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Chapter 09
Concluding Article & Proposal
four sided (Vol IV/23D/1488-1490). According to scriptures, this temple was a major Jain Tirth (a pilgrimage place) and was described to be situated in the tranquil heights of the snow covered Mt. Kailash region. The name Ashtapad is derived from the fact that there are eight (Ashta) Steps (Pad) leading to the Palace/Temple. The Literature further describes that the descendants of Rushabhdev also made a trench around Ashtapad to protect it. At present, the exact location of Ashtapad is not known. The scriptures further describes that about 2600 years ago, Gautam Swami - main disciple of Lord Mahavir - climbed, stayed overnight & worshipped at Ashtapad Mountain. If Ashtapad temple existed at that time, then the questions that need to be investigated are what happened to it during the subsequent period? How did it disappear? Could it have been destroyed either by forces of nature or by someone else or was it buried due to geological processes? 8. Mount Kailash Mt. Kailash is an amazingly symmetrical striated pyramid at 22800 feet height. At about 36 kilometers to the south of Mt. Kailash lies Lake Mansarovar. Four great rivers of southeast Asia emanate from this lake. They are Sindhu (Indus), Brahmaputra (Tsangpo), Sutlej and Karnali (Vol IV/21C/P. 1152-1173 & Vol III/13G/P. 838-858 & Vol X/68A to I/P. 4425-4473). The various literature collected on fourteen CD's by ARIF includes very interesting photographs of the Mt. Kailash - Mansarovar region (Vol XIV/110 F to I/ P. 6348-6562 & Vol XI/81/P. 5077-5265). Maps published by Karto Atelier and photographs of Mt. Kailash area are put together on one of the DVDs.
TRENCH
Mount Kailash
Mount Ashtapad
Mount Kildest
N
o w Ashaped
Poster Picture Commercially Available Satellite Picture of Kailash Area 9. Literature on Ashtapad Much literature of interest has been collected from old scriptures and put together in 18 volumes in approximately 8000 pages with reference to Ashtapad and other related subjects. Research work conducted by ARIF and information on other topics such as civilization, geology, archaeology, field trips, maps and photographs etc. are also compiled in the DVD. From this literature one learns a lot about Ashtapad. Study of literature may aid in determining the age of Aadinath as described in scripture. This information may help estimate the time frame of
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A proposal for further research
