Tibet Weather - Best Time to Travel Tibet

The best travel time in Tibet is usually from April to November. But it also depends on where you would like to visit. In the lower altitude places such as Lhasa, Tsedang, Gyantse, Shigatse and Nyingchi, you can travel any time in the year. The climate in those areas is mild, no extremely coldness or hotness. In the winter season of December - March, though it is very cold but you'll see less tourists and during the time, the cost for accommodation and car rental will be lower as well. And winter season also offers a greater chance to view the grand Mt. Everest clearly.

July and August are the rainy seasons in Tibet, mainly night rain only which usually won't affect your sightseeing in the day time but will bring some difficulty to trekking tours. This two months could see about half of the annual rain in Tibet.

April, October and November often bring some dazzling clear weather and you could feel very comfortable in the lower altitude places.

For some popular tours, you may need to note the following weather restrictions: 

• The Everest Region: though the Lhasa-Everest-Lhasa tour is available throughout the year, the Lhasa-Everest-Kathmandu overland tour could be impossible in some snow time in Jan or Feb, especially the Old Tingri - Nyalam - Zhangmu part.
• Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar as well as the Northern Tibet (including Namtso Lake): usually not passable in winter seasons from December to March.
• Eastern Tibet: try to avoid travelling the Sichuan-Tibet highway in the rainy seasons of July and August.

Besides the above climate issues you shall consider when planning a tour to Tibet, you need to get prepared for the strong sun radiation and big temperature difference between day and night for traveling there as well.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2150658

Kailash Manasarovar - The Holiest Hindu Place in the World

Mount Kailash in Tibet is known as the abode of Lord Shiva and there are hundreds of pilgrims who visit the site every year between the months of March and August. Manasarovar is a fresh water lake near Mount Kailash and it is believed that gods from the sky comes to take bath in this holy lake. This lake is one of the few lakes that have natural waves such as the sea. It takes about 4 days to reach Mount Kailash from the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu. You proceed to your destination in land cruisers. The roads are not made of concrete and they are quite raw. However there is an option of going by helicopter as well (if weather permits) and in this case your journey gets shortened by a few days.

The terrain along the way changes colors frequently and you will be amazed by the splendid beauty. There are lodges and guest houses to stay and from every guest house you can see the sacred peak as soon as you come out of your room. Many people also do a 3 day circumambulation of the sacred peak. Doing this ritual washes you of all the sins. You can also take a one minute dip in the holy Manasarovar lake. The water is ice cold and hence you should not stay in it for long. There are several travel agents through which you can join the trip. The package includes transportation, staying and meals ex Kathmandu.

Another lake worth a mention is the demon's lake. It is said that demons like Ravana used to meditate besides this lake and hence the name Demon's Lake. No one takes a bath in this lake and the water is salty in contrast to Manasarovar which has fresh water. People say that Manasarovar depicts good like the Sun and it is round in shape. Demon's lake is compared to the moon as it is in the shape of a crescent and depicts evil.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4563671

The Ultimate Pilgrimage - Kailash Manasarovar

Yatras have been a part of the Indian spiritual ethos since time immemorial. India's ancient lore says that even the Saptarishis, the seven celestial sages, made a pilgrimage to the Himalayas over fifteen thousand years ago to receive the sacred teaching of yoga from Shiva - the Aadhi Yogi, or first yogi. Since then, millions of devotees have made arduous journeys to the powerful spaces in the Himalayas to imbibe the mountains' grace and energy.

Many great beings from Agastya to Adi Shankara have consecrated holy sites across the length and breadth of these mountains. Kedarnath - the most significant of the Panch Kedar temples, Gupt Kashi - the seat of a very powerful Linga, Badrinath - the temple of Lord Badrinarayan or Vishnu, Gangotri - the glacial origin of the sacred Ganga, and Uttarkashi, or North Kashi, are among the holiest sites of pilgrimage. A Himalayan Dhyan Yatra to these places is of tremendous significance to every human being's spiritual growth.

The Indian Government has made significant improvements to the road and travel conditions in these once hard to reach places. The resultant increase in tourist inflow has led to a boom in the tourist industry in the towns of this region. Today, a pilgrim headed to these mountain places can easily find hygienic food, safe drinking water and clean, comfortable accommodation. That said, the Himalayas are still a growing mountain range and landslides which block roads for a week are not unheard of. So it is always a good idea to plan out your Himalayan Dhyan Yatra with a few days to spare and pack accordingly.

On the other side of the Himalayas, situated in Tibet - the roof of the world - is Mount Kailash, the mythological abode of Shiva, and Lake Manasoravar, the fabled Lake of Consciousness. The Kailash Manasarovar Yatra is considered the holiest of pilgrimages by the five major religions in this part of the world - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and Bon.

The most popular pilgrimage route to Kailash Manasarovar begins in Kathmandu, Nepal, travels through the otherworldly Tibetan landscape and journeys first to the holy Lake. Yatris frequently take a dip in its cold waters which are said to heal many ailments. The dip is an ideal preparation for the trek to the base of the sacred Mountain. The trek at an altitude of nearly 4,500 metres can be strenuous for the unprepared and unfit, so having a medical kit handy can be a great advantage.

Each religion has its legends about these two sacred sites, but the oldest and most prolific legends come from Hinduism. It was here that Ganesha was given his elephantine head. The mythology also speaks of celestial beings - yakshas, ganas, devas and kinharas who dwelt here with Shiva and Parvathi. In this place, considered by many to be the spiritual center of the Universe, who can say where myth ends and reality begins?

A pilgrimage is not just a journey to a distant place. The unwavering resolve and the uncomplaining countenance of the visiting pilgrims, signifies the highest expression of man's search for ultimate freedom - a freedom beyond all bondage.

Kailash Manasarovar

Mount Kailash, located in far west corner of Tibet is the most sacred peak in Asia. High at an altitude of 6700-meter, on the remote western Tibetan plateau in the northern most region of the Himalayas, sits Mount Kailash, the holy mountain. The beauty of Mount Kailash, that looks like a symmetrical cone shaped rock capped by pure crystalline ice all the time, is echoed in various mythological and literary works. Dominating the north of the Himalayan Barrier with its spectacular view, the Mount Kailash is equally venerated as the holiest pilgrimage site by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and the Bön-Po. Tibetans regard this mountain as the manifestation of Mount Meru, "the navel of the earth" where founder of Bon religion, Tonpa Shenrab, is believed to have descended from heaven; Hindus believe it to be the abode of Lord Shiva; Buddhists as the abode of Samvara and the Jains venerate it as a sacred site where their prophet, Rishaba, attained spiritual enlightenment.

With its four sheer walls, and distinctive snow-capped peak, and valleys interspersed with brightly-clad Tibetan pilgrims, Mount Kailash or Kang Rimpoche ('precious snow-peak', as known by the Tibetans) is an awe-inspiring sight of phenomenal proportions. The four great rivers of Asia: the Karnali, the Indus, the Sutlej and the Brahmaputra (Tsangpo) originate from here. A three-day trek (Parikrama or Kora) around Mount Kailash over a 5630 meter Drolma La (pass), clockwise for Buddhists and Hindus, and anti-clockwise followers of the ancient Bon religion, is said to erase the sins of a lifetime. A spiritual atmosphere is maintained throughout this trip.

To complete the Kailash pilgrimage one should bathe in the sacred Lake Manasarovar, amazingly set on the Tibetan plateau bordered by the majestic Gurla Mandata. On the journey to Mt. Kailash across the windswept Tibetan plateau, you will see cliff-top monasteries, wild-looking but hardy and hospitable Tibetans, yak caravans journeying over snowy passes, and the great peaks of the Himalaya within a background of grazing herds, yak skin tents and a glittering turquoise lake.

LAKE MANASAROVAR

The circular, turquoise Lake Manasarovar or Tso Rinpoche (precious lake) is situated in the south-west corner of Tibet and in the north-west of Nepal. The lake is at a distance of 20 kms from Mt. Kailash and is one of the most beautiful and sacred lakes in Asia. The Kailash Pilgrimage tour is incomplete without a dip in the holy Manasarovar Lake. The lake is believed to contain miraculous powers and taking a bathe in the holy lake is said to be of enormous spiritual benefit.