Mount Kailash is a world-recognized sacred mountain, and at the same time, it is recognized as the center of the world by Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism, Bonism, and ancient Jainism. Mt.Kailash is not the highest mountain in this area, towering at around 6,714 meters, but it dwarfs the adjacent mountains in the region. According to legend, Hinduism believes that the mountain is the residence of Shiva; Jainism believes that the mountain is the place where its ancestor, Patriarch Rishabhanatha attained nirvana, the Bon religion originated from the mountain; and Tibetan Buddhism believes that the mountain is The residence of Cakrasaṃvara Tantra, who represents supreme happiness, in addition, the famous Mount Meru also refers to Mt.Kailash. Therefore, there are many believers who do kora here all year round. Kora is Tibetan, which means a circumambulation/circuit of a holy place.
Pilgrims believe one circuit around Mt. Kailash can vanish your lifetime sin, 10 circuits around Mt. Kailash can exempt you from suffering the reincarnation, 100 circuits can make you go to heaven and become immortal. Buddhists and Hindus, pilgrimage clockwise. For Bon and Jainism, they do pilgrimage anticlockwise. Trekking to Mount Kailash is one of the most strenuous and challenging treks for pilgrims in the world, at an altitude of around 4,700 meters. Here, Great Tibet Tour will guide you about how to complete the Mount Kailash trek.
Three-day Mt. Kailash Trekking Experience
Not all of us are accustomed to walking long distances under a very thin atmosphere and high altitude. But such is the case when you make the three-day Mt. Kailash Kora. After completing the Mt. Kailash trek, you will also visit holy Lake Mansarovar situated in the western part of Tibet. It’s also a significant part of the pilgrimage.
Mount kailash kora trek Map
Altitude Changes of the Mt. Kailash Kora
The elevation change chart of Mt.Kailash Kora is in the shape of a pyramid. The starting point and the endpoint is Darchen, which is relatively low, at about 4675 meters. Then the elevation gradually rises until it reaches the highest point, the Dolma La Pass, at 5,660 meters. After that, the altitude showed a gradual downward trend, until it returns to Darchen Town.
Permits for Mt.Kailash Trek
Due to the regulations of the government, international tourists must be accompanied by a local guide when traveling in Tibet. So you need to book your Kailash tour (vehicle, driver and guide) with a local Tibet Travel Agency in advance. When your tour gets closer, your travel agency will take up to a month to secure your Tibet Travel Permit, Alien’s Travel Permit and Military Permit, without which you cannot trek Mount Kailash. Before departing to Tibet, you need to get your Tibet Travel Permit either in China or in Nepal. In addition, you also need a valid China Visa (from China mainland) or a Chinese Group Visa (from Nepal). Great Tibet Tour can obtain all the permits for you.
For Indian tourists, if you are going to Ngari to make a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar, you need to turn to two organizations instead of Tibet travel agencies. The first one is the Foreign Affairs Office of TAR (governmental); the second one is the pilgrimage Reception Center (non-governmental), short for the PilgrimageCenter, which is located in Tuanjie New Village of Lhasa. Besides, you also can book your Ngari tours through the Nepal or Indian Travel Agencies as they are authorized partners of the Pilgrimage Center. We can also provide free consultation for you.
Conclusion
Trekking to mount Kailash, you will follow the footsteps of countless pilgrims for thousands of years and circuit the holy mountain. After experiencing high altitude hypoxia, breathing difficulties, muscle soreness, chapped lips, skin sunburn and other hardships, you can feel indescribable happiness and satisfaction from the kora.
