My Kailash Manasarovar Aug 2015 Yatra.... Isha KM2015..... links to my blog posts

Namaskarams, 

SHAMBHO !!!!!

Had the divine grace and opportunity to undertake the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra in Aug 2015 through Isha Foundation's Sacred Walks......... I call it Isha KM2015..... 

Here are the links to my relevant blog posts. Some of these posts contain relevant information for Kailash Manasrovar Yatris, and the others are Day wise posts of our Isha KM2015 trip. Wherever I have compiled information from other sources, I have made sure that I have mentioned the source name in the appropriate blog post itself. If I have forgotten to mention the source name in any blog post, it is not willful and is purely by omission only.  

IMPORTANT : These are glimpses and observations of a group of Kailash Manasarovar Yatris, of which I too happened to be a member. While this is being offered to you for your own use, PLEASE respect the privacy of the yatris. If you wish to forward this to any other individual beyond yourself, please do inform me on in advance on my email shriram.parameswaran@gmail.com. Please do not use this in any commercial manner whatsoever. I wish that all those who have got the gift of life as a human being, get the opportunity to visit Kailash Manasarovar at least once in their life time. 

Information  https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/08/to-kailash-and-manasarovar-journey.html   post dated Aug 13 2015  

Information  https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/08/about-mt-kailash.html post dated  Aug 14 2015

Day 0 Isha KM2015 https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/08/tomorrow-15th-aug-2015-day-0.html  post dated Aug 14 2015

Day 0 Continued Isha KM2015 https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/08/to-kathmandu-then-to-lhasa-and-then.html post dated Aug 14 2015

Day 1 Isha KM2015 https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/08/day-1-15th-aug-2015.html  post dated 15 Aug 2015

Day 2 Isha KM2015 https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/08/day-2-sunday-16aug-2015-arrived-chennai.html  post dated 31 Aug 2015

Day 3 Isha KM2015 https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/08/day-3-monday-17aug-2015-kathmandu-to.html   post dated Aug 31 2015

Day 4 Isha KM2015 https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/08/day-4-18-aug-2015-from-lhasa-to-lha-tse.html  post dated Aug 31 2015

Day 5 Isha KM2015 https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/08/day-5-19-aug2015-stayed-put-lha-tse.html post dated Aug 31 2015

Information https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/09/a-few-thoughts-popped-into-my-mind-at.html  post dated Sept 01 2015

Day 6 Isha KM2015      https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/09/day-6-thursday-20-aug-2015-lha-tse-to.html  post dated Sept 01 2015

Day 7 Isha KM2015   https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/09/day-7-friday-21-aug-2015-long-drive.html post dated Sept 04 2015

Information  https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/09/tibetan-autonomous-region-china.html  post dated Sept 04 2015

Day 8 Isha KM2015   https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/09/day-8-saturday-22-aug-2015-dip-at-lake.html post dated Sept 04 2015

  

Day 8 Continued Isha KM2015    https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/09/day-8-continued-saturday-22-aug-2015.html post dated Sept 04 2015

Day 9 Isha KM2015   https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/09/day-9-sunday-23-aug-2015-from-darchen.html  post dated Sept 04 2015

Day 10 Isha KM2015   https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/09/day-10-monday-24-aug-2015-at-dirapuk.html post dated Sept 04 2015

Day 11 Isha KM2015   https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/09/day-11-tuesday-25-aug-2015-return-leg.html  post dated Sept 04 2015

Day 12 Isha KM2015    https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/09/day-12-wednesday-26-aug-2015-saga-to.html  post dated Sept 04 2015

Day 13 Isha KM2015    https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/09/day-13-thursday-27-aug-2015-lha-tse-to.html  post dated Sept 04 2015

Information   https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/09/a-few-glimpses-of-tibet-as-we-were.html ppost dated Sept 05 2015 

Information   https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/09/contemplations-kailash-manasarovar-trip.html post dated Sept 05 2015

 Day 14 Isha KM2015    https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/09/day-14-friday-28-aug-2015-exit-from.html post dated Sept 05 2015 

Day 15 Isha KM2015    https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/09/woke-up-early-and-completed-my-kriyas.html Sept 05 2015

Day 16 Isha KM2015    https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/09/day-16-sunday-30th-aug-2015.html  Sept 05 2015

 Day 16 Continued Isha KM2015    https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/09/on-arrival-back-home-on-30th-aug-2015.html  post dated Sept 06 2015

 Information    https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/09/travelling-to-tibetan-autonomous-region_6.html   post dated Sept 06 2015

 Information    https://shriramsspace.blogspot.com/2015/09/some-learnings-as-tips-for-future-yatris.html post dated Sept 11 2015 

If any additional information is needed, please fell free to contact me on +91 8940003443 and I shall try my best to respond. I wish all future Kailash Mansoravar yatris a beautiful life changing experience. 

Pranams,

Shriram Parameswaran

Day 6 :: THURSDAY 20 Aug 2015 >>> Lha Tse to Saga !!

After Guru Puja, we left at 0715, an early start from Lha Tse to our next destination Saga. Distance of around 360 kms, with a plan to reach by 1800 hrs. The anticipated highlight of the day was the likelihood of meeting Sadhguru enroute to Saga.

Left early as we had heard that there could be a road blockade for some construction work and hence the need to cross a particular point before the road blockade kicks in. Stopped at around 0830 for a packed breakfast of Bananas, Toasted bread and honey, Porridge.

At around 1000 we were told that Sadhguru would be meeting us enroute at around 1100. Found a nice spot among the hills where there was a fair bit of plain ground, parked all 4 buses and the 2 pilot vehicles and cleared up the ground of a few stones  for all to sit and for Sadhguru’s seat /couch to be placed. And waited for Sadhguru’s arrival.

