What to know about Mount Kailash, a sacred site for pilgrims missing after floods in Nepal and Tibet

Mount Kailash, a revered pilgrimage site in the Himalayas, lies near the border between Nepal and Tibet. This peak, standing over 6,400 meters (21,000 feet) above sea level, is surrounded by Lake Manasarovar, both considered sacred in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Tibetan Bon traditions. For Hindus and Buddhists, Mount Kailash is believed to be the home of Shiva and Parvati, while Tibetan Bon followers associate the mountain with Tonpa Shenrab, the tradition's founder.

The mountain is also tied to the mythical Mount Meru, a central point in Hindu and Buddhist cosmology. Pilgrims traditionally circumnavigate the mountain rather than climbing it, completing a roughly 53-kilometer loop that is said to cleanse them of their sins. The annual pilgrimage, which runs from June through August or September, has seen fatalities as well as missing persons, including at least 178 Indian devotees, many believed to have been participating in the pilgrimage.