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Shri Ashtapad Maha Tirth - II
Fig.18: Square (if you consider faint part) / Rectangular (if you consider darker area only) structure seen on IRS LISS-IV data (marked by arrows in yellow circle) at the place where Dharma King Norsang is shown in the map.
The photograph shown on vol. III pg. 783 is taken by Shri Subramanyam Swami on 9th September 1981, in which Ashtapad is shown to the south of Kailash. This location might be Nandi Parvat or hillock near Tarboche where 16 Arhats or sky burial of 84 Arhats is located. (Refer fig.5 on pg.85) Later on I was looking at the description given by Swami Anand Bhairav Giri, which does not match with any of the other eight suggested sites. It perfectly matched with this newly discovered site as a probable location of Ashtapad i.e. Dharma King Norsang. Anand Giri writes..... "I started at 6:00 o'clock (Indian time) from the Tarchen (Darchen) without any guide and taken oath “do or die", I must touch Kailash in this yatra. I reached at Gangta Gompa at 8:00 o'clock and meet two lamas over there. I approached lamas with folded hands for Ashtapad parikrama. The senior lama smiled and asked the junior lamas to go alone with me. They offered me Tibetan tea and then we started. The lama took my handbag wholeheartedly; I was free to walk, due to deficiency of oxygen I felt very tired. After crossing 2 peaks towards west, we reached Serlung Gompa crossing the Chuksum Chhu (river) which comes down to Tarchen. From Serlung Gompa, a glorious vision of Lord Kailash was seen and I was really amazed. In Serlung Gompa (in two very small rooms) one very old lama was living there. I cannot forget his whole-hearted hospitality, though nothing was with him except Tibetan tea and frozen yak milk (called loseye). We were there for 15 minutes only and then left for Ashtapad. On the right side is Chuksum Chhu, on the left is Ravana Parvat. Just opposite of Ravana Parvat, there was a big flag (Maha Dhwaja) and Nyari Gompa”. On the peak of Ravana Parvat, a big beautiful Shiv ling is there. It can be seen from a distance of few kilometers. The area is fully covered with heap of snow. While walking, I found 4 peacocks there (very big ones) and after walking half a kilometer we found mountain color musk deer (total no. approximately 30 or so). Again after walking half a kilometer at high trekking we found about 15 to 20 peacocks at a distance of 50 feet. After another half kilometer, 50 to 60 musk deer in snow color were seen. There after no such events were visible. Now we started
Field Trip I & II to locate site for... -
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