Sightseeings of Adi Kailash and Om Parvat Yatra

Situated at a towering altitude of 6310 meters above sea level, Adi Kailash, also known as Chota Kailash or Baba Kailash, is one of the five Kailash in the world, the most important one being Mount Kailash, located in Tibet, followed by Adi Kailash in Uttarakhand, and Kinner Kailash, Shrikhand Mahadev, and Mani Mahesh, which are located in Himachal Pradesh. Located in the Pithoragarh district of the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, Adi Kailash Yatra is the dream of Shiva devotees. It is believed that while returning from his wedding, Shiv Ji's first halt was at Adi Kailash and the demon King Ravana got the blessing of 10 heads over here. It is one of the Panch Kailash and it is believed that Shiva is still meditating at Adi Kailash and thus it is advised to avoid Jaykara here. 
It is believed that the term Adi Yogi has been given to Shiv Ji because he used to perform yoga at Adi Kailash. One can trek from Jolingkong to Parvati Sarovar as well as Gauri Kund, which is a short walk from Jolingkong. Adi Kailash is said to be the replica of Mount Kailash and holds great importance in Hinduism. 
Tip: Ask the tour manager to guide you from where to take pictures while you are at Adi Kailash and its reflection can be seen clearly on the lake. 

Om Parvat is located in the Vyas Valley in the Pithoragarh district of the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. Om Parvat is no less than a miracle in itself due to the hollow space on the mountain which when covered with snow forms a shape of an OM, marking the beauty of the mountain. This miraculous mountain can be viewed from Nabidhang which is the viewpoint of OM Parvat. One can witness the borders of three countries including Nepal, Tibet, and India. It is a blessing of God that OM shape is only visible from India. According to mythology, there are a total of 8 Om’s in the world, out of which only one has been discovered, which happens to be at Om Parvat.
Both Adi Kailash and Om Parvat are a part of the Vyas Valley and are of great importance to Hinduism.

Gauri Kund is found at places wherever Kailash mountain is located, be it Adi Kailash, Mount Kailash, Kedarnath, etc. Every Gauri Kund has a significance of its own, for instance, the Gauri Kund at Kailash is where Lord Ganesha was born. According to mythology, Maa Parvati meditated near the Kund for hundred years to have Lord Shiva as her husband. Seeing her devotion, Lord Shiva finally admitted his love for her, and later on, they tied the knot at Triyuginarayan Temple which is found at Kedarnath. Gauri Kund with its sparkling and pristine water, which is very cold, is a place full of beauty and serenity.

Located at a distance of about 2-3km walk from Jolingkong, Parvati Sarovar is a lake where Maa Parvati used to take bath and hence the name Parvati Sarovar. One can meditate here and do pooja at Parvati Sarovar. People often take baths here and take water from the Sarovar itself. One can take pictures at Parvati Sarovar where the reflection of Adi Kailash can be seen on the lake. Due to Adi Kailash’s uncanny resemblance with Mount Kailash, it is also called Chota Kailash and Parvati Sarovar has been compared to Mansarovar, although Parvati Sarovar is way smaller than Mansarovar. This little Mansarovar in Pithoragarh district is found at the base of Adi Kailash, with its crystal clear water. 

Upon reaching Jolingkong, one can trek to Parvati Sarovar and find Shiv Parvati Temple next to it. At present, the temple is managed by the army. One can spot Adi Kailash from here and what better place to be at when you can find Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati at the same place at the same time. On one side there is Parvati Sarovar which was the bathing place of Maa Parvati and on the other side, there is Adi Kailash or Lord Shiva Himself, giving his blessings. 

Established in the year 1960, Neeb Karoli Baba Ashram was built by the great saint Neeb Karoli Baba. The Ashram is located at Kainchi Dham, named after the hills which are cut and crossed in such a way that it forms a shape of scissors, hence the name Kainchi. Neeb Karori Baba is quite popular and has a lot of followers around the world. Popular celebrities such as Mark Zuckerberg( CEO of Facebook) and Steve Jobs(Co-founder of Apple) have visited this ashram and are devotees of the baba. It is believed that Neeb Karoli Baba was the avatar of Hanuman Ji and has constructed several temples dedicated to him. The location of the place pleases the eyes, with its immense charm and beauty and the aura has a vibe like none other.

Chitai Golu Devta Temple, located at a distance of 9km from Almora, is a temple dedicated to Chitai Golu Devta or Gwalla Devta, who is known as the Lord of Justice. One can see thousands of bells and papers tied over here. It is believed that if one is stuck in a legal case or there is a legal proceeding against him or he/she has any wishes that he/she wants to fulfill, then they can bring stamp papers, affidavits or even write it in on a piece of paper and tie it over there with a bell attached to it. And once the wishes have been fulfilled one has to come back here to untie the bell. Witness the beauty of the place with bells and papers hanging all over the place, making it worth giving a visit. One can easily reach the temple due to the good connectivity of roads.

Patal Bhuvneshwar, located in the Pithoragarh district, is a cave that is approximately 90 feet deep. One can descend into the caves with the help of a chain that is present over there. It is believed that visiting Patal Bhuvneshwar is equivalent to doing Chota Char Dham. One can find the head of Lord Ganesha inside the cave which was apparently cut by Lord Shiva when he was enraged due to the fact that Lord Ganesha did not let him enter the place where Maa Parvati was bathing because he was instructed not to, which resulted in Lord Shiva beheading Lord Ganesha.

