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Shri Ashtapad Maha Tirth - II
who stay at Gyangdrag Gompa, they were probably used as meditation centers. There is no authentic information as to who lived in these stone houses and when they were constructed or abandoned. These structures need further investigation by a team of geo-archaeologists.
(A)
(B)
Gyangdrag Gompa
(D)
Fig. 9: Abandoned settlements with reference to the Gyangdrag Gompa. (A/B) House built on fractured conglomerate
(C) Inner layout of the abandoned house (D) The mud covered roof of the abandoned house According to Ruth and Flavieu, Aadinath attained Nirvana at Sangeshukti located to north of Gyangdrag Gompa. This is the area where we have found a number of settlements which are currently in ruins. In addition to the probable Ashtapad Mountain identified by P.S. Thakker during the 2006 visit (north-east of Gyangdrag Gompa), Dharma King Norsang is also located in this region. This time again, Dr. Thakker made an attempt to reach the Dharma King Norsang and probable Ashtapad site which was identified using the IRS-LISS-IV data and GIS technique. Unfortunately, due to the lack of infrastructural facility, he could not reach up to the structure and verify it on the ground. These sites are shown in Figure 10 (A) which is drawn based on the IRS-LISS-IV data (Figure 10 (B)). Before any conclusions are drawn towards the existence or non-existence of historical people around Kailash Mountain, these sites need to be physically examined.
Geological investigation of rock sculptures...
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