Kailas: The Mystic Land of Shiva

Cradled in the lap of the snow- capped mountain peaks of the Himalayan ranges, in the proximity of the river Ravi, lies the mystic valley of Chamba with the sacred Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva.

Raja Maru Varman, who founded the state of Brahampur in what constitutes part of northwestern India, captured the valley in the 6th century AD. In the 10th century AD, Sahil Varman, his great-grandson, built a second capital and named it Chamba after his only daughter Champawati.

It was thus that the erstwhile state of Chamba came into existence where one family ruled unit as recently as 1956, in post-colonial India.

This book narrates the myriad tales of this mystic land, its people and their profound beliefs in myths, folkores, folkales and the concept of rebirth. These people, being staunch devotees of Lord Shiva, believe that the true abode of Lord Shiva lies at Mount Kailash in Chamba and not in Mansarovar in China. The land is famous for its ancient temples and sacred waterfall-cum-lake and continues to be called the Valley of Gods and Goddesses.