The gate and beyond it: The soul-stirring Kailash Mansarovar

Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims attempting to journey through the Nathu La mountain pass were denied permission to proceed by China

Curated By: Madhu Kapparath

Published: Jul 4, 2017

A Chinese soldier at the Nathu La mountain pass that connects Sikkim with Tibet. The Nathu La route

Image by : Rupak De Chowdhuri / Reuters

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A Chinese soldier at the Nathu La mountain pass that connects Sikkim with Tibet. The Nathu La route to Mount Kailash was launched in 2015 and is the less arduous of the two possible routes to Mount Kailash

China closed the gates on Kailash pilgrims at Nathu La accusing Indian troops of violating the borde

Image by : Rupak De Chowdhuri / Reuters

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China closed the gates on Kailash pilgrims at Nathu La accusing Indian troops of violating the border in Sikkim

The Kailash Mansarovar yatra is an arduous high altitude trek through a surreal terrain

Image by : Aleksey Dovgan / Reuters

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The Kailash Mansarovar yatra is an arduous high altitude trek through a surreal terrain

At 5,600 metres, the weather around Dolma La Pass is unpredictable, making it the toughest pas

Image by : Alexander Verevkin / Shutterstock.com

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At 5,600 metres, the weather around Dolma La Pass is unpredictable, making it the toughest pass to cross in the pilgrimage

For those who cannot trek on foot, there is the option of hiring sturdy, dependable yaks called Nor

Image by : Shutterstock.com

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For those who cannot trek on foot, there is the option of hiring sturdy, dependable yaks called Nor (meaning wealth) in the local language

Ritual structures hint at the esoteric practices of the monks at Gyantak monastery

Image by : Alexander Verevkin / Shutterstock.com

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Ritual structures hint at the esoteric practices of the monks at Gyantak monastery

Cloud and light slithers and shift-shapes mountains along the pilgrims’ path

Image by : Belozorova Elena / Shutterstock.com

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Cloud and light slithers and shift-shapes mountains along the pilgrims’ path

The iridescent blue Mansarovar or ‘Lake of the Mind’ is said to have been born in the mi

Image by : Lihana / Shutterstock.com

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The iridescent blue Mansarovar or ‘Lake of the Mind’ is said to have been born in the mind of the Creator before its manifestation here on earth

Tibetan buddhists circumambulate Mount Kailash performing full body prostrations along the way. It t

Image by : Yongyut Kumsri / Shutterstock.com

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Tibetan buddhists circumambulate Mount Kailash performing full body prostrations along the way. It takes about four weeks

An eagle soars from a craggy outcrop called the Axe of Karma, an emblem of the King of Death

Image by : Belozorova Elena / Shutterstock.com

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An eagle soars from a craggy outcrop called the Axe of Karma, an emblem of the King of Death

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