The Manasarovar Lake, also known as the Mapam Yumtso, is a high altitude freshwater lake.
About the Manasarovar lake-
- It is located near the foot of the Mount Kailash and its waters are replenished by the Kailash Glaciers in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China.
- Lake Manasarovar lies at an elevation of 4590 m above the mean sea level. This is relatively unknown for a freshwater lake, though higher and larger saline water lakes exist in the Tibetan Plateau.
- The Kailash Mansarovar lake holds a highly revered sacred place in four religions ( B?n, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism) and is the site of an annual pilgrimage undertaken by Indian citizens known as the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
- The Mansarovar Lake, along with its nearby saline counterpart, the Rakshas-Tal lake were parts of the Sutlej Basin in the past but are now separated due to tectonic activity.
Why is it in the news?
The Chinese Government has spent over USD 5 million to improve the facilities for the yatris (pilgrims) who have embarked on the Kailash Mansarovar yatra.
The money has been spent to build 4 modern reception centers for the pilgrims. Each Reception center will have over 150 rooms along with charging points, a common kitchen and washroom and will also have food facility for the pilgrims.