Kailasha

Kailasha, also called Kailasa, is the heavenly home of the Hindu god Shiva. It is believed to be a mountain where Shiva lives with his wife Parvati and their children, Ganesha and Kartikeya. Mount Kailash, a real mountain in western Tibet, is thought to be the earthly version of this sacred place.[1]

Etymology

The name is given as "Kailāsa" (कैलास; var. Kailāśa कैलाश) in Sanskrit.[2][3] It could have been derived from the word "kelāsa" (केलास), which means "crystal".[4]

Theology and mythology

Kailasha is said to be protected by Shiva's followers, called ganas, who are led by Nandi, the bull who also serves as Shiva's mount. According to Hindu texts called the Puranas, Shiva and Parvati often sit in Kailasha and talk about deep Hindu ideas and philosophies. Other gods and divine beings are also said to gather there to watch Shiva perform a cosmic dance as Nataraja, the Lord of Dance.[5]

Geographical location

Mount Kailasha located in the Kailasha Range (Gangdisê Mountains) of the Transhimalaya, in the western part of the Tibetan Plateau is considered to be a geographic manifestation of Kailasha and is considered sacred in Hinduism. Multiple rivers originate from these mountains including the Yarlung Tsangpo (which becomes the Brahmaputra), the Indus, the Sutlej and the Karnali, a tributary of Ganges. All these river systems originate in a 60 km2 (23 sq mi) area in the Kailasha region.[6] Kailasha is located close to Manasarovar and Rakshastal lakes. Mansarovar is a high altitude fresh water lake fed by glaciers and overflows into Rakshastal, an endorheic salt water lake.[7][8]

References

  1. ↑ Chandra, Suresh (1998). Encyclopaedia of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Sarup and Sons. p. 93. ISBN 978-81-7625-039-9. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  2. ↑ "Sanskrit Dictionary". Monier-Williams. p. 311. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  3. ↑ "Entry for कैलासः". Apte Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  4. ↑ Williams, Monier. "Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary". Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2017. kelāsa m. crystal W
  5. ↑ Bansal 2005
  6. ↑ Freeman Attwood (2003). "Gangdise Mountains" (PDF). Alpine Journal. 4: 103–109.
  7. ↑ Brockman, Norbert (2011). Encyclopedia of Sacred Places, Volume 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 356. ISBN 978-1-598-84654-6. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  8. ↑ Izu, Kenro (2013). "Passage to Kailash". World Literature Today. 87 (2): 68. doi:10.7588/worllitetoda.87.2.0068.
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