Sacred Landscape Mapper

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You have reached the archived home of the Sacred Landscape Mapper project. This website was created to visualizing and documenting a sacred landscapes research project in the Himalayas, focusing on the social, cultural and ecological ties binding the region together. We invite you to explore the site and learn more about sacred landscapes in India, Nepal and Tibet.  Learn more

Kailas Sacred Landscape

The Sacred Landscape Mapper was developed to document a variety of sites within India, Nepal and Tibet as part of a three-year research project run by the India China Institute at The New School called the Sacred Himalaya Initiative. The map below shows an overview of the Kailash Sacred Landscape (outlined in red) in which this research took place. Click to see an interactive map of this area with more information about the area and the Kailash Sacred Landscape as a concept.  Learn more
KSL Interactive Map

Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative (KSLCDI)

The Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative (KSLCDI) is a collaborative programme being implemented across the borders of China, India, and Nepal. As such, KSLCDI transcends geographical boundaries, and has evolved through a participatory and iterative process into a transboundary initiative. It involves various local and national research and development institutions working in different capacities in various regions of the three countries.  Learn more

Kailas or Kailash?

What’s in a name? There is no one right way to spell the mountain known variously as Kailas, Kailash, Gang Rinpoche, and Tise. Find out about the different spellings and where they come from, and why some prefer one spelling to another.  Learn More

Explorations in Nepal

 

Limi Valley Nepal

Within the Kailash Sacred Landscape, we have focused on the district of Humla in western Nepal. You can find more resources about the Nepal portion of the KSL by browsing the menu above under Nepal. The district of Humla is an important entry point for pilgrims traveling to Mount Kailas and Lake Manasarovar in western Tibet. It is also an area rich in cultural diversity and natural history. Check out the interactive story map focused on trekking and explorations in Humla for more.  View map

Crossing Sacred Ground

In addition to the resources we have compiled from the field, we are pleased to be able to share a short documentary movie made by two of ICI’s friends, David Zurick and Chris Radcliffe, who went along with members of the SHI research team to western Tibet to visit Mount Kailas in 2014. The result of that trip is this film, Crossing Sacred Ground. To view the film use the password: xsacredground. https://vimeo.com/214607133

Crossing Sacred Ground

As part of the Sacred Himalaya Initiative, ICI scholars and research assistants collected numerous folk stories from across the KSL region. Based on the stories collected over three years, two books of folk stories from the region have been produced and are now available. One is titled Shared Sacred Landscapes: Stories from Kailas, Tise & Kang Rinpoche and the other is titled Folk Gods: Stories from Kailas, Tise & Kang Rinpoche. Both books were published in 2017 by Vajra Books in Kathmandu, Nepal. The Shared Sacred Landscapes book is edited and re-told by noted authors Kamla K. Kapur and Prawin Adhikari, and includes 7 stories expanded upon by the authors. The Folk Gods book features 10 original folk stories retold by Prawin Adhikari. Each book was published in translations with Hindi, Nepali, Tibetan and Mandarin.  Learn more

Folk Gods cover
shared sacred landscapes cover

Quest for Kailash gameHoly Mountain: Quest for Kailas

As part of the Sacred Himalaya Initiative, ICI worked with local New York game designers Antidote Games to create an immersive digital game called Holy Mountain: Quest for Kailas. This online game, which was designed with smart phone and mobile devices in mind, allows you to explore Humla and western Nepal through a turn-based, interactive story. Players start in the Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, then slowly explore and travel around the western district of Humla, learning more about the culture and ecology while they travel. The game has a rich set of interactive stories which allows for multiple plays with unique interactions each time.  Play now