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Holy Lakes
Nam Co is held as "the heavenly lake" in northern Tibet. Lying at the foot of Nyainqentanglha Mountain, it covers an area of 1,948 square km at an elevation of 4,720 meters. It is the highest freshwater lake of the three holy lakes. It is said to house a 1,000-year-old fish, which is as large as a cow; there are also other creatures resembling the shape of a dragon that Tibetan call "lake sheep." These lake sheep are often seen to jump out of the water in groups of three to five. Herders say that those who see them will be able to have their lifelong wishes fulfilled.

Legend has it that Nam Lake is the beautiful daughter of nearby Bam Lake. She was married to the Nyainqentanglha Mountains. As time went by, she could not stand the frigid weather and loneliness any longer and so, with a sad heart, threw all her jewels, ornaments, and necklaces into the lake. Thus it is said that there are boundless treasures at the bottom of Nam Lake.

A peninsula protruding into the lake holds sites related to eminent monks. On the mountain slopes nearby are ancient rock paintings.

By the lake there are also two standing stone pillars, each rising 30 meters and eight meters apart. One has a crack large enough to hold a single person inside. Some Tibetans believe it is the Gate God of the Nam Co Lake.

In the eyes of the Tibetan Buddhists, taking ritual walk around Nam Co Lake and worshipping Nyainqentanglha in the Tibetan Year of Sheep is of great importance for them for these reasons: The aforementioned Zhaxior (Auspicious Island) on the eastern bank of the heavenly lake holds the "body" of Sakyamuni, where 3,000 deities gather; Dorje Gongzhama, the deity in charge of the heavenly lake, holds the "language" of the Buddha and is also the Queen of the God of Nyainqentanglha. And both the mountain god and his queen were born in the Tibetan year of Sheep. Walking around the lake takes a week.

Ritual walkers love to burn aromatic plants for auspicious smoke on the Auspicious Island and throw a piece of snow white hada scarf into the lake as a token of fulfilled wishes. If the scarf sinks, it implies one's wish is accepted by the Buddha; if the scarf flows on the water or only half sinks, it means one has failed to be honest and something unhappy lies ahead.

Ritual walkers also pay sacrifice to Lu, King of the water deities who lives in the lake. Tibetans think Lu is invisible, but all pervasive. Even in a small pit of the size of a horse hoof, there might be dozens of invisible deities. Lu owns huge wealth and is a miser, and is also prone to illness. Anyone who does something that Lu decides is not good enough will suffer back luck or will fall ill.

When paying sacrifice to Lu, one has to pay with cereals and expensive medicinal herbs. Almost all worshippers bring Luboin (Treasure Bottle containing sacrificial objects and sutra books, to be presented to Lu), which they throw into the lake.

When Tibetan Buddhism gained ascendancy in Tibet, the lake became Guardian of Tibet. The Tibetans believe the lake is the incarnation of a goddess and dipping in its waters can help cleanse one of sin.

Given this belief, many come from Xinjiang, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Sichuan and Yunnan as well as India, Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim to take ritual walks around the holy mountain and the holy lake, especially in the Tibetan Year of Sheep.

It takes about one month for one to complete trip around the lake. Ritual walkers believe one can become Buddha in l00 years, but this can be dispensed with by a circuit of the lake.

From the fourth to the fifth Tibetan month, many come for ritual walks, too.

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