Lake Manasarovar - The Mystical River

Lake Manasarovar or Manas Sarovar, also called Swan rimbonche is the world’s highest altitude freshwater lake fed by the Kailash Glaciers near Mount Kailash in Burang County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Being the most splendid lake in Tibet, one of its prime features encompasses the majestic Himalayan peaks to the south. As the sunshine approaches, this fresh-water lake’s changing colour from blue to bluish green and then to green is mesmerizing.

In Sanskrit the word "Manasarovar" is a combination of two Sanskrit words; "Mānas" meaning "mind as in applied to all the mental powers, intellect, intelligence, understanding, perception, sense and conscience" while "sarovara" means "a lake or a large pond". It lies at 4,590 m (15,060 ft) above mean sea level, a relatively high elevation for a large fresh water lake on the mostly saline lake-studded Tibetan Plateau.

And with round shaped circumference of 88 km (54.7 mi), its depth reaches a maximum of 90 m (300 ft) and its surface area is 320 km2 (123.6 sq mi). It is connected to nearby Lake Rakshastal by the natural Ganga Chhu channel. And is known to be the source of Asia’s four greatest rivers named as the Ghaghara, Brahmaputra, Sutlej and Sindhu.

The best time to take the journey to the holy Lake Manasarovar is none other than the late-spring to summer time when majority of the pilgrims from the neighbouring regions including India visit this place to attain a feeling of self-fulfilment.

The Manasarovar lake is respected as a sacred place in four religions: Hinduism, Bön, Buddhism and Jainism. According to Hindu religion, Lake Manasarovar is a symbol of purity and it is believed that any person bathing in Manasarovar and drinking its water will go to the abode of Shiva after death cleansed of all their sins committed over even a hundred lifetimes. As per Hindu mythology, the divine Lake Manasarovar has been formed by Lord Brahma with an intention of facilitating a perfect area of letting his sons take bath after the whole trek of the divine land. The lake is also a pilgrimage place, attracting religious people from India, Nepal, Tibet and other neighbouring countries. In India every year pilgrimage tours are organized in summers, the most famous being "Kailash Manasarovar Yatra" where pilgrims come to take ceremonial baths in the waters of the lake to get rid of their sins.

In Tibet, as per Bon religion, the lake is also associated with the holy place of Zhang Zhung Meri sacred deity .When Tonpa Shenrab, the founder of the Bon religion, visited Tibet for the first time – from Tagzig Wolmo Lungring – he took bath in the lake. As notified by the varied religious writings, its name was changed from “Machui Co” to “Manasarovar” when a competition against the Bon was won by the Buddhists during the period of 11th century.

The Buddhists resonate the lake with the legendary lake Anavatapta where Maya is believed to have conceived the Buddha. As stated in the legends Lord Buddha’s mother was brought on the lake by the gods and as she bathed in the sacred waters of Manasarovar her body was purified. Later she saw a white elephant running to her from Mount Kailash and Lord Buddha entered her womb. The lake is very popular in Buddhist literature and associated with many teachings and stories. Lord Buddha reportedly stayed and meditated near this lake on several occasions. Lake Manasarovar is also the subject of the meditative Tibetan tradition, "The Jewel of Tibet".

As per Jain scriptures, the first Tirthankar, Bhagwan Rishabhdev had attained nirvana on the Ashtapad Mountain. The son of Bhagwan Rishabhdev- Chakravati Bharat had built a palace adorned with gems on the Ashtapad Mountain located in the serene Himalayas.

To reach Lake Manasarovar is a daunting task as there is no direct transport available. However, one can first get to Lhasa by train or air and then there are some transfer ways from Lhasa to the lake. Overseas tourists are only allowed into Tibet through tour agency. For panoramic view of Mount Kailash and the divine Lake Manasarovar, one can head towards the Jiwu Gompa during sunny days.

To sum it up, the beauty of this divine Lake Manasarovar is its pristine pure water characterized by sapphire like colour looking at its deepest points which is fascinating. One might also experience the rainbow in that pious region adding vibrancy to the positivity and the beauty of this lake. This invincible lake is no less than a ‘Spiritual Satisfaction’ for the thousands of pilgrims or devotees where the ritual of the circumambulation of Lake Manasarovar by the pilgrims belonging to varied regions every summer is considered to be an act of wish fulfilment, getting rid of all the sins, physical and the mental discomfort as well as purification of the soul of those persons who are drinking it. Also, the fishes and other aquatic animals of this lake are perceived as the ‘magical medicines’ by the devotees in the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra.