TIBET

Tibet is a rich and beautiful land with an average altitude over 4,000m (13,120ft) above sea level compasses an area of 2.5 million square kilometers.. Possessing more than fifty peaks above7,000m (22,960ft), Tibet is home to eleven Himalayan mountains over 8,000m (26,240ft). China, India, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Burma and Kashmir all border Tibet. Over two million people inhabit this land of rich natural resources and ancient cultures. Spiritual traditions, temples and monasteries, lakes and rivers, and mighty snow clad peaks are just a few of the intoxicating wonders to be experienced by adventurous travelers who get the opportunity to visit this land.

Tibet is often called "roof of the world". As the title implies, it is located at the highest elevation with its impressive natural beauty. This remarkably fine tourist destination that is surrounded by grand mountains, century old caravan trails cross the mysterious landscape through hidden valleys to exotic cities all inhabited by the Tibetan Buddhists. This is the land of the ancient Buddhist culture - its arts & monasteries. Tibet is the perfect destination for traveling that offers a spiritual journey highlighting one's lifetime. Tibet was the epitome of all that was magical, mysterious and unknown.Today, visiting Tibet is considerably easier, but the adventure remains. Hidden behind the Himalayas and rising nearly five kilometers above sea level, Tibet is a land unlike any other, a magical realm of vast open spaces, clear light and pure color, dominated by an intensely blue sky.Tibet has been devoutly Buddhist, merging influences from Indian Buddhism, Tantra, and the indigenous religion called Bon into a complex synthesis of beliefs.Loshar, the Tibetan new year, is the largest and the longest festival. Sky burials, water burials, stupa burials and cremations are of great interest.

Eastern Tibet
Eastern Tibet is a land apart from the rest of Tibet. Its climate, geography, flora & fauna and isolation all lend it a unique, almost magical atmosphere. Traditional life seems less disturbed here than in central Tibet. The stone village and vertical prayer flags resemble those in Bhutan and the unusually shaped chortens (stupa) seems more at home in Mustang. The scenery often resembles more the Swiss Alps or Rocky Mountains than the high Tibetan plateau.

Central Tibet
Tibet one of those extraordinary destination where indeed adventure lurks around every corner! Adventure on the road is never short on the beautiful Trans Himalayan drive, through mountain, passes, promising a panorama of a cultural and scenic diversity unsurpassable anywhere. It culminates on an arid plateau - a varitable treasure trove of architectural masterpieces - the Buddhist monasteries of Drepung, once the largest in the country The Jhokhang - a spiritual center, and the awesome palaces of the Dalai Lama - Norbulinka (the summer palace) and the Potala (the traditional seat). Ancient Barkhor Bazaar still barters the brick - a - brac, in a region that’s not so much a little strange as utterly surreal.

Western Tibet
The extensive area of western Tibet is bordered to the east by Nagchhu prefecture. To the south are India and Nepal and to the west, Kashmir. Xingjian, the autonomous region of Uighur people of China lies to the north. Ngari extends 750 km from east to west, and covers approximately a quarter of the Tibet autonomous region. It is now devided in to 7 counties with a population of about 50,000, and its capital is Shinquanhe.

Holy Mt. Kailash & Lake Manasarovar
To Hindus, Kailas is the abode of Shiva and nearby Manasarobar Lake is the means or soul of Brahma. Tibetans call Kailas Kang Rimpoche. Jains worship it as Mt Ashtapada, the peak from which the religion’s founder, Rishabanatha, achieved spiritual liberation. Followers of Bon-Po, the ancient pre- Buddhist shamanistic religion of Tibet, revere Kailas as the soul of Tibet.

Mt. Kailash (22028 Feet), considered to be a physical embodiment of the mythical Mt. Meru, is believed to be the most sacred mountain in the world. Its snow dusted rock pyramid is located in the scenically rich area of western Tibet, which lies between the Himalayas and Karakurum ranges. From its peak, one can enjoy the views of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Nepal. It is considered most auspicious to make a religious pilgrimage around its fifty-three kilometres circuit (32 miles parikrama).

In fact, the entire region of Mt. Kailash is of important religious significance and includes the two turquoise-blue, pristine high-altitude lakes of Mansarovar and Rakshesa. Mt. Kailash is regarded holy by followers of several religions. To Hindus, Kailash is the abode of Shiva and nearby Manasarobar Lake, the soul of Brahma. Tibetans call Kailash Kang Rimpoche. Jains worship it as Mt Ashtapada, the peak from which the religion's founder, Rishabanatha, achieved spiritual liberation. And the followers of Bon-Po, the ancient pre-Buddhist shamanistic religion of Tibet, revere Kailash as the soul of Tibet.
Another uniqueness contributing to the mystical aspects of Kailash is that four most sacred rivers of the Indian sub-continent begin from here - Sutlej, Karnili (a major tributary of the Ganges), Brahmaputra and Indus. The end of these rivers are more than 2,000 kilometres apart, yet they all have their source within hundred kilometres of Mt. Kailash. Nature lovers can encounter numerous unusual species of birds, wildlife, and flora here. This holy region is known as navel (center) of the universe, attracting scholars and researchers from all over the world. Mt. Kailash (also known as the 'Sumeru Parbat' in Hindu epics) provides a spiritually enriching, naturally unique and a truly rewarding journey of a life-time. life-time..

Manasarovar:-
At an elevation of 4510m, is more important to Hindus than to Buddhists. Hindu pilgrims make an 85km. circuit around Manasarovar that is made longer and more difficult by marshes and complicated stream crossings. The Tibetans, being more pragmatic, often make a circuit of the lake in the winter when the streams are frozen and the route is shorter. Near Manasarovar is another large lake, Rakshas Tal, the ‘ Demon Lake’ that holds far less spiritual significance.