Difference between Adi Kailash and Kailash Mansarovar
A question often occurs what is the difference between Adi Kailash and Kailash Mansarovar. They are totally different Mountains but both are devoted to Lord Shiva.
Kailash Mansarovar or Mount Kailash is a Mountain peak in the upper Himalayan region in Tibet(China). Mount Kailash is believed to be the home of the mighty Hindu lord Shiva and it is believed that lord Shiva lives here with his wife Goddess Parvati Devi, his sons lord Ganesha, lord Kartikeya, his beloved Nandi, and all the Ganas( mystical beings who are devotees of lord Shiva).
Mount Kailash does not only hold spiritual significance in Hindu Dharma but in other religions also like Jainism, Buddhism, and Bonism which I will explain briefly in the article.
Adi means “First” Adi Kailash is a mountain peak located in Vyas Valley in the northern state of Uttarakhand India. In Hindu Dharma, it is believed that Goddess Parvati who is called nanda in Uttarakhand born in a mountain village of Uttarakhand named Kurur.
The Goddess was married to lord Shiva then all her family members and villagers went with them on their way to Mount Kailash or Kailash Mansarovar until they reached Homkund the foothills of Kailash range from where lord Shiva and Mata Parvati continued their journey alone. After Homkund Adi Kailash was their first stop on the way to Mount Kailash, and this is the reason why this peak is called Adi Kailash.
Both peaks are in the Himalayan region and difficult to reach but they also hold immense significance in Hindu Dharma.
Are Adi Kailash and Kailash Mansarovar same
No, they are not… Although they might sound similar or sometimes even look similar but they are not the same. Kailash Mansarovar is in Tibet(China) and has two lakes one is called Mansarovar Taal and the second one is called Rakshas Taal.
Adi Kailash is in the Vyas valley of district Pithoragarh State Uttarakhand, there are also two lakes in Adi Kailash on is Gaurikund and the second is Parvati Kund.
What is Mount Kailash
Kailash Mansarovar or Mount Kailash is a peak Situated in the upper region of the great Himalayan range in Tibet. The mountain has the shape of a Shiva linga at an elevation of 6638 meters. Kailash Mansarovar is one of the five Kailash and the only one outside of India.
Where is Mount Kailash
As I have mentioned earlier Mount Kailash or Kailash Mansarovar is in Tibet(China)
Is Mount Kailash visible from India
Yes, recently some local people of Vyas Valley in Uttarakhand claimed to see Mount Kailash, or sometimes locals refer to Mount Kailash as bada Kailash and Adi Kailash as Chhota Kailash from “LIPU LEKH” a mountain pass in Uttarakhand’s Vyas Valley near Nabhi Dhang (Nabhi Dhang is a small town which provides the viewpoint of OM PARVAT in Adi Kailash and OM Parvat yatra).
After their claim went viral in the area and on social media it was later confirmed affirmatively by the Indian army and other officials.
Is Mount Kailash occupied by China
Yes…. Mount Kailash is occupied by China but not from India but Tibet, I”ll explain this.
In ancient times the whole Himalayan region was called Kailash which was dedicated to lord Shiva but with time and so many partitions the mountain is now in Tibet.
And
According to the current world territorial world map, Mount Kailash is in Tibet which controversially or maybe officially (I don’t know much about this) is occupied by China. So that means Occupied or not (it is not up to us to decide or declare) but Mount Kailash is in China.
Has anyone climbed Mount Kailash
No…. at least not according to the official record. No event can account for any climbing history on Mount Kailash. Though many have tried and many have failed in their attempt to climb Mount Kailash, some climbers who failed against Mount Kailash have climbed Mount Everest which is the tallest mountain in the world.
There are so many complaints reported by climbers and mountaineers of mishaps like accidents on the slope, technical failures, sudden health issues, mental breakdowns, and many more. These complaints are the main reasons for prohibiting the climbing on Mount Kailash by the Chinese Government
Who is the only monk to climb Mount Kailash
There is a local story or a legend of a Buddhist monk named “JETSUN MILAREPA” who was a Buddhist disciple, who once climbed Mount Kailash successfully in 11th century.
