Lake Manasasrovar

Lake Manasarovar or Mapam Yumtso is a fresh-water lake in Ngari Prefecture, 2,000 km from Lhasa. It lies at 4,556 m above mean sea level, making it the highest fresh-water lake in the world. Like Mount Kailash, Lake Manasasarovar is a place of pilgrimage, attracting religious people from Tibet, India, Nepal, and the other neighboring countries.

According to Hindu religion, the lake was first created in the mind of the Lord Brahma. Hence, in Sanskrit it is called "Manassarovara", which is a combination of the words manas (mind) and sarovara (lake). The lake, in Hindu religious belief, is also supposed to be the summer abode of swans. Considered as sacred birds, the swans represent wisdom and beauty.