5th International Conference on the Phenomenon of the Holy Mt. Kailash

Mt. Kailash in the far west of Tibet is one of the holiest mountains in the world, revered by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Bönpo. During the last two decades, also Westerners set out for this remote region. Improved infrastructure and more liberal issuing of permits let their number and very much that of Indian pilgrims increase on a large scale. This requires new rules and regulations to preserve the landscape of Mt. Kailash and neighbouring sites.

A number of travel guides cover the topic of Mt. Kailash travels. However, many aspects of this exceptional geographical region are outlined just marginally in many of them. These include Lake Manasarovar, Lake Raksas Tal, Tirthapuri and the historical Guge Kingdom, as well as the sources of the four big rivers Brahmaputra, Karnali (headstream of the Ganges), Sutlej and Indus. Also the religious backgrounds, legends and iconographic properties are not dealt with in detail in these guides.

Besides the traditional rules for Tibetan and Indian pil­grims to Mt. Kailash, during recent years new obser­vations and explorations were made and new regula­tions put into force. The aim of this conference is to compile both traditional and new aspects of the pheno­menon of Mt. Kailash and the surroun­­­ding area of pil­grimage sites, their interpre­ta­tion and comparison with old scriptures and tantric vision. Data on Mt. Kailash and the sacred lakes will be introduced and systemized. The knowledge of the sacred regions of Tibet will be shared, the cooperation in further scientific investigation discussed.

Conference Language:    ENGLISH

Venue: University of Hamburg, Anna-Siemsen-Lecture Hall

Von Melle-Park 8, 20146 Hamburg, Germany

How to reach the Venue         

From HAMBURG AIRPORT take city train S1 to HAUPTBAHN­HOF (main station). Get ticket from the automat. From HAUPTBAHNHOF take city  train S11, S21 or S31, same platform, opposite track, to DAMMTOR station. In the DAMMTOR station there is the Reisebank, if money exchange is needed. The University of Hamburg is close to DAMMTOR. Exit the DAMMTOR station on the northeast side.

Reach the Anna-Siemsen-Lecture Hall by a 10-12 min walk on Rothen­baum­chaussee, Schlueterstrasse and Campus. Or take Bus #4, direction EIDEL­STEDTER PLATZ or WILDACKER, or Bus #5, di­rection BURGWEDEL or LOKSTEDT NEDDERFELD. Get ticket from automat first. Exit at 2nd stop GRINDEL­HOF. From the bus line, turn right for 90 m, then right again. After another 90 m enter the Campus. The Anna-Siemsen-Lecture Hall entrance is straight ahead after 90 m on the left side of the little pond.

If you arrive by car, take notice that there are only few parking places close to the university. You should better leave your car at your hotel.

For the Lunch Break, the Mensa of the University is close to the Venue and offers a lunch menu and a vegetarian lunch menu, which you can select and order, together with your drink for the breaks, on the second page of the application form.

The weather in Hamburg in March may be rainy, tempera­tures around 10°C.
Topical forecast: www.weather-forecast.com/locations/Hamburg

Download the Conference Flyer(PDF) or the Conference Poster(PDF) here.

A conference program PDF file is available here for download.

SATURDAY, March 21, 2020                   

Session 1: HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF THE MT. KAILASH REGION

Chair: Dr. Wolfgang Woellmer, Phenomenon of Kailash research group, Germany

Session 2: MT. KAILASH IN SCRIPTURES AND LEGENDS

Chair: Dr. Sergei Balalaev, Phenomenon of Kailash research group, Russia

Session 3: THE PARIKRAMA (TIB: KORA) OF MT. KAILASH

   Chair: Prof. Dr. Dorji Wangchuk, University of Hamburg, Germany

Session 4: THE STATIONS OF THE BARKOR

Chair: Prof. Dr. Carola Roloff, University of Hamburg, Germany

            END OF THE FIRST CONFERENCE DAY PROGRAM

SUNDAY, March 22, 2020

Session 5: ENERGETIC CONSIDERATIONS

Chair: Dr. Wolfgang Woellmer, Phenomenon of Kailash research group, Germany

Session 6: INNER KORA PATHS

Chair: Dr. Sergei Balalaev, Phenomenon of Kailash research group, Russia

Session 7: TANTRIC ASPECTS OF MT. KAILASH

Chair: Prof. Dr. Dorji Wangchuk, University of Hamburg, Germany

Session 8: QUESTIONS AND ROUND TABLE

Chair: Prof. Dr. Carola Roloff, University of Hamburg, Germany

Registration of participation: Please register as early as possible to support the organization, download application-form(PDF).

Please order the desired lunch and coffee/tea break service on the 2nd page of the application form.

Contact: Send filled form and your lunch/tea/coffee order as e-mail attachment to
kailash-conference.aai"AT"uni-hamburg.de .       

If you enroll as student or ordained person, please enclose a scan of your student card/of your ordination pass.

With the acknowledgment of your application you will receive a bill and the conference bank account. Once your fee is booked, you’ll get a confirmation.