Milarepa was believed to be a singer, a poet, a teacher, and a Monk in the Buddhist community and he was a great devotee and spiritual person. After climbing the Mount Kailash JETSUN MILAREPA believed in finding the secrets that the world should not know, he said we must not disturb the one who is resting here and asked everyone not to climb the mountain ever. From that day forth climbing Mount Kailash in Buddhist Community is prohibited.
Does time move faster on Mount Kailash
Although there is no machine or way to measure that if time is moving slower or faster but almost all people like pilgrims, tourists, climbers, mountaineers, and even some scientists also who visited Mount Kailash have reported that their hair and nails have grown faster than normal almost the equivalent of one month in five to seven days.
Mount Kailash is sacred to four religions as
- Hindu – Hindus worship this mountain as the home of Lord Shiva and Mata Parvati.
- Jainism – Jain believes that the first Tirthankar, Rishbhdeva attained moksha here.
- Buddhist- Mount Kailash known as Mount Meru in Buddhism is the center of Cosmology.
- Bon – It is believed that Bonism originated from the kingdom around Mount Kailash.
Due to its unique Geographical conditions and significance, it is believed to be the center of the earth.
Undefeated Mount Kailash – Mount Kailash is among the very few peaks in the world which are tried and failed by so many climbers around the whole world many of them have even climbed Mount Everest(Tallest mountain).
What is Adi Kailash
Adi means “The First”. Adi Kailash is a peak Situated in the Himalayas that has the shape of a Shiva linga and an elevation of 5945 meters. Adi Kailash is one of the five Kailash and the only one in Uttarakhand.
Adi Kailash or as the locals call it Chota Kailash, the peak is near the Indo-Tibetan border area and is highly patrolled by the Indian military. In order to reach Adi Kailash pilgrims must get their inner line permit from Dharchula because the area and the whole route of Shri Adi Kailash and Om Parvat yatra is alongside the international border.
Where is Adi Kailash
Adi Kailash or as the locals call Chhota Kailash is in Vyas Valley district Pithoragarh in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand at the height of 19500 feet in the deep and upper Himalayan region near the Indo-Tibetan border.
Adi Kailash is accompanied by two natural glacial lakes both are named after the Goddess Parvati. The first one is Gauri Kund and the second is Parvati Kund.
How Many Kailash are there
There are five Kailash in total. It is believed that lord Shiva lived, visited, or stayed at these five peaks at one time or another which is why these five peaks have their significance in Hindu Dharma.
Five Kailsh or Panch Kailash have their spiritual value in Hindu Dharma as the living or visiting place of lord Shiva unlike five Kedar where Lord Shiva took the form of a buffalo and is worshipped in the various forms inside the temples like well known “KEDARNATH” temple, all Kailash Parvats are mountains, not temples and hold the value as a mountain whereas Panch Kedar and Twelve Jyotirlingas are temples.
Five Kailash name
- Kailash Mansarovar – Tibbet
2. Adi Kailash – Uttarakhand, India.
3. Shrikhand Kailash – Himachal Pradesh, India.
4. Kinner Kailash – Himachal Pradesh, India.
5. Mani Mahesh Kailash – Himachal Pradesh, India.
Why Kailash Mansarovar is not in India
According to Hindu mythology in ancient times the whole Himalayan range was called Kailash dedicated to Lord Shiva and it was part of Bharat(India), Mount Kailash Mansarovar is believed to be the home of Lord Shiva. The mountain is now in the Tibbet after several partitions of the Sub-Indian continent.
How Adi Kailash and Kailash Mansarovar look like
Adi Kailash and Kailadh Mansarovar are both different peaks but look so much alike and both have the shape of a “SHIVALINGA” This is one of the many reasons why these mountains are so sacred and worshipped in Hindu dharma.
Conclusion
This article is supposed to clear the confusion and questions what is the difference between Adi Kailash and Kailash Mansarovar and to provide you with some known and unknown facts about the two mountains.
I hope I have answered all your questions regarding to the confusion about the Kailash that often confuses people, I would love to have you on board and gladly consider any suggestion or correction in the comments.
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