rahasyamay tapobhumi kailash-mansrovar fyuchar point ke saujanya se himalay bhartiya prayadvip ka taj aur adhyatm tatha tap ka kendra hai. iski kandraon aur gufaon men aj bhi tapasvigan tapasyarat hain. kailash parvat isi himalay ka ek ati uttung parvat shikhar hai,
jiska nam sunte hi man men iske darshan ki lalsa jag uthti hai. yah pashchimi tibbat ka 22, 028 fut uncha ek adbhut parvat shikhar hai. barf ki chadron se dhake kale patthar ke is parvat ka akar hire jaisa hai. iski puja hindu, bauddh, jain tatha sthaniya tibbati sab karte hain. sanskrit ke kai granthon men ullekh hai ki bhagvan shiv vaikunth se bhraman karte hue prithvi par utre aur is pavitra parvat shikhar kailash ko apna vasasthan bana liya. skand puran men kaha gaya hai ki ati vegvti pavitra nadi ganga kamal ke ful ke kshin tantu ki tarah bhagvan vishnu ke charnon se nikli aur yahan virajman devon ke dev mahadev ki jataon men sama gai, jahan uska veg kam hua aur tab vah dhara par utri.
is pavan parvat shikhar ke tal men mahavir hanuman virajman hain. yahan anekanek alpagyat devi-devtaon, yakshon, kinnaron, gandharvon, apsaraon, muni mahatmaon, siddhon adi ka vas bhi hai. kailash parvat ke aspas ka bhubhag ubr-khabar aur sukha hai kintu iske bich se sfatik ki tarah saf nile jal ki dharaen prabhman hain. yahan se lagabhag 20 mil dur tibbati pathar men lagabhag 30 mil chalne ke bad parvaton se ghire do vishal sarovar milte hain - rakshasatal aur mansrovar. kalakal karta pavitra mansrovar vishva ka sabse uncha svachch jal ka srot hai. dusre sarovar rakshasatal ka bhi apna pauranik mahatva hai. in sarovron ke bich ek parvatiya bhukhand hai, jiske karan ye donon ek dusre se prithak hain. mansrovar ke nirmal jal men tairte hanson ko dekhna apne ap men ek sukhad anubhuti hai. kaha jata hai ki bhagvan brahma ke mansputra is sarovar ka pata maharaja mandhata ne lagaya.
unhonne vishal parvaton ke tal men sthit is sarovar ke kinare tap kiya. iske kinare vrikshon ki sat kataren thin aur talhti men ek vishal prasad tha, jahan nagvansh ke raja nagdevta ka mahal tha. sarovar ki dhanushakar satah par kabhi ek vriksh tha. kuch pali tatha bauddh granthon men is sarovar ka ullekh anotatt ya anvatapt ke rup men hua hai, jiska arth hota hai tapmukt sarovar. anya granthon ki bhanti bauddh granthon men bhi is sarovar ki vyapak charcha milti hai. kuch bauddhon ka manna hai ki iske kendra men ek vriksh hai, jiske fal divya aushdhiya gunon se bharpur hote hain.
manyata hai ki in falon ke sevan se sharirik aur mansik rogon se mukti mil sakti hai. inhen pane ki chah devi-devta, yaksh, gandharva, manushya sabko rahti hai. is kalpavriksh ke falon ke girne se 'jam' ki avaj hoti hai, isilie ise janbu-ling ya janbu-dvip ki sangya di gai. devadhidev mahadev ka sadhnasthal kailash prithvi ka svarg hai. har varsh hajaron ki taydad men tirthayatri yahan ate hain, iski parikrama karte hain aur bhagvan shiv ki kripa prapt kar laut jate hain. kaise jaen kahan thahren kailash-mansrovar ki yatra ke mukhytah tin marg hain. pahla marg purvottar relve ke tankpur steshan se hokar jata hai. tankpur tak relyatra ke bad bas se pithauragarh aur fir vahan se paidal yatra karni parti hai. dusra marg purvottar relve ke hi kathgodam steshan se hokar jata hai. steshan se bas dvara almora ke kapkot aur fir paidal 'uta', 'jayanti' tatha 'kungrivingri' ghatiyon ko par karke jana parta hai.
tisra marg uttar relve ke rishikesh steshan se hokar jata hai. rishikesh se joshimath tak bas se aur fir paidal yatra karni parti hai. in tinon hi margon men yatriyon ko bhartiya sima ka antim bajar milta hai, jahan unhen thahrne ka sthan, bhojan ka saman, bartan adi suvidhapurvak mil jate hain. joshimath vala marg sarvottam hai. ismen yatri haridvar, rishikesh, devaprayag tatha badrinath ke marg ke anya tirthon ki yatra ka labh bhi utha sakte hain. bhartiya sima ke antim bajar ke bad dubhashie gaid ki jarurat parti hai, kyonki tibbat men hindi ya angreji janne vale nahin milte. tibbat men rahne ke lie bhojan, masale adi sabhi bhartiya antim bajar se lene parte hain. savdhaniyan tibbat ek atyant hi thanda desh hai.
yahan har samay charon taraf barf faili rahti hai. islie tirthayatriyon ko apne sath paryapt garm kapar rakhne chahie. sath hi subah aur sham chehre evan hathon par vaislin tatha anya tvacharakshak padarth achchi tarah lagate rahne chahie anyatha tvacha fat sakti hai aur nak men ghav bhi ho sakte hain.
barf par chalne ke lie vishesh kism ke jute pahnne chahie. lagabhag derh-do mahine ki yah yatra atyant hi kathin hai. lagabhag sarhe char sau mil ki yatra paidal aur ghore, yak adi ki pith par karni parti hai. islie vriddhon aur chote bachchon ko yah yatra nahin karni chahie.