What to know about Mount Kailash, a sacred site for pilgrims missing after floods in Nepal and Tibet

BEIJING (AP) — Devotees on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash — a sacred site in the Himalayas — were among the many people missing after the massive floods along the border between Nepal and China.

Here’s what to know about the mountain and its centuries-old role as a pilgrimage site.

Mount Kailash is sacred for several religious traditions

Mount Kailash is a Himalayan peak in southwestern Tibet , near China’s borders with Nepal and India. It rises more than 6,400 meters (21,000 feet) above sea level and lies close to Lake Manasarovar. Both have long been part of Sanskrit religious and literary traditions.

Mount Kailash holds sacred significance for Hinduism , Buddhism , Jainism and the Tibetan Bon tradition. Each associates the mountain with different beliefs and sacred histories.

According to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, the mountain is considered the home of Shiva , the Hindu god of destruction, and Parvati, a Hindu goddess associated with marriage, fertility and motherhood.

Followers of the Tibetan Bon tradition regard it as a seat of spiritual power and associate the region with Tonpa Shenrab, the tradition’s founder.

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