The shoreline of Lake Manasarowar looking north toward Mount Kailash, the most famous peak in the Kailash Range. Photo courtesy of Hans Forst from Verbotene Konigreiche im Himalaya.

Lake Manasarowar at an altitude of 4727 m. (15,510 ft.) is the highest freshwater lake in the world. It is fed by glaciers on the Himalayan peak Gurla Mandhata and in the Kailash Range. It’s depth ranges to approximately 80 m. (262 ft.). It is connected to neighboring Raksas Lake but it does not drain to the outside. There are hot springs on the isthmus between the two lakes.

As remote and harsh as this region is, it has been known and journeyed to for a very long time. For centuries this lake and Mount Kailash have been holy pilgrimage sites for Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Bon-po adherents. The Western historians Pliny and Ctesias recorded as early as 100 AD that the natives collected pitch along these shores.

	Two pilgrims are resting on the shore of Lake Manasarowar, looking southward toward the Himalaya and the peak of Gurla Mandhata. It is considered of great spiritual benifit to bathe in the waters of Lake Manasarowar. Can you imagine how cold this water must be even in summer? Photo courtesy of Hans Forst from Verbotene Konigreiche im Himalaya.

A search for the lake's name on the World Wide Web brought up several sites that offer pilgrimage tours to the area. From those sites we learned many of the names of the mountains, villages and monasteries that surround the lakes and their religious significances. From there we were able to broaden our search for information.