Mount Kailash

Mount Kailash is not a garden but has influenced many gardens. It is a holy mountain, sometimes identified with Mount Sumeru, the legendary home of the gods. Geographicaly, it is the source of the River Indus, the River Sutlej and the River Brahmaputra. ‘Kailasa’ means crystal. Mount Kailash has never been climbed.

In Hinduism, Lord Shiva lives here. To some Hindu sects, Kailash is the centre of the world – and  paradise. In Tantric Buddhism, Kailash is the home of  the Buddha Demchok. In Jainism, Kailash is the place where Rishabhadeva attained Moksha (Nirvana). In the Bon religion Kailash is the seat of spiritual power.

See note on Buddhism and Gardens.