, according to an ancient Buddhist cosmological view. It is often identified with Lake Manasarovar, which lies at the foot of Mount Kailash in the Himalayas. The name Anavatapta means "heat-free"; the waters of the lake were thought to be able to soothe the fires that torment beings. Anavatapta is also the name of the dragon that lives in the lake; having become a Bodhisattva, it was free from the distresses that plague other dragons, which are tormented by fiery heat and preyed on by Garuda birds. Lying south of Gandhamadana (Perfume Mountain), Lake Anavatapta is said to be 800 li in circumference and bordered by gold, silver, and precious stones. Four rivers issued from the lake. The earthly manifestation of the lake is often identified with Lake Manasarovar, which lies at the foot of Mount Kailash (Gandhamadana or Perfume Mountain) in the Himalayas. The four mythical rivers are sometimes identified with the Ganges (east), the Indus (south), the Oxus (west), and the Tarim or the Yellow River (north). According to Charles Higham (archaeologist), Lake Anavatapta was a "sacred Himalayan lake imbued with miraculous curative powers to remove human sins. George Coedes states the lake, "...according to Indian tradition, is located in the confines of the Himalayas, and its waters gush out of gargoyles in the form of the heads of animals."  Lake Manasarovar or Manas Sarovar, also called Swan rimbonche is a high altitude freshwater lake fed by the Kailash Glaciers near Mount Kailash in Burang County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. The lake is revered as a sacred place in four religions: Bön, Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. The Sanskrit word "Manasarovar" (मानसरोवर) is a combination of two Sanskrit words; "Mānas" (मानस्) meaning "mind (in its widest sense as applied to all the mental powers), intellect, intelligence, understanding, perception, sense, conscience" while "sarovara" (सरोवर) means "a lake or a large pond". Geography Mount Naimona'nyi (Gurla Mandhata) and Lake Manasarovar Lake Manasarovar lies at 4,590 m (15,060 ft) above mean sea level, a relatively high elevation for a large fresh water lake on the mostly saline lake-studded Tibetan Plateau. Lake Manasarovar is relatively round in shape with the circumference of 88 km (54.7 mi). Its depth reaches a maximum depth of 90 m (300 ft) and its surface area is 320 km2 (123.6 sq mi). It is connected to nearby Lake Rakshastal by the natural Ganga Chhu channel. Lake Manasarovar is near the source of the Sutlej, which is the easternmost large tributary of the Indus. Nearby are the sources of the Brahmaputra River, the Indus River, and the Karnali, an important tributary of the Ganges. Lake Manasarovar overflows into Lake Rakshastal which is a salt-water endorheic lake. When the level of Lake Rakshastal matched that of Lake Manasarovar, these (very narrowly) combined lakes overflowed into the Sutlej basin. Stranded beaches around Lake Rakshastal at 4586 meter would indicate that decrease in inflow and/or increase in evaporation are the cause of this lost connection to the Indus basin rather than tectonic activity. In May 2020, India inaugurated a new 80 km long motorable road from Dharchula to Lipulekh Pass on India-China border [under geostrategic India-China Border Roads project] to the Kailas-Manasarovar in Tibet. Mount Meru (Sanskrit: मेरु), also recognized as Sumeru, Sineru or Mahāmeru, is the sacred five-peaked mountain of Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cosmology and is considered to be the center of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes. Many famous Buddhist and similar Jain as well as Hindu temples have been built as symbolic representations of this mountain. The "Sumeru Throne" 須彌座 xūmízuò style base is a common feature of Chinese pagodas. The highest point (the finial bud) on the pyatthat, a Burmese-style multi-tiered roof, represents Mount Meru. Etymologically, the proper name of the mountain is Meru (Pāli Meru), to which is added the approbatory prefix su-, resulting in the meaning "excellent Meru" or "wonderful Meru" Meru is also the name of the central bead in a mālā. In other languages, Mount Meru is pronounced: The dimensions attributed to Mount Meru, all references to it being as a part of the Cosmic Ocean, with several geographically vague statements that say "The Sun along with all the planets circle the mountain" make determining its location most difficult, according to most scholars. Some researchers identify Mount Meru or Sumeru with the Pamirs, northwest of Kashmir. The Suryasiddhanta mentions that Mt. Meru lies in the middle of the Earth ("bhuva-madhya") in the land of the Jambunad (Jampudvīpa). Narapatijayacharyasvarodaya, a ninth-century text, based on mostly unpublished texts of Yāmal Tantr, mentions- "Sumeruḥ Prithvī-madhye shrūyate drishyate na tu" (Su-meru is heard to be in the middle of the Earth, but is not seen there). There exist several versions of cosmology in existing Hindu texts. In one of them, cosmologically, the Meru mountain was also described as being surrounded by Mandrachala Mountain to the east, Suparshva Mountain to the west, Kumuda Mountain to the north and Kailasa to the south. Buddhist cosmology and Mount Meru (Buddhism) According to Buddhist cosmology, Mount Meru (or Sumeru) is at the centre of the world and Jambūdvīpa is south of it. It is 80,000 yojanas wide and 80,000 yojanas high according to the Abhidharmakośabhāṣyam and 84,000 yojanas high according to the Long Āgama Sutra. Trāyastriṃśa is on its peak, where Śakra resides. The Sun and the Moon revolve around Mount Meru and as the Sun passes behind it, it becomes nighttime. The mountain has four faces, each one made of a different material—the Northern face is made of gold, the Eastern one is made of crystal, the Southern one is made of lapis lazuli, and the Western one is made of ruby. According to Jain cosmology, Mount Meru (or Sumeru) is at the centre of the world surrounded by Jambūdvīpa,  in form of a circle forming a diameter of 100,000 yojans. There are two sets of sun, moon and stars revolving around Mount Meru; while one set works, the other set rests behind Mount Meru.