Mani stone piles can be seen everywhere in Tibet in mountain-passes and on river banks.
Mani stone refers to the stones engraved with the six-syllable prayer word “om mani padme hum”. Tibetans often describe one’s loyal heart as firm as the invariant carvings on stones, which can be traced in the heroic stories of King Gesar where his foot-print and his horse’s foot-print left in places of historical interest are revered by Tibetans.
Mani stones piles can be used as road signs, sacrifice to holy spirits, and tokens of worship and prayer, among which the latter two meanings are still popular in Tibet and Tibetan inhabited areas.