Where is Mount Kailash located?

Do you know where is Mount Kailash located? The mountain is not even in the top 100 of the world’s highest mountains. Yet no one has successfully climbed it to the top. Mount Kailash is believed to be the center of the earth in the Buddhist religion, and is also considered to be a place having cosmic energy connecting heaven and earth. The mountain doesn’t seem too big as others, but it holds many secrets and mysteries in everything.

Before getting into more information about the mountain, let’s begin with the location of this sacred place.

Where is Mount Kailash located? Its Latitude and Longitude

Where is Mount Kailash located? It is located in the Gangdise Shan, famously known as the Kailash Range on the Tibetan plateau. The coordinates of exactly where is Mount Kailash located are 31.0675° N latitude and 81.3119° E longitude.

Approximately at an elevation of 6638 meters, 21,778 feet above sea level, the mountain lies within the administrative division of Ngari Prefecture in Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), in China.

The mountain is situated in a remote area with few to no permanent settlements around the borders of multiple countries. The sacred mountain is 402 km from Nepal, 953km from Tibet, and about 100km from the border of India near Lipulekh Pass.

The stats show that Mount Kailash attracts thousands of people from all over the world each year, even if it is located away from premier establishments,  People from different religions identify the mountain in different ways, but they still don’t have an exact reason Why is Mount Kailash unclimbable.

Significance of Mount Kailash in different religions

Mount Kailash is sacred to 4 major religions. Hindu, Buddhist, Jains, and Bon. Performing Mount Kailash Parikrama has different significance according to the sacred religions. The Hindus consider it to be the home of Lord Shiva, the Bon consider the mountain to be the starry alignments. The Jains believe it is the path to liberation, while Buddhists believe it is the home of Demchok. .

| ॐ नमः शिवाय | “Om Namah Shivaya“, a Hindu chant people utter to worship Lord Shiva.

• Mount Kailash in Hinduism

In Hindu scriptures, Shiva, the lord of destruction and creation, is believed to reside in Mount Kailash with his wife Parvati in a position of eternal meditation. The devotees from the Hindu religion worship Lord Shiva and praise the Ganga as the Holy River. Legends mention that the Ganga was supposed to be a celestial river sent to the surface of Earth. However, realising that the force of the water could destroy the world, Lord Shiva took the river to his head. It is now believed that the Ganga River flows from the dreadlocks of Lord Shiva.

• Mount Kailash in Buddhism

In the Buddhist scriptures, Mount Kailash is known to be the home of a wrathful deity, Demchok (Chakrasamvara). In ancient history, it is said that the first Buddhist master from Tibet, Milarepa, was engaged in a spiritual battle with a Bon master, Naro Bon-chung, at Kailash, where Buddhism emerged with a symbolic victory.

The mountain, which is also known as “Kang Rinpoche”, meaning “Precious Snow Jewel,” in Buddhism.

• Mount Kailash in the beliefs of Jainism

In Jainism, Mount Kailash is known as the “Ashthapada,” which means “Mountain of Eight Steps”. Mt Kailash is the “Path to liberation”, as said by the Jain devotees. It is regarded as a place where the first Tirthankara, Rishabhadeva, meditated, and he obtained the liberation, which is known as “Moksha”.

• Mount Kailash in the beliefs of Bon.

The Tibetan native religion, Bon, believes that Mount Kailash is known as the “Original Spiritual Tradition” of Tibet. Devotees from the Buddhist and Bon religions perceive the sacred mountain as a swastika-shaped nine-story mountain, located at the heart of the world.  

It is no secret that Mt Kailash seems like a different alp from other mountains. It is often said, people from the sacred religions believe that their respective god lives somewhere in this mountain. They forget to mention, they don’t really live there in a human form, but in a heavenly form. The devotees adhere to the belief that the place is filled with an excessive amount of knowledge and strong energies of their gods, making them alive figuratively.

Best time to visit Mount Kailash.

If you are travelling to this sacred place, then knowing where is Mount Kailash located and the best time to visit the place is significantly important. We can visit the Mount Kailash Tour at any time of the month. Having said that, learning about the weather and choosing the best time is also very important for this new experience.

The winter times are hard. As the days will be long with limited sunlight and freezing temperatures, traveling in November to April (Winter) can not be a good choice. The summer seasons are not a good substitute either. July to September (Summer), the weather is mostly mild and the temperature reaches below minus degrees during the night. Cutting to the chase, Spring and Autumn are considered to be the best times to visit the Mount Kailash Tour.