[26][27][28] The 24th and last Tirthankara, Lord Mahāvīra was taken to the summit of Meru by Indra shortly after his birth, after putting his mother Queen Trishala into deep slumber. There he was bathed and anointed with precious unctions. Indra and other Devs celebrated his birth. . You can see in the map, that Rakshas Tal is called “Lanka Dhe” – The Lanka Lake. And then in 1812, the William Moorcroft, a Britisher, visited Maanas. He was the first Britisher to do so (Those days, there were restrictions on westerners visiting Maanas. So he disguised himself as a Gosain, an Indian trader pilgrim, and went across). His map of the Maanas region is shown below… In the above map, we see that Rakshas Tal is called Rawan Hrad… The Lake of Ravana… We can say that Rakshas Tal, from whatever written history is there for us to access, has definitely been associated with the memory of Ravana – and has been variously known as Lanka Deh, Lanka Dhe, Lankadh, Raavan Hrad, Ravan Sarovar, Rakshas Sarovar, Rakshas Tal… And so deep is the memory of Ravana etched in the subconscious of Indo-Tibetan peoples, that he finds mention in the Tibetan Buddhist lore as well. In that context, Ravana is said to have carried away three statues of Buddha to Lanka. In order to have a worthy altar for the statue, he decided to carry Mount Kailash away. At that time Lord Budhha came flying there, along with 500 arhats. Alighting on Mount Kailash, he pressed his feet on four sides, pinning down the mountain. Ravana was unable to lift the mountain. Then Buddha sat there and first taught Dharma to Anavatapta, the Lord of Lake Manasarovar. He then taught Lankavatara Sutra to Ravna, and blessed him (Source: Book “The Life of Shabkar – The Autobiography of a Tibetan Yogin” by Zabs-dkar Tshogs-drug-ran-grol)… To this day, marks are shown on Mt Kailash, which the locals say are made by the rope of Ravana, as he tied it around Kailash, attempting to uproot the mountain… In the previous post, we saw a mention of the famous hymn of Ravana – the Shiva Tandava Stotram… Given below is a link to another youtube video of that hymn… Very well rendered… Do have a look and listen… ` ` My good friend Ashutosh, on reading the  previous post wrote to me and gave me some very interesting information… Some quotes from his mail – “There is popular rendition of Shiv tandav strota in one breath in Rajasthan and MP. If you ever get to hear it, its mind blowingly awesome. Its without music but very very powerful…I happened to meet to someone who chanted it, it seems to be very popular among gaur brahmins of Rajasthan. They call it rudrika… and then you might already know the choice of ट vargas by Shri Ravana in this stotra….Apparently, the liberal use of Ta varga of varnamala called the shiva characters, is to put tongue in kechari mudra. Murdhanya consonants..  if you chant it fast in one breath you can notice yourself, tongue hitting the palette like a snake for the ta varga consonants and tongue moving seamlessly inside the oral cavity for the rest…” That was about the great Rakshasa King Ravana, who is associated with Rakshas Tal… So it is that we have these twin lakes, Maanasarovar and Rakshas Tal, side by side, just a few kms from each other… Rakshas Tal is to Manasarovar as Yama is to Yamuna… Rakshas Tal and Maanas being twin children of Kailas, and Yama and Yamuna being twin children of Soorya (Sun) …Rakshas Tal is eerie, as is Yama. Maanas is all cleansing, as are the dark blue waters of Yamuna… The water of Rakshastal is salty, in contrast to the pure freshness of Maanas. It’s waters are colder than that of Manas, the lake is stormier, the shape is crooked… As different as they are, the forces of the two lakes, however, go together… Indeed the two lakes are not separable. It is  said by Geographers, this was one lake, which got separated by land upheaval in the dim distant past. From a spiritual point of view, if Maanas is inextricably linked with the story and the way of Rama, the Rama-Charita-Maanas, then Rakshas Tal is inextricably linked with that of Ravana, the Ravana-Charita-Hrad. And Rama and Ravana are two forces that appear together. Rama represents Soorya Vamsha – the lineage of the Sun. And Ravana, after his great penance at Kailasa, was rewarded by Lord Shiva with a crescent-moon shaped sword – the name of which was Chandrahaas – the Laughter of the Moon…. Maanas is the Solar force, and Rakshas-Tal the lunar force… Lama Anagarika Govinda, sheds light on these forces, in his great work – “The Way of the White Clouds”… Below are some quotes from that book – “And as every Indian temple has its sacred water-tank, so at the southern foot of Kailas there are two sacred lakes, Manasarovar and Rakastal, of which the former is shaped like the sun and represents the forces of light, while the other is curved like the crescent moon and represents the hidden forces of the night , which-as long as they are not recognised in their true nature and directed into their proper channels-appear as the demonic powers of darkness…. … These sun and moon symbols are used in every Tibetan scroll-painting (thang-ka) in which Buddhas, deities, or saints are depicted. Sun and moon signify the two streams or currents of psychic energy, which move upwards to the right and to the left of the central channel or ‘median nerve’ of the spinal column. In Yogic meditation these two currents are integrated in the central channel and rise through it from one psychic centre or level of consciousness to