Kangchenjunga: The Five Treasures of the Snow
All great mountains are revered as majestic works of the earth, their magnificence evidenced by their sheer size alone. However, it is the stories, legends and experiences surrounding Kangchenjunga that set it apart as a particularly mystic rarity.
Kanchenjunga is a unique wonder in that it claims the record for the first, second and third highest mountain: rising at an elevation of 8,586m (28,169 ft), it is the highest mountain in India, the second highest mountain of the Himalayas, and the third highest mountain in the world. It lies partly in the state of Sikkim, India, partly in Nepal and only 20km south of Tibet in an area called Kangchenjunga Himal. The name ‘Kangchenjunga’ is of Tibetan origin meaning ‘The Five Treasures of the Snow’, referring to its five high peaks. The mountain has long held mythological and religious significance for different peoples across Sikkim, Darjeeling, Tibet and the Himalayas, and as a result of these sacred beliefs the summit of the mountain has never been stepped on by climbers. Kanchenjunga was assumed to be the highest mountain in the world until 1852, when the Trigonometrical Survey of India concluded (after various readings and measurements) that Mount Everest was in fact the highest. Regardless of this technicality, the symbolic quality of Kangchenjunga upholds its status to many as the true soul of the Himalayas.
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(Source: facebook.com)
