Kailash pilgrims perform hawan near Mansarovar lake

Mansarovar [Tibet], Aug 13 (ANI): On the fourth and last Monday of holy Shravan month, Hindu devotees performed a hawan beside the Mansarovar Lake is situated at the Mount Kailash in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

"We left Delhi on 30th July and have completed our parikrama of Mount Kailash. We are conducting this yajna near Mansarovar lake as it is a very auspicious day as Monday is lord shiva's day and Karthik maas Paritosh (last Monday of holy Shravan month) coinciding on the same day," Batch 13 liaison officer Surinder Grover told ANI here.

A hawan was conducted for the benefit and goodwill of the family and the group.

Every year India's Ministry of External Affairs organises the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage from June to September for Hindu, Jain and Buddhist pilgrims.

The pilgrimage is known for its religious value and cultural significance among Indian believers.

Significant to Hindus as the abode of Lord Shiva, it holds religious importance also for Jains and Buddhists.

The pilgrims going on this tour take up one of the two different routes. One is Lipulekh Pass-through Uttarakhand and the other is Nathu La Pass in Sikkim.

The journey requires a tedious trek through rough landscapes and unfavourable setting to get through high altitudes.

According to the Hindu mythology, Lake Mansarovar personifies purity. Thus, the one who drinks the lake water is said to attain relief from all his sins of last 100 lifetimes and reach the Lord Shiva's abode after death.

The Lake is also associated with Buddhists and is said to be the place where Queen Maya conceived Buddha. There also are a few Buddhist Monasteries located on the shore of the lake.

For Jain believers, the Lake is said to be associated with Lord Shree Rishabhdev, the first Tirthankara. Ashtapad Mountain, located close to Mt Kailash, is regarded as the place where Lord Rishabhdevji with his disciples attained Nirvana or Moksha.

The pilgrimage also holds significance for Sino India relationship as the pilgrims who take up Kailash Mansarovar yatra require a visa from China. The process of granting of a visa, in one way, reflects the nature of contemporary bilateral relationship shared between India and China.