the other, until the integrated stream reaches the highest multi-dimensional level of an enlightened consciousness. As Mount Kailas corresponds to the spinal column, it represents the axis of the spiritual universe, rising through innumerable world-planes (indicated by the actual horizontal stratification of the mountain , which is as regular and distinct as that of an Indian temple), from the human to the highest divine level, while the two lakes are looked upon as the reservoirs of the two streams of psychic energy. … It is interesting to note that even the geographical position of the two lakes corresponds to their relationship to light and darkness, day and night. Manasarovar is in the east, at the beginning of the day, Rakastal in the west, at the beginning of the night. In Tibetan Manasarovar is called ‘Tso Mapharn’, the lake of the invincible forces of the Buddhas (who are also called ‘Victors’), while Rakastal is called ‘Langag Tso’ or, more correctly, ‘Lha-nag-Tso’, the Lake of the Dark Deities . Consequently the Tso Mapham is surrounded by a number of monasteries and retreats, while the other lake is completely deserted of human habitation, and in spite of its scenic beauty a strange and uncanny atmosphere seems to hover over it. Though it is held in fear, it is as sacred as its sister-lake, because even those powers which appear to us terrifying and destructive, or hidden in the darkness of the depth, are as divine as those which we worship as embodiments of light and goodness. The interrelationship of these forces-solar and lunar energy, conscious and subconscious forces, the principles of light and darkness, male and female energies, action and contemplation, emptiness and form-is the great discovery of Tantric philosophy. He who realises its truth is fit to worship the awe-inspiring Master of Kailas, whether he sees him in the form of Shiva, the destroyer of this world of illusion, or in the form of Demchog, who like Shiva tears asunder the elephant-hide of ignorance and whose twelve arms signify the twelve links of the formula of dependent origination, taught by the Buddha Sakyamuni. Only he who has contemplated the divine in its most awe-inspiring form, who has dared to look into the unveiled face of truth without being overwhelmed or frightened-only such a person will be able to bear the powerful silence and solitude of Kailas and its sacred lakes, and endure the dangers and hardships which are the price one has to pay for being admitted to the divine presence on the most sacred spot on earth.” Story/legand; Ravana, the ten-headed Rakshasa King of Lanka, is in Kailasa region. He has just defeated his own uncle Kubera who lives here. Having captured the aircraft Pushpaka-Vimana from Kubera, Ravana is flying about. Suddenly his aircraft stops mid-air. On enquiring he comes to know from Nandi, the mount of Shiva, that he is trespassing the region of Lord Shiva. Ravana in his arrogance decides to defeat Shiva. With that in mind, he tries to uproot  Kailasa – the very mountain on which Shiva resides. So strong is Ravana, that he manages to shake the mountain at its very base, sending all deities, even Paravati, the consort of Shiva, into fear. Lord Siva, seeing this, playfully presses the mountain with his toe, and Ravana’s hands are caught in a crush beneath the mountain. Seeing that he has been overpowered by Shiva, Ravana seeks to atone, does immense penance in that state, and composes and sings many a hymn in praise of Shiva. Tradition has it that one among them is the song of Shiva’s Dance – Shiva Tandava Stotram – the only song of Ravana that is now available to us. He begins the song – ` The waters flowing down from Siva’s matted locks, flowing down from Kailasa mountain, finally fall into a lake… That is Rakshas Tal (pronounced Raakshas Taal), the twin lake of Maanasarovar. As per ancient tradition, this is the place of penance of Ravana, as he propitiated Siva. Here’s a google earth picture of the twin lakes. The oval, disc shaped Manasarovar, in contrast to the crooked, chicken-leg shaped Rakshas Tal – labeled as Lan’ga Co, in the picture… Maanas is next to it. And Hanuman Tal on the far right…Lan’ga Co is the Tibetan name for Rakshas Tal… Also ‘Langag Tso’ or, more correctly, ‘Lha-nag-Tso’, which means the ‘Lake of the Dark Deities’… Known in common parlance, as the “Ghost Lake”. ^ ` Here’s a NASA satellite photograph of Rakshas Tal (Source Link, Click here ) ` ` Date : 1/July/2013 Today, we are leaving Manasarovar and are on our way to the base camp for our Kailasa trip. On the way we halt at Rakshas Tal… Here is a view of the lake, on the ground… Click on the picture to get a larger view… Isn’t it beautiful! ` ` A very-very short video of Rakshas Tal, that Soota managed from the bus… ` ` As one stops at this lake, one cannot help noticing the stark contrast between this lake and Manas. One saw no aquatic bird at all in Rakshas Tal. At the time we went there, the whole lake is deathly still – in contrast to the lively vibrancy of Maanas nearby…A salt water lake, in contrast to the sweet fresh waters of Maanas. The next picture is a carving in Kailasanatha Temple in Ellora… This is of Siva and Parvati in Mt Kailasa, while the ten-headed twenty-handed Ravana below is trying to uproot the mountain.. ` ` And the second photo is of Nataraja ` (Source Link : Click here) ` In the far west of Tibet lies the holy mountain known as Mt. Kailash. Standing like a giant Egyptian pyramid amidst the barren landscape of the Tibetan Plateau, this sacred mountain is an important pilgrimage destination for thousands of travelers every year. Known to the locals as Kang Rinpoche, the mountain is sacred to the believers of four separate religions - Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Bon. Around this sacred mountain lie five Buddhist temples, each