Jageshwar Dham is located approximately 26 km from Almora in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. Jageshwar Dham has a group of 125 ancient temples, most of them dedicated to Lord Shiva. There is a mythological story that follows that Lord Shiva and Saptrishi meditated at Jageshwar, making the place so powerful that whoever made a wish, it was fulfilled instantly. Due to this, people started taking advantage of it and started making unethical wishes, causing harm and pain to others. Witnessing this, Adishankaracharya, between the 8th century to 12th century, meditated here to limit the power of the place in such a way that only the ethical wishes of the people were fulfilled and none can cause harm to anyone else. Due to this mythological tale, many people are keen on exploring the place to see for themselves. Another interesting fact about this place is that one can witness a tree with its branches in the shape of an elephant’s trunk and Jata Ganga flows behind these temples.

Bhimtal, popularly known as the city of lakes, is named after Bhim from Mahabharata. It is believed that Bhim built an ancient temple called Bhimeshwar Mahadev, which is a popular attraction of Bhimtal and is believed to have been built during the banishment of the Pandavas. Bhimtal Lake is said to be the largest lake in the Kumaon Region. Located at an altitude of 1370 meters above sea level, Bhimtal is situated in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand and due to its close vicinity to Nainital, Bhimtal is getting quite popular. Apart from that, it is a scenic hill town with picturesque views and has an island with a large aquarium, making it a place worth visiting. It is also a hub for many adventure activities such as paddling, boating, birding, and various trekking activities and nature walks.

On the way to Om Parvat, one can spot Ved Vyas Cave from a distance. One can see a flag at the top of the cave which has been placed by the army, however, civilians cannot reach the cave because there is no way to do so. An interesting story that follows in the cave is that Mahabharata was written inside the cave by Sage Ved Vyas and Lord Ganesha. It is said that Sage Vyas requested Lord Ganesha to write down his dictation to which Lord Ganesha agreed but kept a condition that Sage Vyas cannot stop even for a second, if he does so, Lord Ganesha will stop writing and leave. Thus Sage Vyas started dictating and Lord Ganesha started writing, and there came a point when Lord Ganesha’s pen broke, so instead of stopping, he broke a part of his tusk and continued writing, and that is how Mahabharata was written.

Kunti Parvat, located in Kuti Village in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, is named after Kunti, who was the mother of 5 Pandavas. It was named after her because when Pandavas were leaving for their abode to heaven, their mother Kunti was mesmerized by the beauty of the place and stayed there for a long time, hence the place was named after her. Lush greenery and panoramic views surround the village. One can find this village while traveling from Gunji to Jolingkong, from where one can witness the holy mountain of Adi Kailash. One can experience the rich culture of a scenic hamlet here.

The Brahma Parvat is named after the God of creation, who is believed to have created all creatures on Earth. It is found en route to Adi Kailash Mountain. About 14kms from Jolingkong, Brahma Parvat is a beautiful mountain covered in snow, with clouds hovering over the mountain. The place looks absolutely stunning with weather that will make you want to stay there and breathe it all in.

While traveling from Gunji to Om Parvat, one can spot a mountain that has an unusual shape and upon noticing one can make out that the shape of the mountain is that of a snake. This snake-shaped mountain is called the Shesh Nag Parvat, which is probably related to the snake which Shiv Ji carried around his neck. According to Hindu mythology, worshiping Lord Shiva along with the Nag Devta or the Snake God will help devotees in getting rid of their problems. 

Pandava Fort is located in Kuti Village at Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand. It is believed that the fort was built by Pandavas themselves. According to Mythology, the five Pandavas namely, Bhim, Nakul, Arjun, Sehdev, and Yudishthir, played a game of Chaucer with the Kauravas and got so carried away that they bet everything they had on the game, including their wife Draupadi. Eventually, they lost the bet and had no other choice but to submit to the Kauravas. They lost everything in the game along with Draupadi, however, they got Draupadi back but they were aware of the fact that they have to do everything the Kauravas ask them to. The Kauravas ordered them to go for 13 years of exile and 1 year of incognito so when their exile comes to an end, they have to stay at a place where no one can recognize who they were. Thus, the Pandavas stayed at Pandav Fort. At present, one can only find the ruins of the fort.

Parvati Mukut is a mountain that is naturally cut and carved in a shape which resembles that of the crown of Maa Parvati, which she used to wear. Since we are aware of the fact that Pandavas have spent a lot of their time in the nearby areas, and also spend their 1 year in hiding, this place has a remarkable historical significance. One can spot the five consecutive peaks one after the other, which are named after the five Pandavas, Bhim, Nakul, Sehdev, Arjun, and Yudushthir, who are the characters of the famous epic Mahabharata. Both Pandav Parvat and Parvati Mukut have been named during the time of Mahabharata and can be spotted from Jolingkong. 

Kali Mandir is found at Kalapani which is located in Vyas Valley, in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand. Kali Mandir is the temple from where the Kali Nadi or Kali River originates. Over here, there will be a group hawan for the devotees from Trip To Temples to make this trip to Adi Kailash and Om Parvat a memorable one. 

Nabi Village, also called Nabiyal by the locals, is a scenic hamlet of the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. A cultural program will be organized by Trip To Temples to let the devotees experience a day of the lives of the locals in Nabi and also get to know about their culture, music, and dance. It will be an experience of a lifetime, to sit under the open sky and watch people showcase their talent and their culture. The scheme of the homestay was introduced by the government, where one can stay at the home of locals and live their life for a day or two to find out about their living conditions and their lifestyle.

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