Waiting for Sadhguru's arrival

Sadhguru arrived driving a white Land Cruiser @ 1125 and spent around 70 mins with us till 1235.

He chanted and asked us to follow… “Shivaya …Parameshwaraya….

Shivaya Parameshwaraya Shashi Shekaraya Namah Aum
Bhavaya Guna Sambhavaya Shiva Tandavaya Namah Aum
Shivaya Parameshwaraya Chandrashekaraya Namah Aum

Chant the name of Lord Shiva, the one who dispels the fear of the materialistic world, the one who adorns the crescent shaped moon on HIS head and performs the Cosmic dance  

He talked about how this Kailash Manasarovar journey has been going on for almost 12000 years and how this year it was almost a near miss due to visa restrictions etc. Only the MEA group thru the newly opened nathu La pass route and the lone private group from Isha had the good fortune of making it, thanks to active support from the Ministry of External Affairs.

He talked of how people from South India used to make the loooong trek on foot with nothing more than possibly a woolen blanket and a stick but with passion in their hearts. Many sure that they would probably not ever return. This is a land that Shiva has roamed freely and is truly blessed.

Mentioned about Padmasambhava  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padmasambhava) and how he had adopted a lot of Hindu rituals and Tantra into Buddhism. Talked about Milarepa and his teacher Marpa the translator. (http://www.thranguhk.org/buddhism/en_milarepa.html) . Sadhguru also spoke about “immurement” and the Jain practice of Santhara / Sallekhana  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sallekhana

How should we be at Mt kailash : Every breath and every step with SHIVA, open oneself totally to allow Shiva to seep into your every pore / cell. Don’t go as a tourist but as a passionate devotee, allowing the repository of knowledge to seep into you, to be transformed!! You can come back from Kailash either untouched or transformed. The choice is yours!! Don’t bring back water from Manasarovar but only from Mt Kailash. Pls don’t bring back stones / rocks from Kailash !! Sadhguru wished us all a great experience and by then the photography team landed at the site and clicked a photo of the group with Sadhguru. Sadhguru left at 1235 towards Lha Tse.

We had a quick lunch after Sadhguru left and then proceeded towards Saga. Reached Saga by 1730. The higher altitude at Saga  approx 15300 ft above MSL (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saga,_Tibet) affected a few of us and we had a medical check at Saga. For a few of us, the Diamox dosage was raised to a full tablet of 250 mg and lots more water to be drunk. 

Saga is an important military base for China and hence we were warned not to take any photos outside the hotel or even peep out of the hotel windows overlooking the military barracks. 

We were told to retire early for the night and gear up for a probable early start at 0500 hrs. Later on that night the revised schedule was put up which mentioned the departure time as a more sedate 0730. The next days travel was to be a longish one from Saga all the way to Manasarovar around 480 kms away. 

Day 5 ::  WEDNESDAY 19 Aug 2015   stayed put @ Lha Tse  

Today was to be a leisurely day. Woke up at 0545 did my kriyas in a leisurely manner and got ready for Guru Puja and breakfast.  Breakfast was Upma with chatni, toasted bread with jam/butter/honey, corn flakes. 

Unique traditional hand made bricks..clay, stones, husk....

Gender, age no bar...off to work!!!

Notice the run-off pipes possibly to drain melting snow from rooftops

Powdering barley

Engrossed in the so called "smart technology"... 

wooden furniture w.i.p...

Painstakingly hand painted furniture

Four lovely women !!!

innovative briquettes for firing / heating in stoves

Chinese noodle making ( like pasta making machines)

Ready to cook noodles!!

Different cutting dies for different shapes / sizes of noodles

Team effort... all smiles after a hard days work !!

Had a good breakfast, teamed up with Nagesh, Shailaja, Sakar Mattoo and Satish for a leisurely walk in Lha Tse town till 1300.

Enjoyed watching the daily routine of the locals: cleaning mustard, extracting mustard oil, powdering barley, traditional bricks made of clay, stone & husk , furniture making etc.  With just the bare necessities in the midst of the harshest environments, the sheer joy of life in their faces is remarkable. 

Many a lesson to be learnt from these humble folk!! The town of Lha Tse has a quaint air about it. Mostly plains, it is ideally suited for farming and rearing livestock. The houses have a standard typical traditional look, built either with their unique locally made clay bricks or with hollow concrete blocks also made locally. The locals do not mingle much with the foreigners, but are a cheerful and hardy lot.

Came back to rest at the hotel and had hot lemon juice, followed by a lunch of dal, roti, rice and cauliflower + potato + capsicum sabzi. Decided to rest and stretch my legs a bit and get ready for a repeat walk in the other part of town in the evening.

We were advised to go out in groups of min 4 or 5 so that even if one of us felt dizzy the others could fetch us back safely. We were also warned to be wary of the local dogs (look like cousins of the famous Tibetan mastiff) as they were supposed to be familiar with human blood. Were told that one of the customs is not to bury/cremate the body but offer it to the animals!! Not sure how true that is, but the dogs sure did appear tame and mild!!

Saw some local noodle manufacturing facility and did some shopping for local curios etc. came back and dined early, getting set for an early day start from Lha tse to Saga another long drive. Completed the medical check ups for BP and oxygen saturation levels. The excitement of possibly meeting Sadhguru enroute to Saga on the next day, was palpable. An early morning departure was indicated so as to avoid a few road-blocks on account of some construction activity. 

Cleaning mustard

Mustard oil extraction