Iconic mountains from across the world with strangest stories and the one from India is a complete surprise

Since times immemorial, there have been stories associated with mountains. It is their remoteness, awe-inspiring nature, and the fact that most of their peaks cannot be easily climbed which makes them perfect locations for legends and folklore. Although there are a number of mountains which gained fame owing to their heights or climbing difficulties, there are also mountains which gained fame because of the extraordinary stories associated with them.
From a sacred mountain that nobody is allowed to climb to a Himalayan peak linked to a Cold War nuclear mission, these mountains demonstrate how geography and human imagination often become inseparable

Mount Kailash stands at an altitude of 6,638 meters but, despite not being one of the tallest mountains in the world, can be considered one of the holiest sites. The mountain rises in the Tibetan province of western Tibet and holds significance for four main faiths: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Bon. Probably the wildest and most pervasive myth about the Mountain Kailash regards its unusual effect on time. The modern-day myth, spread through travel websites, documentary films, and other means, asserts that some visitors have experienced abnormally rapid growth of their hair and nails – growth that allegedly occurred within a day or two as much as it would take others several weeks to attain. Others have claimed that watches, compasses, and electronic devices behaved strangely in the area. However, there is no scientific evidence whatsoever.

Rising majestically over northern California, Mount Shasta is a possibly still active volcano, which forms an imposing part of the local landscape. Geologically, it is indeed an impressive sight. However, Mount Shasta is known for much more than just being an interesting object for study by geologists. In fact, over the course of the last hundred years, the mountain has developed a number of myths and alternative religious doctrines centered around it. For example, some say that there is a secret underground city at the bottom of Mount Shasta populated by people who descend from the lost continent of Lemuria. There are even stories about UFO sightings, mysterious lights, and encounters with unexplained beings. While there is no evidence supporting such claims, Mount Shasta has become one of the most famous centres of New Age spirituality in North America.

With a natural barrier of mountains surrounding it, Nanda Devi was cut off from the rest of the world for ages, making it one of the most beautiful mountain fortresses in the world. However, the story that stands out here is not a legend or a mythological story, but one rooted in geopolitics. During the 1960s, amid growing concerns about China's nuclear programme, a combined intelligence project between Americans and Indians sought to install a nuclear spy system in Nanda Devi. Bad weather forced the expedition to abandon the equipment before it could be installed. When teams later returned, the device had disappeared, apparently carried away by an avalanche. The incident sparked decades of speculation about whether radioactive material might still lie hidden somewhere within the mountain's glaciers.

Abruptly rising out of the rainforest where Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil meet, Mount Roraima seems surreal in nature. With its sheer cliffs and a flat top, Mount Roraima makes up for one of the most spectacular geologic structures in the world. Being part of a group of very old table-top mountains called tepuis, Mount Roraima is said to be among the oldest exposed rock formations on earth. Since its top is surrounded by cliffs, many species have been developed there in seclusion, thus developing an ecosystem exclusive to the mountain only. Prior to any scientific investigation on Mount Roraima, there were legends associated with the mountain among native populations. For example, the mountain was the stump of a tree that held all the fruits and vegetables of the world in one of their myths. The mountain later inspired Arthur Conan Doyle's 1912 novel The Lost World, which imagined prehistoric creatures surviving atop an isolated plateau.

Soaring high up in the hills of central Sri Lanka, the mountain has at its peak a footprint-like depression which is an object of many religious interpretations. In Buddhism, it is the footprint of the Buddha. Hindus relate it to Lord Shiva. Both Muslims and Christians regard it as Adam’s footprint, created after he was expelled from the Garden of Eden. Throughout the centuries, pilgrims of different religions have made their way up the mountain, usually just before sunrise, to see the sun rise from the top. The depression itself will probably remain unknown, but isn’t that the charm of it?