Lake Mapham Yumtso

Lake Mapham Yumtso is regarded as the one of the holiest lakes in Tibet. Mapham in Tibetan literally translates to “the invincible” and Yumtso translates to “Turquoise Lake”. Lake Mapham is located at an elevation of 4,600 meters in Purang county of Ngari, Tibet and is considered as one of the highest freshwater lakes in Asia. Glaciers from Mt. Kailash feed this lake and it covers 158 square miles.

Lake Mapham and Mt. Kailash are spiritually connected with each other. Devotees who come to pay homage to Mt. Kailash do to miss visiting lake Mapham. Buddhist, Hindus, Jains, and Bonpos all regard the lake as sacred. The water from the lake is considered holy and Hindu devotees take a dip in the water to purify their spirit.

Mt. Kailash and lake Mapham appear in many of Tibetan folklores and folk songs. In one song, it says “Amidst many lakes, lake Mapham is the largest one.”, “Amidst many mountains, Mt. Kailash is the holiest.” Lake Mapham truly is an awe-inspiring lake with splendid turquoise color, with serene waves of tranquility, dotted with birds of nature with Mt. Kailash in its backdrop.