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TIBET, September 6, 2003: Surveying work for a road around Mount Kailash is reportedly now complete and construction may start next April. According to sources who have visited the area recently, many Tibetans are concerned about the plans for the road, which may be part of more ambitious aims to increase accessibility to the area and attract more Chinese and foreign tourists, says this article sent to HPI by “source” above. Tibetan locals who complained to officials in the area about the plans have been warned not to talk about the road to foreigners or others visiting Mt. Kailash, according to a Westerner who has been a frequent visitor to the area. Tibetans are concerned because Kailash is such a sacred place and the landscape is so unspoiled. The whole point of the pilgrimage is to make the arduous 35-mile circuit around the mountain on foot, said the Westerner. According to one source, there are ongoing discussions among the local authorities about opening up a tourist route by air from Lhasa to the town of Ali. In theory, this could enable tourists to fly there from Lhasa in less than two hours, drive around the mountain, and be back in the capital a few days later. It normally takes at least three to four days by jeep to drive to Kailash from Lhasa. A Western tour operator who runs trips to Kailash said: “These plans do not take into account either the severe, and very real, risks of fatality from visiting this high altitude region without adequate acclimatization, nor do they take into account the sacred nature of the mountain to devotees from several faiths.” HPI adds: Readers who have information confirming that plans for a road are indeed in the works may contact hpi@hindu.org.

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