In a remote corner of Western Tibet, in one of the highest, loneliest and most desolate places on earth, rises a sublime snow-clad pyramid of rock, Mount Kailas.

For over a thousand years pilgrims have made the arduous journey here to walk around the mountain in an ancient ritual of devotion, for Kailas is a site of immense natural power. Here the temporal and eternal unite and the divine takes physical form.

For Hindus Kailas is the throne of Shiva; for Buddhists a gigantic natural mandala: for both it is the epicentre of Tantric forces. In its shadow lies the holy lake Manasarovar, born from the mind of Brahma. Even to non-believers, the mountain and lake are the crowning jewels of a magical land of pure light and intense colour, in the rarefied atmosphere of 15,000 feet.

In the few years during which foreigners were freely permitted to visit this region of Tibet, Russell Johnson and Kerry Moran spent long periods there and have both made the pilgrimage around the mountain several times. This is their account of an extraordinary experience. Spectacular photography and vivid travel writing take the reader with the pilgrims around Mount Kailas on a journey that offers excitement, exoticism spiritual refreshment.

Also of interest
Buddhist Offerings - 365 Days
Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend
Holy Places, Sacred Sites