Check out this video and these beautiful pictures of
Lake Manasarovar in Tibet
Lake Manasarovar (also spelled Mansarovar and Mansarowar; Sanskrit: मानस सरोवर; Tibetan: མ་ཕམ་གཡུ་མཚོ Mapham Yutso; Chinese: 玛旁雍错) is the highest freshwater lake in the world, located at the foot of Mount Kailash in Tibet. It is the holiest lake in Asis and an important pilgrimage destination for Hindus and Buddhists alike.
Myth & Mystery
According to Hindu tradition, Manasarovar was created by Brahma, god of creation, to provide an appropriate place for religious rituals. It is said that he had 12 sons, who were holy men and performed rituals and austerities on the dry land at the site. To give them a more suitable place to earn merit, Brahma created the beautiful Lake Mansarovar.
The lake's Indian name derives from this legend: Brahma had a mind (manas) to create a lake (sarowar). For Hindus, a circumambulation of Mount Kailash and a dip in the cold waters of Lake Mansarowar removes the sins of all lifetimes, bringing salvation from reincarnation.
Buddhists associate Manasarovar with Anotatta Lake, where the Buddha was mystically conceived. According to Buddhist legend, the Buddha's mother was transported here by the gods, where she bathed in the sacred waters of Manasarovar until her body was purified. She then saw a white elephant running to her from Mount Kailash, as the Buddha entered her womb.
The beautiful blue waters of Lake Manasarovar. Photo
Prateek.
A Tibetan monk walking Lake Manasarovar, with the south face of Kailash in the background. Photo
Saumil Shah.
Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags on the shore. Photo
Saumil Shah.
Lake shore with a glimpse of Mount Kailash. Photo
Ans Deblauwe.
View of the lake from Chiu Gompa. Photo
Axel Ebert.
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