one shrouded in centuries of mystery and legend. Located just 15 miles away from Mt. Kailash is the serene Lake Manasarovar, which is another important site for pilgrims who wish to cleanse their past sins by taking a dip in its pristine natural waters. The exceptional natural beauty of this unscathed region makes the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra one of the most sought after pilgrimage journeys through rural areas of Tibet, where love and peace have prevailed since eternity. Considered to be one of the most beautiful mountains in China, Kailash is a divine mountain, with four almost symmetrical sides, its snow-capped peak glistening white in the sunlight. Bounded by the religious virtue and spiritual ethos of several religions, the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra is believed to be one of the most sacred pilgrimage journeys, which takes pilgrims to the revered site of Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in Tibet. Each year thousands of pilgrims decide to go on a journey towards the consecrated lands, with ever more enthusiasm for the eccentric virtue of belief and hope that they can relinquish their past deeds and cleanse out their sins. A devout pilgrim is doing Kailash kora with a prayer wheel Standing at a high elevation of 6,638 meters above sea level, Mt. Kailash is considered to be the center of the universe. Blessed by the geographical and mythological significance of Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, pilgrims are consistently astounded by the pure magnificence of this sacred pilgrimage journey. Believers of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Tibetan Bonpo accept the primarily belief that the journey to Mt. Kailash renounces their spirits and gives them a chance of experiencing divine intervention during this lifetime. The Tibetan religion of Bon believes Mount Kailash to be their ancient spiritual seat of power. Meanwhile, in Jainism, Kailash, referred to as Mount Ashtapada, is the place where the creator of their faith, Rishabhadeva, attained freedom from the cycle of life and rebirth. The peak of the mountain is almost always enveloped in clouds, and it is believed by the locals that anyone who gets to view the peak clearly will be very lucky. Mt. Kailash has been an alluring site for pilgrims for centuries, and many explorers have traveled to the region to investigate this holy site. However, to date, no one has ever made it to the peak, due mainly to the devout religious significance of the mountain. The area of Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar is also the source of four of the major rivers in Asia, the Sutlej River, the Brahmaputra River, the Indus River, and the Ganges River. All four rivers have their sources within 100 km of the mountain, and are the habitats of many local species of birds, wildlife, and plants. Why Lake Manasarovar Yatra? Lake Manasarovar is Tibet’s holiest lake. It is located in far western Tibet, not far from the sacred peak of Kailash. Lake Manasarovar - known in Tibetan as Mapham Yum Tso, or “invincible turquoise lake” - is Tibet’s holiest lake. Located in far western Tibet’s Ngari Prefecture, it is over 1,200 kilometers from Lhasa. The lake is only 32 kilometers from Mt Kailash, Tibet’s most sacred peak, and sits at an elevation of 4,950 meters. While it is not even the highest lake in Tibet, it is the highest freshwater lake in the world, and is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful lakes in China. Surrounded by massive Himalayan peaks to the south, including Gurla Mandhata, Manasarovar is a major pilgrimage destination for Buddhists, Hindus and followers of the indigenous Tibetan religion of Bon. Buddhists consider Lake Manasarovar to be associated with the legendary lake Anavatapta, which is where the mother of Buddha (Maya) is believed to have conceived Buddha. Another version is that Queen Maya was bathed in Lake Manasarovar by divine beings before she gave birth to Buddha. Either way, Manasarovar is the holiest lake to Tibetan people. Drinking Lake Manasarovar's water can wash away all the sins of one’s life Lake Manasarovar is another Tibetan location that draws in pilgrims from all over the world, and from different religions. Hindu pilgrims have been going to the lake for well over 1500 years, as they believe the god Brahma created the lake. According to Hindu mythology, Manasarovar was first created in the mind of Lord Brahma hence justifying its name - “Manas” meaning mind and “Sarovar” meaning lake. It is believed by the Hindu religion that Mount Kailash was the place where Lord Shiva resided and is therefore considered as the earthly demonstration of heaven. The well-known Sanskrit poet Kālidāsa, in the 4th century wrote that the water from the lake was “like pearls and that to drink them erases the sins of a hundred lifetimes”. It is common to see Hindus wade or swim in Lake Manasarovar as well as drink some of the water. It is believed that bathing in the lake or drinking its water can wash away all the sins of one’s life, leaving you clean and pure again. Situated at the southern base of Mt. Kailash, Lake Manasarovar is celebrated around the world for its uncommon magnificence and has been stunning the world for a number of years. Looking at the historical backdrop of Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, without much stretch of the imagination we can presume that they both have been a noteworthy piece of numerous religions for many centuries. Join-in Most Recommended Tibet Kailash Small Group Tours How to Take Mount Kailash Kora In Tibet, the most famous pilgrimage tour is the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra, which takes place every year and atttracts thousands of pilgrims. Kailash Manasarovar Yatra is known for its religious value, cultural significance, physical beauty and thrilling nature. Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage tour is one of the most demanding and challenging of treks for pilgrims in the world. This is a route opening up unending stretches of barren land, lush green valleys, snow capped peaks and pristine blue lakes. It is absolutely an experience of a lifetime. Every year, thousands of pilgrims throng to the Mount Kailash. Some pilgrims even venture a much more demanding regimen, performing body-length prostrations over the entire length of the circumambulation. To some extent, Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is an ultimate destination for every pilgrim. Part of the Yatra is to walk the kora around Mt. Kailash, and many thousands of travelers and pilgrims do this during the months of the Yatra. This holy ritual is believed to bring good fortune, both now and for future generations, and help them to better attain enlightenment. If is believed that anyone who completes the kora will clear away the sins of a lifetime, and those who walk it 13 times will be brought to enlightenment within their lifetime. It is also believed that anyone who can complete the kora 108 times continuously will attain instant enlightenment. The different religions have different beliefs about the circumambulation of Mt. Kailash. Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims complete the kora walking clockwise, while those of the Jain and Bon religions walk around the mountain counter-clockwise. This belief stems from the legend of the battle between Milarepa and Naro Bonchung, who fought for control of the sacred site. After defeating Bonchung, Milarepa wisely allowed the Bon followers to continue to worship at the mountain, but they would have to walk the kora backwards, and to this day, they still do so. However, the length for kailash kora is about 56km and the average altitude is 5,000 meters. The terrain is quite dangerous and rough. All pilgrims need to complete the kora on foot, so tourists need to get over altitude sickness and strong physical fitness is required. In remote areas of Tibet, tourists should be prepared for the poor accommodation, food and other services of local facility, which cannot be compared with the same services in Lhasa. (Simple click to enlarge the map) Time-honoured pilgrimage route around holy Mt. Kailash Kailash and Manasarovar offers you astounding scenery of the Tibetan landscape Manasarovar Yatra. Photos taken on Kailash Manasarovar Yatra The north face of Mt. Kailash Breathtaking scenery of Lake Manasarovar Devout pilgrims are prostrating themselves towards Holy Kailash Lake Rakshastal  a lake in Tibet Autonomous Region, China, lying just west of Lake Manasarovar and south of Mount Kailash. The Sutlej River (also known by the Tibetan name Langqen Zangbo in this area) originates at Rakshastal's northwestern tip. Despite its close proximity to Lake Manasarovar (about 3.7 kilometres or 2.3 miles), Lake Rakshastal does not share the historic religious significance of its eastern neighbor. The name of the lake literally means "lake of the demon" in Sanskrit. It is also known as Ravan Tal, as it is considered to be the place of severe penance by Ravan, the demon-like King of Lanka in Hindu theology.In Buddhism, Lake Manasarovar, which is round like the sun, and Rakshastal, shaped as a crescent, are respectively regarded as "brightness" and "darkness". Rakshastal is a saline lake. There is a short river named Ganga Chhu, which connects Lake Manasarovar with Rakshastal, believed to be created by rishis to add pure water from Manasarovar. There are four islands in Rakshastal, named Topserma (Dose), Dola (the two biggest), Lachato (Nadzhado), and Dosharba. The islands are used by local people as winter pastures for their yaks. In the Tibetan language, the lake is known as Lagngar Cho or Lhanag Tso, which means "the dark lake of poison". Religious significance: According to Hindu scriptures, Rakshastal was created by Ravana for the express purpose of garnering superpowers through acts of devotion and meditation to the god, Shiva, who resided on Mount Kailash. It was upon the banks of a special island in this lake that he would make a daily offering with one of his ten heads as a sacrifice to please Shiva. Finally, on the tenth day, Shiva was moved enough by his devotion to grant Ravana his wish to obtain superpowers. As there are no plants or wildlife around the lake, its lifeless surroundings caused the Tibetans to refer it as "the Ghost Lake". Visitors who approach the lake must be respectful to avoid inauspicious mishaps. Rakshastal covers a total area of 250 square kilometres (97 sq mi), at an altitude of 4,575 metres (15,010 ft). Though absent of nearby grasslands, the white cobbles, the hills and the island colored with dark red, and the deep blue lake water present another distinctive picture absent from many of the places more frequented by visitors. Adi Kailash, also known as Shiva Kailash, Chota Kailash, Baba Kailash or Jonglingkong Peak, is a mountain located in the Himalayan mountain range in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, India. Both Adi Kailash and Om Parvat are considered sacred by Hindus. The Adi Kailash and the Om Parvat and are not one and the same. The Adi Kailash or Chota Kailash is located in a different direction, near Sin La pass and near Brahma Parvat, the base camp of Adi Kailash is 17 km from the Kutti village at sacred Jolingkong Lake with Lord Shiva temple. Om Parvat can be viewed in route to the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra from the last camp below Lipulekh Pass at Nabhidhang India-China border post protected by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police also has Public Works Department guest house on the Indian side. Many