Cancellation conditions: In the case you have to cancel your registration, your fee will be refunded
by 90% for a cancellation before December 20, 2019,
by 60% for a cancellation before January 20, 2020,
by 30 % for a cancellation before February 20, 2020,

no refunds are possible thereafter.

Hotel: Please arrange your hotel as needed yourself under             

www.hamburg-tourism.de     

or

www.sub.uni-hamburg.de/bibliotheken/ueber-uns/organisation-der-bibliothek/hotels-in-der-naehe.html

In the DAMMTOR station there is the Reisebank, if money exchange is needed.

Sponsoring:

The organization of an international conference needs funds and donations for a multitude of expenses, like staff, technical equipment, insurance and other fees and so on. If you are willing to support the 5^th International Conference on the Phenomenon of the Holy Mt. Kailash, your sponsoring is greatly appreciated. You will receive a receipt, as soon as your donation is booked on the conference bank account.

Previous Conferences

 1st International Conference on the Phenomenon of the Holy Mt. Kailash “The Phenomenon of Kailas and its Role in Human Evolution”, Moscow, Russia, April 12-13, 2014, see http://en.icr.su/work/conferencies/kailas-2014/index.php

2nd International Conference on the Phenomenon of the Holy Mt. Kailash “The Phenomenon of Kailas and its Role in the Evolution of Human Development”, Moscow, Russia, March 21-22, 2015, http://en.icr.su/work/conferencies/kailas-2015/index.php

3rd International Conference on the Phenomenon of the Holy Mt. Kailash “Assembly of Kailas – The Way of the Spiral of Unity”, Varna, Bulgaria, March 18-20, 2016, see http://www.mt-kailash.ru/english-version/press-release-from-01-april-2016-on-the-third-international-conference-dedicated-to-mount-kailash-assembly-on-kailash-path-along-the-spiral-of-unity.html

4th International Conference on the Phenomenon of the Holy Mt. Kailash “Ancient Knowledge of Kailas”, Darchen, Tibet, May 9, 2017, see http://www.mt-kailash.ru/events/conference/2017-forum-ancient-knowledge-of-kailash-2.html     

 Selected Literature

• Sergei Balalaev: „The Call of Kailash – Photo Album“, Moscow Publishing House Kodeks, 2010
• Sergei Balalaev: “Studies in the Mt. Kailash Region, Tibet. The Geographical and Traditional Sources of the Indus River”. The Himalayan Journal, Mumbai. India, Vol. 74, 2019
• Bruno Baumann: “Kailash, Tibets heiliger Berg” (“Kailash – Tibet’s Holy Mountain”). Piper Verlag, München, 2002, (in German)
• Bruno Baumann: „Der Silberpalast des Garuda“ („The Silver Palace of the Garuda“), Piper Verlag, München, 2006, (in German)
• Bruno Baumann: „Der Kristallspiegel – Pilgerreise zum heiligen Berg Kailash“ (“The Crystal Mirror – Pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain Kailash”), Nymphenburger Verlag,  München, 2006, (in German)
• John Vincent Bellezza: “Zhang Zhung: Foundations of Civilization in Tibet. A Historical and Ethnoarchaeological Study of the Monuments, Rock Art, Texts and Oral Tradition of the Ancient Tibetan Upland. Philosophisch-Historische Klasse Denkschriften, Vol. 368. Wien: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008
• John Vincent Bellezza: „KM-III Exploration Report, a Reconnaissance Mission to Locate the Sri Ashtapad Temple”. University of Virginia, 2009
• Keith Dowman: „The Sacred Life of Tibet”. Harper Collins Publishers Ltd. 1997
• Lama Anagorika Govinda: “The Way of the White Clouds”. Hutchinson & Co. Ltd., London, 1966
• Toni Huber: “The Holy Land Reborn”. The University of Chicago Press, 2008
• Alex McKay: „Kailas Histories – Renunciate Traditions and the Construction of Himalayan Sacred Geography”. Brill’s Tibetan Studies Library, Leiden, 2015
• Swami Pranavananda: “Kailash – Manasarovar”, 2nd edition, Surya Print Process, New Delhi, 1983
• Wolfgang Woellmer: “The Inner and Outer Paths of Mt. Kailash”, Vajra Books, Nepal, 2014
• Wolfgang Woellmer & Alexey Perchukov: “The Spiral Kora of Mt. Kailash”, The Himalayan Journal, Mumbai, India, Vol. 72, 2017
• Wolfgang Woellmer & Sergei Balalaev: “Ancient Knowledge and Modern Explorations of the Phenomenon of the Holy Mt. Kailash”, The Himalayan Journal, Mumbai. India, Vol. 74, 2019  
• “Tibet 1:1 500 000, world mapping project Tibet”, Reise-Know-How-Verlag Peter Rump, Bielefeld, Germany
• “Kailash-Trekking-Map 1:50 000” and “Kailash Panorama Map“, Gecko Maps Arne Rohweder, Zurich-Egg, Switzerland

Some companies supporting this conference will also display products related to the conference, literature, maps, and tours to Mt. Kailash. Please use the coffee breaks to visit the stands of these companies and get information about their products. The following companies will be present in rooms next to the Anna-Siemsen-Lecture Hall: