Taklakot...A main town in Purang Valley
Trip Start
Aug 19, 2006
1
12
21
Trip End
Sep 13, 2006
Taklakot,
China
Monday, August 28, 2006
Taklakot is on the bank of River Karnali and is a part of the Purang valley. River Karnali (Map-Chu) originates in Tibet and enters Nepal near Khocharnath monastery. This is the only valley in whole of Kailash-Mansarovar region of western Tibet where agriculture is practiced. Ua-Jan (Hordeum Himalayense) a poor cousin of wheat growing between 7-12,000 ft, is widely cultivated in these areas since a long time. Barley, pea and potato are the main crops, and now mustered; turnip and radish are also grown.
Gurla Mandhata Mountains
In addition every type of vegetable is being grown here in the mist chambers.We are lodged in three blocks of houses; each block has four cubicles accommodating sixteen yatris. The cubicles are jam-packed with four cots making it very crowded. Over the last twenty years or so, since the Kailash yatra was resumed the travel conditions, have much improved. The condition of the toilets however, has remained primitive. They are long and deep cemented trenches, partitioned into number of cubicles closed from three sides and open in front without a door. At places even there is no partition between the sets where three or more just sit in a row and are expected to perform ablution... They stink horribly.
All the formalities like immigration and customs are completed during our stay here before we proceed to our onward journey. Chinese also collect $ 601 as fees for the facilities provided by them during our stay in Tibet. We have to indicate our requirements of porters and yaks during our Kailash parikrama. We therefore, exchange some Dollars for Chinese Yuan At present one US $ is approximately 8.2 Yuan.
Towards evening the soft light spreads as sunrays touch the snowy tops of Gurla-Mandhata peaks. The western horizon has turned pink with sun's dying glow. Air is cool, crisp and clear, free of pollution. The sky is clear and beautiful. It appears so near and deep, deeper than I ever thought. It is a bright and unalloyed azure, with crescent moon in the western sky. Soon the moon dips down the horizon leaving the sky to the cares of the stars, and lo! The entire dome of the sky is illuminated with billions of stars hanging down, brilliantly blinking and sparkling with radiance, as if Lord has delicately washed them in a magic river and studded them neatly up there in the sky.
Taklakot
All of them collectively are emanating icy cool blue flames to the delight of every soul. I have never seen such a beautiful sky with so many stars together. Ours is not the lonely planet after all. Far away we have galaxies of worlds, may be inhabited like ours, to give us company. At times I wonder how they are there in place where they are. What I see is a spectacular sight. The combined light emanating from the sky seems enough for the stray traveller and night denizens to find their way. Even colourful rocks of the mountains and hillocks in the hinterland absorb the light emanating from the stars and shine with their own faint radiance. The spread of Milky-Way too is distinct and clearly visible and brilliantly shining with distant worlds. Each star is distinctly discernable. You can see billions and trillions of stars distinctly and count them. Such a procession of heavenly bodies in distant heavenly city is glittering like pure Golkunda diamonds of blue hue, of them all evening star is the brightest. It is a magical spectacle staged by the Devine ...a moment to cherish and be alive in .... .I don't see Him but the aroma of His presence pervades every where and I feel it. It has been most rewarding day with many memorable moments. It is very cold in the open now as the night falls and the dew sets in.
Thus come to an end of the 9th and 10th day of our pilgrimage.