trekkers to Adi Kailash often make a diversion to view Om Parvat. Om Parvat is located near From Sept 19th to Oct 14th 2002 the first attempt, which was abandoned 200 m (660 ft) short of the summit because of very loose snow and rock conditions, was made by an Indo-Aussie-British-Scottish team including Martin Moran, T. Rankin, M. Singh, S. Ward, A. Williams and R. Ausden. The climbers promised not to ascend the final 10 metres (30 ft) out of respect for the peak's holy status. On 8 October 2004, the first successful ascent of Adi Kailash was by the British-Scottish-American team composed of Tim Woodward, Jack Pearse, Andy Perkins (UK); Jason Hubert, Martin Welch, Diarmid Hearns, Amanda George (Scotland); and Paul Zuchowski (USA), who did not ascend the final few metres out of respect for the sacred nature of the summit. The Adi Kailash Yatra Circuit begins by going up the Darma Valley and then going to Kuthi Yankti Valley (India) via the Sin La pass to join the Mount Kailash-Lake Manasarovar Tibetan pilgrimage route down the Sharda River.[6] Motoroable Route to Adi Kailash is via Gunji. While approaching Gunji from Dharcula and the rest of India, the route along the western bank of Sharda River (also called Mahakali River) at Gunji forks into two separate motorable routes, one goes north to Kailash-Mansarovar and another to the west to Adi Kailash.[8] In July 2020, India also opened a newly constructed road in this area from Gunji to Limpiyadhura Pass (Lampiya Dhura Pass on India-China border) which has reduced the trek time to Adi Kailash to two hours.  Earlier in May 2020, India had inaugurated a new 80 km long road from Dharchula via Gunji to Lipulekh Pass on India-China border [under geostrategic India-China Border Roads project] to the Kailas-Manasarovar. Early Interactions Between South and Southeast Asia: Reflections on Cross ...edited by Pierre-Yves Manguin, A. Mani, Geoff Wade Indianisation is a trans-cultural process. Mount Meru: A Mandala of my mind Time and space are more nebulous in the Hindu world. Atop Meru is Swarga,  the heavenly city of Indra, Vedic god rain and storm, “a paradise “furnished with heavenly flowers and fruit and covered everywhere with bright gold dwellings[2]” “According to ancient religious texts, the abode of creator Brahma is called Brahmaloka, the abode of Lord Vishnu is called Vaikunta ad the abode of Lord Shiva is called Kailash. Of the three, one can only go bodily and return in this life from Kailash having experienced divinity.[3]” With its four facades facing north, east, south, and west, Mount Kailas looks like an enormous diamond. Seventy-five percent as high as Mount Everest, the mountain is one of the tallest peaks in the Himalayas. Nearby is the source of the Indus, Sutlej, and Brahmaputra Rivers. The source of the Ganges is not far away. On its southern face, a vertical gash crosses horizontal layers, creating the image of a swastika. The word comes from svastika, Sanskrit for well-being and good fortune. Buddhists regard the mountain as a mandala -— the sacred circle from which the sacred rivers flow like the spokes of the eternal wheel.” – Colin Wilson[1]   At 6714 metres it is dwarfed when compared to Everest, but hidden behind a sea of Himalayan mountains, and seen from a distance, its isolated snow capped beauty, overlooks the blue-green emerald of lake Mansarovar and the Rakshas TaI, in the south, evokes a sense of the infinite cosmos that embraces our minute world. It   brings men to their knees as if before divinity in solid form. Each face has its own moods: snowy splendor to the south, compassion and benevolence to the West, stark foreboding to the north, and distant, inaccessible mystery to the south.  Within 100 kilometres, flow Asias four largest rivers:  the Indus flows to the north, the Brahmaputra to the east, the Sutlej to the west, and the Karnali to the south, leading to the Ganges. The Jains believe Rishabhanatha, the first of our ages twenty-four saviors, was enlightened on  Kailash,. Nearby, Shenrab, the legendary founder of Bon, taught and meditated. Sikhs revere Hemkund, a mountain lake near the source of the Ganges, as the place where Guru Gobind Singh, the last of their ten principal teachers,  meditated in a previous life. Here, the Tibetan yogi Milarepa, attained enlightenment. There are also universal themes: Metaphysical Meru, or Tise, was believed manifest on earth as Kalais (the crystal), or Kang Rinpoche (Jewel of Snows).  Claimed the navel of the earth ( a term used by Jews of Jerusalem, and Olympus by the Greeks), axis of the universe, and source of Asia’s four great rivers, the hidden source of the Ganga, Sutler, Indus and Brahmaputra were revealed behind the ramparts of the Himalayas. Four great rivers?   Kalais appears the Olympus of the East and seemed to improbable to believe in. So the Western world preferred Ptolemy’s cartography. Tibetans claim a compassionate Bodhisattva cut an outlet through the Himalayan peaks to form the Tibetan plateau. Geologists claim the plateau preceded the mountain wall forced up from clashing continental plates and eroded down over eons. The lofty peaks  can easily be imagined a home of the gods. The Aryans described the abode of snow, Himavant, Himachala, or Himalaya. In the cosmology of Meru, it is a mountain of blazing appearance. In the Mahabhrarata the ranges  are “kissing the heavens by its height” “shining like the morning sun and like a fire without smoke, immeasurable and unapproachable by men of manifold sins.” Navel of the earth, and the axis of the universe, from where water flowed into a mountain lake, four rivers flow. The Himalayan was to south, and west  deserts of Takla Makan to and Gobi to north and east. The world made of seven continents with seven oceans. From centre island rises Meru “like the pericap of a lotus’ that sits between three mountains to the north and three to the south, claims the Vishnu Purana. Eighty- four thousand leagues high, with four faces like crystal, ruby, gold and lapis lazuli. From the big toe of Vishnu’s left foot comes ‘the  stream that washes away all sin, the river Ganga, embrowned with the unguents of the nymphs of heaven, who sported in its waters.’ After washing the inner orb, circling the mountain, it divides into for mighty rivers t each corner of the earth: Sita, Alaknanda, Chaksu and Badra. The first, flowing upon the tops of the inferior mountains on the east side of Meru, flows upon their crests and passes through the country of Bhadrashva to the ocean: the Aleknanda flows south, to the country of Bharatha and, dividing into seven rivers on the way, falls into the sea: the Chaksu falls into the sea after traversing all the western mountains and passing through the country of Ketumala: and the Badra washes the country of the Uttara Karus and empties itself into the northern ocean.’ This image is mirrored in the Jain swastika mantra, the tantric mandela of Tibet, the Hindu yantra  and the  upturned bowl of Sanchi’s great stupa, crowned with its symbolic tree. The yogi mentally places himself within the image his spinal column at one with meru, deepened into an earth consciousness. He achieves union of opposing forces of earth water, male and female,, light and dark,what Taoists call , yin and yang; Tibetans call yab and yum, and the Shaivite Tantra calls Shiva-Shakti . Modern scholars suggest that as the Aryans pushed eastward the Ganges became the most vital and sacrosanct of rivers. As the form of mother goddess Ganga Mai , she provides for 1/3 of India’s population.  The Jaganmatri, or Divine Mother has so many forms: Parvati, with smooth and clear skin under her veil. Ouma is also called Parvati, daughter of the Himalaya, literally “abode of the snows”. She can also turn into Kali for victory. The dwelling place of God Siva, the Supreme Yogi, naked and smeared with ashes, sits on a tiger skin, matted hair coiled o his head in meditative bliss.  Though the supernatural power of his third eye he calmly surveys the illusion of life’s and is able to destroy the illusion binding us to the cycle of death and rebirth. j When He rises to dance, He takes on the functions of Brahma and Vishnu and creates and preserves the universe itself. Here, the King of the mountains, Himalaya,  lives with his queen, the Goddess Mena, in a palace of gold, attended by divine guardians, maidens,  and  magical beings. It is hard to imagine a more potent symbol of inspiration. he Himalayas stretch 1,500 miles rising from the monsoon- drenched jungles north of Burma to sweep its great arc along the borders of India and Tibet, through Bhutan, Sikkim and Nepal, up to the  glaciers of the Karakoram on the remote desert between Pakistan and China. Millions of years ago the summit of Mount Everest lay beneath an ancient sea, called Tethys, separating Asia from India. Over eons the tectonic plates collided to fold and thrust up the peaks of the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau, The fractured crust filled magma, and glacial action, formed walls and peaks of granite and preexisting rivers have cut through the range  creating the deepest valleys in the world. The Kali Gandaki Valley between Annapurna and Dhaulagiri in central Nepal is nearly four miles deep.  “The Earth’s most dramatic features, mountains are to Hindus the abode of Gods, the haunt of holy sages and the supreme pilgrimage destination. Viewed through the eyes of a Buddhist or Hindu, mountains are mystical realms of Gods, heavens, spirits and spiritual masters. – Edwin Bernbaum   The ancient poets and sages regarded the range as an earthly paradise sparkling with streams and forests set beneath snowy beautiful peaks. Above this earthly paradise lie the heights of heaven.. To die on her banks and be caste in her waters is to be delivered to heaven. Dip 3 times under the waters is to be cleansed of all sins. As devotees bathe, change into a  a clean dhoti , they are for at least that moment changed into a new person , who has completed a turn in the wheel of life, death and rebirth. High caste Hindus in 4th final stage of life begin their final pilgrimage from Ganga – Dwara. So inaccessible are holiest of places a pilgrim places their life in the lap of the gods and to free them self from the cycle of rebirth. They  shave their head and beard,  conduct their own funeral and take on pale ochre robes symbolising their purification in a funeral pyre. “One of the greatest and most austere pilgrimages, Mount Kailas, Himalayan abode of Lord Siva, is sacred to five religions. Pilgrims perform a three-day, 33-mile circumambulation of the peak. At the foot of Kailas lies Lake Manasarovara, symbolizing a quieted mind, free from all thought. Kailas is the Mount Meru of Hindu cosmology, center of the universe. Within 50 miles are the sources of four of India’s auspicious rivers.[5]“   Meru as a model of the unconscious mind and healing Religion imbues meaning to space: think of Jerusalem, Mecca, Rome, Karbal, or Kailas. For place is an idea, consciously and deliberately constructed, then propagated in an ordered fashion an imposed on the physical landscape . We also map these values onto our bodies and on time: certain body parts are purer, certain times more auspicious, so some places are charged more with energy. Kalais is mapped for great meaning as a mandala for the souls pursuit of enlightenment. The Buddhist mandala of Demchog on Kailas portrays the universe as a circle of mountains, oceans and continents arrayed around a  mountain Meru at its centre. Called Sumeru by Buddhists and Meru by Hindu’s. As the divine access of the cosmos, it is important to both Hindu and Buddhist thought. Brahma is said to live on its summit with other deities surrounding him. In the early texts, Kalais and Meru are separate peaks bt later traditions merged them into one idealized peak. Some devotees say the Kailash is the Shivalinga; others that it is Mount Meru, the presence of eternal in time.   