Kailash range
Topic: Structure and Physiography of India: Himalayas, Plains, Peninsula, Coasts and Islands · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 3 "Drainage System"
Meaning
The Kailash range is a Trans-Himalayan range, which means it lies north of the Great Himalaya. It is in south-western Tibet, near Lake Mansarovar. It matters because three great rivers of the subcontinent rise close to it: the Indus, the Satluj and the Brahmaputra (called the Tsangpo in Tibet). Its highest point, Mount Kailash, is sacred to Hindus, Buddhists and Jains.
Example
Indian pilgrims on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra reach Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in Tibet through Himalayan passes such as Lipulekh in Uttarakhand and Nathu La in Sikkim.
Don't confuse with
- Karakoram range: this is also Trans-Himalayan, but it lies further north-west and holds K2 (8,611 m) and the Siachen glacier. The Kailash range is in Tibet and is known for river sources and pilgrimage.
Related concepts
- Greater Himalaya
- Lesser Himalaya
- Shiwalik
- Ladakh and Zaskar ranges
- Mount Everest
- Kanchenjunga
- Namcha Barwa
- Pir Panjal range