Kailash, Mount

(Mount Kailas or Mount Kailasha)

   Kailash (from kelasa, crystal) is the name of a mountain peak about 18,000 feet up in the HIMA-LAYAS. It is sacred to both Hindus and Tibetan Buddhists. In Indian mythology it is seen as the abode of the Lord SHIVA and of KUBERA, the god of wealth and of the northern direction. Mythology places it to the south of Mount MERU. Kailash is sometimes also said to be the source of the GANGES River. Throughout history it has been an impor-tant Hindu pilgrimage site.

   Further reading: Bhagavan Hamsa, The Holy Mountain, Mansarovar, and Mount Kailas: Being the Story of a Pil-grimage to Lake Marias and of Initiation on Mount Kailas (London: Faber & Faber, 1934); Veena Sharma, Kailash Mansarovar: A Sacred Journey (New Delhi: Lotus Collec-tion, Roli Books, 2004).