The Geographical Dictionary of Ancient and Mediaeval India c5.s11.95

c5.s11.95

Mānasa—1 Lake Manas sarovar, situated in the Kailasa Mountain in Hūṇadeśa in Western Tibet (*JASB*, XVII, p 166, *Rāmāyaṇa*, Bala K, ch 21) Its Hunnic name is Cho Mapan It has been graphically described by Moorcroft in the *Asiatic Researches*, vol XII, p 375, see also *JASB*, 1833, p 316, and *Ibid*, 1848, p 127 According to Moorcroft's estimate, it is fifteen miles in length (east to west) by eleven miles in breadth (north to south) The circumambulation of the lake is performed in 4, 5 or 6 days according to the stay of the pilgrims in the eight Gumbas or guard houses on the bank of the lake (*JASB*, 1848, p 165) On the south of the lake is the Gurla range Sven Hedin says, "Even the first view from the hills caused us to burst into tears of joy at the wonderful magnificent landscape and its surpassing beauty The oval lake lies like an enormous turquoise embedded between two of the finest and most famous mountain giants of the world, the Kailās in the north and Gurla Mandatta in the south and between huge ranges, above which the mountains uplift their crowns of bright white eternal snow" (Sven Hedin's *Trans Himālaya*, II, p 112) There are three approaches from the United Provinces to the Holy lakes and Kailāsa,—over the Lipu Lekh Pass, Untadhura Pass, and the Niti Pass, the first being the easiest of all (*Shorring's Western Tibet*, p 149) 2 Uttara Mānasa and Dakshiṇa-Mānasa are the two places of pilgrimage in Gaya (*Chaitanya Bhāgavata*, ch 12).