Spring (May and June) is the transition time in the weather from winter to summer, providing the perfect peaceful environment. The frequent temperature change will balance the environment, making the season preferable to participate in the Kora. Cooler temperatures and clear skies in Autumn (September and October) will also be the perfect time to do the Kora with a calm and soothing mindset.

Mostly, devotees visit the sacred sites on full moon days. These days are believed to be auspicious, when the spiritual energy is more active. Devotees take their chances these days to pray to the lord for good fortune and health. Some of the foreigners, extreme believers in spirituality, perform the parikrama at an old age. Even if they have their last breath near Mount Kailash, they believe they are liberated and have achieved Moksha.

How to reach Mount Kailash from Nepal?

Kailash Parikrama is a ritual for devotees from the sacred religions and a holy experience to live once in their lifetime for everyone else. There are two ways to travel to Mount Kailash from Nepal to do the Parikrama.

Mount Kailash from Nepal Overland Tour

The trek to Mount Kailash from Nepal Overland Tour is one of the easiest and favourable tours. The journey begins from the capital city, Kathmandu, to the border between Nepal and Tibet in the northwest.

Covering a 150 km distance by private vehicle, passing all the immigration and customs, the route stretches through the Tibetan plateau. Along the journey, we can visit the interesting towns like Saga and Paryang at a distance. With the beautiful mountains in the background and the peaceful environment surrounding us, these experiences will make the journey blissful.

The journey gradually leads to Darchen, which is the starting and ending point of the Parikrama. The journey includes having an undivided sight on the blissful environment, monasteries serving good beliefs, historical lakes, and the breathtaking views of the sacred mountain, Mount Kailash.

Mount Kailash from Nepal Helicopter Tour

There is another way to reach and detect where Mount Kailash is located. The journey will not be only on foot. Well, not totally. The Mount Kailash helicopter Tour is not entirely with the helicopter, but you also get to travel by flight, private vehicle, and on foot.

The first and the second day of this tour will be by flights from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj and Simikot, respectively. The third day of the journey will be by helicopter to the Nepal-Tibetan border in Hilsa, and the rest by foot, performing the parikrama.

It will take a few more days to complete the Mount Kailash Parikrama. Eventually ending the parikrama in Taklakot, after a 45-minute drive, you will reach the China-Nepal border at Hilsa.

You will have to complete the immigration formalities there. After everything is done, a 45-minute helicopter ride to Simikot and a connecting flight to Nepalgunj will be arranged. We will then head back to Kathmandu and conclude this wonderful experience at the sacred place where Mount Kailash is located.

Mount Kailash Parikrama / Kora

The route to Mount Kailash Parkirama is rocky, and terrains are covered with stony ground. Some people find it difficult to travel all the kilometers on their first visit and just have a glimpse of the mountain and pray. While some of the people eagerly want to physically touch the mountains and get the blessings. Both kinds of visitors are praised and welcome by the locals to visit the sacred mountain.

There are two ways to complete the Kora / Parikrama. The outer for the travellers who only want to see the sacred mountain from a distance. The inner for the extreme believer of spirituality and those who are more religious.

Participating in the Outer Kora

The total area of the outer kora of Mount Kailash is 53km, and not as difficult as the Inner Kora. The local travellers can complete the outer Kora of Mount Kailash in 1-2 days, while for the first timers, it can take up to 3 days to complete the same.

The trek starts from the northern side of the mountain in Darchen. As the Kora resembles worshipping the sacred mountain in a clockwise direction, therefore, the trek ends at the same place where it started.

We will travel through a few villages and monasteries located in the higher altitudes above 5000m. You can also see an 8-foot-high flagpole with the prayer flags, eventually reaching today’s destination in Dirapuk. From here, you can have a full glance at the north side of the sacred mountain, Mount Kailash.

The next is the hardest of all the days for the outer Kora. Today, we will travel across the famous pass, through the sky burial site for pilgrims in the high mountains. Located at an elevation of 5630m, the Dolma La Pass is mentioned to be one of the highest passes in the world.

We can see more of the lake, villages, and the monasteries while coming down the uplands. We can witness the crystal clear water in the lakes and the yaks giving us company along the journey.

