Mount Kailash: What to know about the sacred site

More than 100 people missing after devastating floods in Nepal and China were participating in a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, a revered mountain in the Himalayas. The disaster claimed at least 168 lives and displaced numerous individuals across the region.

Mount Kailash, located in southwestern Tibet near the borders of Nepal and India, is an imposing peak that stands over 6,400 meters (21,000 feet) above sea level. It is situated close to Lake Manasarovar, both of which hold significant importance in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Tibetan Bon traditions.

For Hindus, Kailash is believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva, the god of destruction and Parvati, the goddess of marriage, fertility, and motherhood. Tibetan Bon tradition followers regard it as a center of spiritual power, associating it with Tonpa Shenrab, their tradition's founder. Geographer Emily Yeh, a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, noted that Kailash is connected to the mythical Mount Meru, central to Hindu and Buddhist cosmology.

Surrounding the mountain, legends and traditions abound. For instance, Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, is said to have visited villagers yearning to make the pilgrimage. Nanak taught them that the true pilgrimage is an inner spiritual journey. Pilgrims typically circumnavigate Kailash approximately 33 miles (53 kilometers) without attempting to climb it, an undertaking believed to cleanse them of their sins and typically taking around three days to complete.

Hindus and Buddhists traditionally circle the mountain clockwise, while Bon practitioners move counterclockwise.

Nearby Lake Manasarovar is another site of pilgrimage where some Hindu devotees bathe in its waters for spiritual purification. However, the recent floods have left hundreds - including 179 Indians, 65 from the United States, 35 from Australia, 33 from Britain, and 25 from Canada - missing, with many of those affected on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash. The cause of the disaster was a glacier collapse that sent debris downstream through communities on both sides of the border.