G L Khajuria
There comes a moment in life when renouncing all worldly possessions, adjuring all family ties, the Hindu of the highest intellectual eminence and recognized social possessions will delight in making the pilgrimage to the most revered Kailash Mansrovar lake. Francis young husband said, man’s ever seeking search for the Gods and Goddesses and their Vide varied manifestations have remained bewildering with the dawn of civilization over the remote past. And the observations and the experiences of men of all hues, irrespective caste, colour or creed have found expressions of supernatural Shaktis embedded in a variety-full Myth and legends which radiate the truth and spiritually of past. This of course, emboldens and emblazon the spirit of soul and mind of the man who gets entouraged with the divine entity par excellence beyond exposition. And listen to pious words of Sukand Puran, ‘one who thinks and reveres of greater Himalayas behold him in a much more compassion than who performs all worships in Kashi through hundreds of years’ As a dew is dried up by the first rays of the sun, so are the sins of mankind exonerated by sight of the Himalayas. The Himalayan range which off – shoots from the extreme east Siang (Arunachal Pradesh) to Ih Ju- Ruto (Pongong -Leh) alongside Brahmaputra and its ranges are around 2500 Km long and 350 Km broad with hundreds of high peaks and pinnacles above 20000 feet high from mean sea-level (MSL) . The Himalayas, snow capped top peaks are so well the abode of our revered Gods and the Goddesses. And this great and mighty ‘Kailash peak ranges’ near lake-Mansrovar lie in the North Latitude 30.41 degree to the east longitude and 30 degree 78 latitude at an elevation of 6500 mts (22,750 feet from mean sea) level (MSL).
As per our revered scriptures, Kailash-Mansrovar finds its unique and appropriate placement in so far as the holiness, magnanimous and majestic lake is concerned. The lake is situated amidst the snow-capped the greater Himalayas. The pride Bramhaputra river flows to its East South and drains down into the Bay of Bengal and the Indus meanders to the North- South serpentinly and finally drains into Arabian sea. Lake Mansrovar is located in the proximity of Kailash which in other words around is a sanctum sanctorum of purity and holiness, the abode of Lord Shiva.
The mighty rivers, Brahmputra and Indus originating from Kailash Mansrovar lake are having their headwaters gushing out like fiery flames and meander thousands and thousands kilometres. The breathtaking phenomenon of Kaleidoscopic colours and variegated moods of nature topped by an exotic aura compared to any of enthralling, enchanting picturesque panorama which excels the beauty and glory of this sacred spot. The Kailash peak is, de facto, close to proximity of lake Mansrovar and occupies the middle of the zone running from Bhutan to Kashmir and is just like moving universe having its unique beauty and charm. The Sun radiates in kaleidoscopic colours and the Moon Sooths the azure sky which is studded with twinkling stars and the chilly air all over adds beauty and charm to the divine spot. Raakas Lake or Ravana Tal is adjoining Lake Mansrovar where Ravanca is reported to have an aarduous penace of lord Shiva to obtain his favours. And if someone likes to have spiritual glimpse of Mansrovar -Ravana tal, then he can have it from South – west of greater Kailash while taking Parikarma of Kailash Parvat. From Lake Rakas, Mansrovar, emerges Langehh or khabab towards west-South and is situated in the Tibetan Plateau. The Kailash-Mansrovar is approachable from Badrinath, the extremist pilgrimage point in Uttarakhand amongst Gangotri, Kedarnath and Nandadevi but Snirthal- Dolma which is the highest point of the pass devoted to the consort of lord Shiva, Mata Parvati, which forms the holiest point of worship and in other words around is also nomenclatured as the point of renaissance. It is as well abode of Lord Shiva and abundantly reflects Indian manifestation, consciousness and to top these all, a deep rooted Hindu philosophy over the bygone centuries and centuries together. The echoing resonance and unaccountable enchants establish the magnanimity in a variety of multihued form to the appropriateness in that such patterns are having Visualisation of divine manifestation which most prominently are known as ‘Tandav’ of the lord in his multihued manifestations. The silvery protuberance is the supreme where heavenly echo (Nada ) and the Kaleidoscopic Kadiance emerges out in rainbow mellifluously with ‘Om’ Which signifies address to all mantras related to the Gods and Goddesses in the entire cosmos where human’s attachments get detached. The Om’s primordial echoes ‘Nadabindu’ from the chime of rhyme of ‘Lalita Prakrit’ which reveals whatever was hidden in the tune of divenly vibrations. The Dvani which expurgate from the holy feet of Lord Shiva, the omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient move to and fro of uncertain origin whose divine fragrance- the Atman is an unutterable truth. It would rather be coinciding the adage, if a zero is placed before any number is meaningless but if the same zero is annexed with any number, the same changes countlessly. The Kailash-Mansrovar pilgrimage is enthralling, enchanting and beyond all ambiguities is a piece of heaven amidst the inner Himalayas and whosoever want shave holy Darshan and bath in the lake is washed-off all sins and blessed by the showers of the lord of lords, the supreme Shiva.
(The author is former
Deputy Conservator of Forests, J&K).