Kailas

Kailas (kīläs') [key], peak, c.22,280 ft (6,790 m) high, SW Tibet region of China, highest point of the Kailas Range, in the Himalayas. It is near the sources of the Sutlej, Indus, and Yarlung Zangbo (Brahmaputra) rivers. Hindus consider Kailas to be the dwelling place of the god Shiva, and it is the goal of pilgrimages. The pilgrim road that girdles the mountain reaches 18,000 ft (5,486 m). Tibetan Buddhists identify Kailas with Mount Sumeru, which they consider to be the cosmic center of the universe.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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