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Field Trip I - Summary Report
In summary, it was a maiden effort to try and look for Ashtapad and find the exact location if it exists today. From scriptures and literatures one finds lots of information and description about Ashtapad Tirth. (See Vol. I to X) Many modern authors mention about Ashtapad but no one has seen or located it. At this present day, information is passed from one to another.
Rajnikant Shah
As it was the first field trip undertaken, no scientific studies were done. Preliminary work done is being presented here and this report is based on observations only. Further field trips with specialized team members like geologists and archaeologists should be undertaken. The views expressed in this report are basically preliminary only. Reports by various other team members are based on field observation. Different opinions expresses by various team members are their views only and nothing can be accepted as final.
As per scripture
It is believed that all the four religions flourished at the footsteps of Kailash. According to MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) research and other reports, civilizations started here. As for local history, the Shang Shung Empire flourished in those days. One also has to believe that Hinduism and Jainism both had their roots in Kailash. Bon Po religion is the indigenous religion of the area. It may be difficult, if not impossible; to prove or even to disprove whether all these existed at that time and how far these are the facts. People have already started debating that Shiva and Aadinath are same and the two philosophies developed differently from here onwards into Hinduism and Jainism.
Bon Po- original indigenous religion in this area- they have their own beliefs about Kailash. According to Hinduism, this is the abode of Shiva and Parvati. According to Buddhism, Milarepa went up the Kailash with the help of sun rays. According to Jainism, the first Tirthankar Shri Rushabhdev attained Nirvana here and his son, King Bharat constructed Sinh Nishadhya Prasad on Ashtapad and later on 2600 years ago Gautam Swami climbed Ashtapad with the help of sun rays.
Ref. Vol. X Ch. 71 pg. 4578-4583
Field Trip I - Summary Report
The relation between Shang people and Tibetan-Jian
At the time around 1,400 B.C., there were a semi-Tibetan people called 'Jian' mixed with
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