In the Hindu way of life, it is said that Kailash is the Abode of Shiva. It does not mean he is sitting up there dancing or hiding in the snow. It means he deposited his knowing there. When Adiyogi found that each one of the Sapta Rishis had grasped one aspect of the knowing, and he could not find another human being who could grasp all seven dimensions of yoga, that is when he decided to deposit all of it into Mount Kailash so that all seven dimensions of knowing the mechanics of life are preserved in one place and one source. Kailash became the greatest mystical library on the planet – a live library, not just with information, but alive!
South face of Kailash
When a person realizes himself and his perception goes far beyond what is considered normal perception, what he has perceived cannot always be transmitted to people around him. Only a small part of it may be transmitted. It is very rare for any master to find people to whom he can transmit all of himself.
So where do you leave all this? You don’t want this to become lost. So, for thousands of years, realized beings always traveled to Kailash and deposited their knowledge in a certain energy form, using the mountain as a basis. It is because of this that South Indian mysticism always says that Agastya, who is the basis of this form of mysticism, lives in the Southern face of Kailash. The Buddhists say three of their main Buddhas live in the mountain. The Jains say Rishabh, the first of the Teerthankaras, lives in Kailash.
For a spiritual seeker, Kailash is like touching the ultimate source on this planet. For one who is in pursuit of mysticism, this is the place. There is no other place like this.
Shiva & Shakti shrines from 8-12 century AD
In this country, in ancient times, temples were built mostly for Shiva, no one else. It was only in the last 1000 or so years that other temples came up. The word “Shiva” literally means “that which is not.” So the temple was built for “that which is not.” “That which is” is physical manifestation; “that which is not” is that which is beyond the physical. A temple is a hole through which you enter into a space which is not. There are thousands of Shiva temples in the country, and most of them don’t have any form as such. They just have a representative form and generally it is a linga.
A downloadable version of the below map is available here.
Uraiyur Tanjavur Kumbakonam Gangaikondacholapuram Chidambaram Ballehalli Dharmasthala Sosavur Srngeri Mukhambika Balligave Hemavati Mangalavada Ittagi Anampuru Srisalem Madugula Amaravati Pondugala Mahanadi Chebrolu Vijayawada Palakollu Eluru Kembavi Karhada Kalyani Anumakonda Panugallu Gudimala Bikkavolu Bhimavaram Bhadracala Orungallu Ramatirtha Srikurma Bhimasankara Ambarnatha Seunapura Candradityapura Kampilya Bhrigukacca Darbhavati Kavra Valabhi Gomati Vardhamana Anjar Kanthakota (Brahmanabad)Mansura Mulasthana (Multan) Udabhanda Srinagari Amaresvara Avantipura Vikrampura (Bikaner) Balasane Jhodge Devagiri Un Omkara-Mandata Baroli Pallika Ajayameru Puskara Harsa Badrika Sripatha Ramgarh Bhojapura Narmadapura Bhrigukshetra Udhaypura Badoh Amrol Gopagiri Batesvar Kalapriya Prayaga Dudahi Gurgi Chandrehi Bandhugadha Soubhagyapura Ratnapura Mallala Sripura Kalinganagara Baripada Lalitapattana Raktamittika Chandranatha Pulatthinagara Purnagiri Sejakpur Hingula Sarada Nagarakota Jalandhara Khaluvana Sakarai Jvalanti Jagatsukh Indraprasta Amrapura Vindhya Attahasa Mithila Shaligrama Mandara Catigama Tripura Manidvipa Srinatta Oddiyana Kundina Japyeshvara Madurai Mamallapuram Kanchi Kollapura Surparaka Kayavardhana Prabhasa Girinagara Ghumlik Dvaraka Debal Alor Sarkara Vijnot Gardez Oddiyana Campavati Uvasisya Mandavyapura Kiratakupa Arbuda Sunakagram Elapura Mahismati Dhara Ujjayini Citrakuta Dhavagarta Sakambhari Sthanvisvara Vaidhyanatha Chhatrarhni Bramhapura Kedara Gangadvara Kurukshetra Candravati Vidisa Mahotsavanagara Mathura Vrindavana Jageshwar Manasarovara Kailasha Naimisa Kanyakubja Ayodhya Khajuravahaka Amarakantaka Jajallapura Savarinarayan Mahendragiri Ekamra Yajapura Khijjinga Tamralipti Gaya Varanasi Kasthamandapa Citabhumi Gangasagara-sangama Kamakhya Haruppeshvara Kotivarsha Manasthan Shiva & Shakti sites (known to archaeologists)between 8-12 century AD Shakti Shrines (88) Shiva Shrines (157) Hide Shiva Shrines Hide Shakti Shrines