Eventually, we will reach the Zutulpuk Monastery and stay there for the night. Getting to witness the amazing south side of Mount Kailash today, we conclude our second day of the trek near the monastery.

For the third day of the trek, it is the easiest. We will visit the famous 11th-century cave of the Buddhist philosopher, Milerapa. The famous poet and a Tibetan Buddhist Yogi, who is believed to be enlightened after many years of meditation in that very cave, aka Namkading cave.

Eventually covering the 12km distance on the third day, walking on the flat lands through the Zuthulpuk valley. We will conclude our trek in Darchen.

Participating in the Inner Kora

The total area of the inner kora of Mount Kailash is 34 km. It is not as long as the outer kora, but it sure is more challenging. It is divided into the 3 stages: Charan Sparsh, Kuber Kunda, and Nandi Parikrama.

The journey will take 2-3 days to complete. The first part is known as the Charan Sparsh (foot touching). Hindus believe that touching the foot of an elder or a respected entity is considered as getting blessing from them. The journey begins from Dirapuk to the base of Mount Kailash, covering a total of 6 km today.

The next day, an 18 km walk from Shiva Stal to Zuthulpuk will offer you an uphill and downhill climb and an amazing view of the surroundings. Alongside the Karnali rivers, Dolma La Pass, and Gauri Kund. The path also covers the sacred Kuber Kund, which is also the name of the second stage.

In ancient scripts, the god of wealth, Kubera, is mentioned to live in the southern part of the mountain. In Hinduism, it is believed, Gauri Kund is the lake of compassion. It is offering the water to Mount Kailash and is also related to Lord Shiva’s wife, Parvati.

The last stage of the Inner Kora is also called the Nandi Parikrama. To reach and physically touch Mount Kailash, travellers have to go through another religious mountain, Nandi Parbat. Completing this stage will conclude the third and final stage of the Mount Kailash Parikrama.

Monasteries near Mount Kailash

Besides the holy trails and the journey to pure bliss, there are many monuments that people want to visit. Monasteries are equally as important as the Kora religiously for Tibetan Buddhist followers. Some people are deeply connected to a monastery, and some monasteries have a long history. Not only that, some monasteries even serve as a resting place for everyone. Here are the 5 major monasteries that you can visit while finding where Mount Kailash is located.

Choku Monastery

The Gomba, Choku Monastery, located in Serson Valley, is one of the most spiritual sites near Mount Kailash. At 4850 m above sea level, you can also see the La Chu River along the route to the mountain. The entry is free to everyone, and the most admirable part of this gomba besides healing is Buddha Opame, made of stone, a Thangka image of Choku Rinpochu, and silver embossed tea pots and conch shells.

Dirapuk Monastery

The monastery is located on the mountain’s north side and is built around the meditative cave. It can be reached on the first day of the trek after the hike from Darchen. The monastery is famously named after a Tibetan Buddhist Yogi, Milerapa, who is believed to be enlightened in a cave. Dira, meaning female yak horn, and puk, meaning cave in the Tibetan language. It is said that while discovering the cave, a goddess in the form of a yak showed him the way, and it became the monastery’s name. The travelers can rest here or at the small guest house near the monastery.

Zutulpuk Monastery

A monastery 11 km from Darchen, the Zutulpuk Monastery is believed to have been in existence since the 1300s. However, over the time, the structure became old, and the monastery you see now was rebuilt in 1983. Zutul, meaning “miracle”, and puk, meaning “cave”, is how the monastery got its name. The “Cave of Miracles” is also often related to the Dirapuk monastery in the ancient scripts of Tibet.

Selung Monastery

Atop 5000m above sea level lies the Selung Monastery. It is one of the highest monasteries near the sacred mountain. On the south side of Mount Kailash, you can see a naturally formed Swastika by the ice cracks. This lies near the monastery, which is also why people come here often to see the beauty above in the high mountains. The Selung Monastery is helpful to the people as it provides a meditation place for the travellers and also serves as a resting place.

Yangzha Monastery

The Yangzha monastery is one of the largest monasteries situated near Mount Kailash, established in the 13th century. It is positioned at an altitude of 5,075m above sea level. The monastery is highly grateful to the Tibetans as it extends a peaceful environment for meditation and calming the mind. You can also find some interesting artifacts and murals all over the place, which improves the overall positivity of the surroundings.