The travels of Bengalis in the past
Sumana Dam
(Continued from the last part)
The senior Lama of Kambechan Monastery helped the writers. He secretly informed them that they would have to leave the village for Chathang-La before the officials arrived.
The next morning, they began their journey early, traveling about three miles to reach the Kan-Dum-Chu waterfall, which is very sacred. Eight Indian ascetics, known as Ashtavidyadhara Tang-Shru-Gyapa, had bathed here. The waterfall, descending from a height of a thousand feet, is extraordinarily beautiful. On the way, they saw a small pond, which is considered sacred because the Buddhist Guru Pema had bathed there.
That evening, they took shelter in a cave owned by a mountain fox. The guide informed them that there were many musk goats, Himalayan antelopes, and Naos (Ovis ammon) in the area. The place was at an altitude of 18,820 feet. They spent the night after having tea and corn. The next day, on their journey, they saw a type of small rodent without tails, which supposedly feeds on moss growing on snow.
Afterward, there was nothing but snow. As they climbed above 19,000 feet, they began to have severe breathing problems. Despite wearing blue glasses, the glare from the snow made their eyes hurt. Although walking became almost impossible, they had to keep moving because they couldn’t find a place to stay for the night. Finally, around seven in the evening, they found a place to rest, and the guide arranged for them to stay there. The large stones were covered with thick ice, and since the ice would not melt until dawn, there was no fear of stones falling. So, they decided to resume their journey at dawn, spending the night on the snow with just blankets.
The next morning, it felt as if they were starting their journey in a sea of snow. They were knee-deep in snow. The writer's feet became numb, and they could not move. At that point, the guide, Furchung, carried the writer on his back for a distance. After that, the writer was able to continue walking. But then, a vast slope appeared, and if they could reach the other side, they would find a place to rest for the night. The writer kept slipping and falling down. He thought his death was inevitable from sinking into the snow. Furchung came forward again, cutting the ice with his kukri and making steps for the writer to climb. He pulled him up with his hand. Finally, around 6:30 in the evening, they reached a large mountain cave where they could rest comfortably for the night. Comfortably, that is, lying on blankets over the ice and spending the night in wet clothes as water dripped from the cracks in the cave's ceiling.
This was the toughest part of the journey, crossing Chathang-La, which was likely about 20,000 feet high. After six hours of travel the next day, they descended from the pass. They soon reached the border between Nepal, Sikkim, and China. Here, the guide became very afraid because the Dogpas guarded this pass. The writers had entered this restricted pass illegally, so their passports would not be of any use. To avoid punishment, they hid in the cave until evening and crossed the one-mile wide river over stones in the dark.
They then followed a steep mountain path toward the south of Chorten-Nyima-La. In the moonlight, they lay on the barely snow-covered ground, covered in blankets, and fell into a deep sleep. The next day, although the path was not too steep, it was still very difficult. They hadn’t had food for three days and were exhausted from hunger and thirst. After walking eight miles, they reached the foothills of Chorten-Nyima-La.
With Furchung’s help, the writer reached the top of the high pass. Below, the Tibetan plateau was visible. It was now time to descend, and by 3 p.m., they had reached a beautiful lake. The crystal-clear lake reflected the surrounding mountains and the blue sky. The Chorten Nyima River flowed from the lake. Following the river, they began their journey again. After eating corn and sugar, they descended. On the northern side of the Himalayas, there were almost no trees (because Tibet lies in a rain-shadow area).
They were constantly afraid that the guards at the Chorten Nyima Monastery might spot them, so they tried to stay hidden behind large rocks. Sometimes, when they saw a rock, they thought it might be a yak or a horse approaching. They would lie flat on the ground until it passed. After traveling five miles, they arrived at a place with ancient Indian Buddhist stupas. Pilgrims from Tibet, Mongolia, and China came here every year. There were no people in the monastery.
On the next part of the journey, they saw slate stones in black and white-green hues, which they had never seen before. After walking nonstop, they reached the main road near the village of Thek in the deep night. Under the open sky, they laid down their blankets and slept. The next day, they met some tourists on the way. They were traveling in the same direction. The guide introduced the writers as Nepali pilgrims. They took shelter in a house in a village called Tang-Lung, where many villagers came to see them. They begged for alms, and a traveling merchant and his wife came to perform a dance and sing, wishing them well. The next day, they ate mutton for the first time in days and bought some eggs. They then rented horses and continued their journey.
Now, the journey was much more comfortable, along the beautiful Khan-La-Dongki-Chu River. Barley was being cultivated here and there, and yaks, sheep, and goats grazed in the fields. Hundreds of marmots were running around from the numerous holes. When they reached a small village, about twenty villagers gathered to see what they were selling. The writer’s revolver and the Lama’s pistol caught their attention, and they wanted to buy them. The headman seated them on yak wool mats, offering them barley beer and butter tea. That night, they stayed at a wayside shelter in another village.
The next day, they passed some traders and a herd of donkeys and reached the town of Gurme by noon. There were 600 families living there, engaged in livestock farming. In the nearby mountains, the herders lived in leather tents. Furchung went to the village to collect meat and beer, but the dogs and villagers mistook him for a bandit. Eventually, after everyone was cleared, they were allowed to enter the village and collect food. They learned that a band of robbers was in the vicinity, and the writers and the Lama kept their weapons ready.
The following day, while traveling, there was a thunderstorm. Soaked, they took shelter at a shepherd’s camp, where they slept on blankets over cow dung, eating rice and meat. In the evening, a group of 500 shepherds returned. The porters explained that the writers were great lamas and merchants, and the shepherds were glad to know they were not bandits. Several Tibetans joined the group as companions. Everyone felt a little safer with some companions, especially after the fear of bandits. They then descended the Kag-go-La pass.
First, they reached the banks of the Ri River, where sheep were grazing. Two massive Tibetan guard dogs aggressively chased them. When they couldn’t stop them, the Lama shot one dead, and the other ran away. The next day, the writer saw his first Tibetan Buddhist monastery, Ri-Gonpa, also known as Ri Monastery. This ancient monastery housed 300 lamas who practiced Tantra. The head lama was said to know the art of controlling snowfall. Despite the continuous snowfall, they reached the summit of the Kyago-La pass. There, they spent a cold and miserable night, with rain and snow, lying on rocks with blankets.
The next morning, on an empty stomach, they began the steep descent from the pass. By afternoon, they reached a village where they were able to get tea, beer, and barley. The next day, they climbed the summit of Gya-La mountain, and at its end, the writer saw his destination, Tashilhunpo. Below, the beautiful view of central Tibet unfolded. The Penam-Nyang Chu river flowed, and the golden spires of Tashilhunpo Monastery came into view. As they descended, they saw many lamas, merchants, and animals on horseback.
Finally, after 21 days of travel from Zongri, on July 7, 1879, they arrived at Tashilhunpo. Afterward, the writer’s struggle to adapt to the new country and environment, and his time with the chief lama, ministers, and others, will be detailed in the next stage of the journey, without making this travelogue too heavy with details. The first part of his journey ends here. While at Tashilhunpo, he and the Lama Ugyen Sangpo had also traveled around by horse.
The next phase of the Tibet journey, as described in this book, will be taken from another of Sarat Chandra Das's books, Journey to Lhasa and Central Tibet.
(To be Continued)
No comments:
Post a Comment