Today both there are Tibetans and Indians view Kailas meeting of earth and divine, where the heavenly Meru  meets the earthly plane. A pilgrimage to Meru is a journey to the center of the universe, where all begins and ends.  “As dew is dried up by the morning sun so are sins of men dried up by the sight of the Himalaya, where Shiva lived and whee the Ganga falls from the foot of Vishnulike the slender thread of a lotus flower. There are no mountains like the Himalaya, for in them are Kalais and Manasarovar.” Astonished travelers, passing below that inaccessible peak, view afar a vast snow formation resembling a palace, with icy domes and turrets. The Kailas peak full of dark black rocks with head adorned with glittering white snow stood like a leader amongst the long stretch of black mountains. “My body experienced horripilation and my mind immersed in the ocean of bliss was overcome with joy” – Sri Swami Tapovanam The yantra to circle Kalaish can be performed in three days, a walk of around 50 kilometers, paying homage to  Siva or Demchog, makes contact with something deep within themselves to a vision of the  supreme reality that infuses our cosmos.  Every step is rich with prayers and praise of those who have walked the way for eons before them .  Tibetans make three, five, or thirteen circumambulations of Mount Kailash, or even more. Sometimes they prostrate themselves, rising to walk the length of one prostration only, then once again falling to the ground. To circle the mountain in this way may take up to four weeks of patient and meditative movement. These pilgrims may then turn and return, rapt in their awareness of the eternal. The way has no beginning and no end.” – Jennifer Westwood[6]   Hence, to many Hindus and Buddhists, the pilgrimage to Kailas is is the most ardous and sacred journey in the pursuit of enlightenment. Many believe at Kalaish, the Ganges, holiest river of all, cascades from heaven to first touch the Earth and course invisibly through the locks of Siva’s hair before spewing forth from a glacier 140 miles to the west. Source: Thetrellingworld.com   Nearby is Lake Mansarovar, Lake of the Mind .  Hindu myth claims the lake was first created in the mind of the Lord Brahma.  Myths claim it was the summer home of swans, considered sacred and wise. Buddhists link it to Anotatta Lake, where legend claims Queen Maya conceived the Buddha. Annually during the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra the hardiest of Hindu pilgrims take the dangerous journey over high passes to bathe in Manasarovar’s icy waters and cleanse their minds of sins by ancient monasteries, like Chiu Gompa Monastery built into a hill as if carved from the rock. Interestingly in South India, the Tamil Sangam  spoke  of a legendary continent Kumari Kandam, named after a gentle maiden, the Divine Feminine. So perhaps we imagine our collective  mind and its archetypes, not as an iceberg, but as the Himalayan plateau, eroded by Yugas of time. Making Life A Sacred Experience   To many the Indus and Ganges are the cradle of life. We could say India’s great gifts are her five great rivers that cradled life to civilizations. From mountain abodes of eternal snow along the long Indus, carry mineral sediment and the rites of mourners from Tibet, to the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. As environmentalists battle over what is sacred, I am struck in in grief for the earth Faced with a problem   Paramahansa Yogananda reminds us “Mythological tales in the Purana say that the Himalayas are the abode of Shiva …” explaining “Parvati, Kali, Durga, Uma, and other goddesses are aspects of the Divine Mother of the World, variously names to signalize particular functions. God or Shiva in His para or transcendental aspect is inactive in creation. His shakti (energy, activating force) is relegated to His “consorts,” the productive “female” powers that make possible the infinite unfoldments in the cosmos. The duality of sun and moon, ireinds me of the bridge between heaven and earth. A scientist knows particle, energy, time-space, and electro-magnetism are interwoven, they are useful as separate concepts. Similarly, a man sees in his lover the feminine in himself, as the moon reflects the sun and on earth the divine finds a reflection of our own personal experience of heaven at Meru. Women emphasize process, inner world connectivity inner weaving are as important the fullness not just the outcome. Men seem outcome driven. India, like her ancient rivers have a beautiful feminine quality, and how will it merge with the overpowering masculinity of economic demand? The coniunctio as a harmonious balance between heaven and earth, like the moon and sun, and man and woman. What is unknown in our self is found in completeness of union of the other in love. Meister Ekhart called it the marriage of the sacred masculine and divine feminine. Meru offers devotion and contemplation of divine love. It allows us, in the words of poet Mary Oliver  “to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go.” To look deep within and find what we know from somewhere deep within. To love, and to let go, in the cycle of life.3 3.  https://reflectionsofindia.com/2014/11/18/mount-merumandala/ See also VARMA, ROMMEL. “Meru and Kailasa: Exploring a Paradigm and Its Model.” India International Centre Quarterly, vol. 20, no. 4, 1993, pp. 139–158. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23003696. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021. Dr UDAY DOKRAS- Indo Nordic Author’s Collective 30