Return to Taklakot
Trip Start
Aug 19, 2006
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19
21
Trip End
Sep 13, 2006
Taklakot,
China
Monday, September 4, 2006
As we reach near Taklakot we stop at the monument of General Zoravar Singh at Toyo. The story goes that he was the commander-in-chief of Maharaja Gulab Singh of Kashmir. After annexing Ladakh and Jammu, the General attacked Western-Kailash in 1841 and established his headquarters at Teerathpuri. He fought a great battle near Parkha against the huge Tibetan force and defeated them. He however, was later taken by surprise by the counter attack of the huge regrouped Tibetan army reinforced with the Chinese forces. He fought them so gallantly with his small force that Tibetan took him for a tantrik, a superhuman, but he was eventually killed in the battle. A monument has been erected in his memory and still maintained as Chhorten like many other Chhorten in the area. The Chhortens are the memorials of great Lamas. The defeated General has been thus honoured and so thoughtfully glorified for his gallantry by the Tibetans -- indeed a rare honour to any defeated army General.
We reach Taklakot late in the evening. Here we stay till 6th September and leave for home on the 7th morning.
Simbiling Monastery
The September sky is beautiful, clear and shining blue; there are no traces of clouds anywhere. The Simbiling monastery is clearly visible atop the hill overlooking Taklakot town. It is about three kilometres from the town.
Khochernath Gompa
The last climb to the monastery is steep and tough. We cross River Karnali and pass through the Tibetan village on its right bank. It is a typical cave village about a kilometre away from Taklakot. There are many such cave dwellings in this region. A short distance away after the village we reach rocky rolling grounds from where there is a precipitous drop to River Karnali. We are here at the base of the hillock but cannot muster enough courage to climb about a kilometre and half of the steep slope in hot dazzling sunshine to the gompa. I look up at top in wonderment and think of the lamas and the monks of yesteryears who chose these remote idyllic and lofty heights for seeking enlightenment and meditation. The view of the Taklakot town and surrounding areas from here is beautiful. The landscape is magnificent with the Gurla-Mandhata range occupying the centre stage, the beautiful Karnali River in the valley sparkling in the sunlight; the rocks in the foreground displaying band of beautiful colours; the yaks, sheep and cattle grazing in the valley; wheat crop in the fields is ripe and ready for harvesting. There are net-work of canals and guls receiving water from River Karnali for irrigation and drinking purposes. There is greenery by the riverside, roadside, here and there in patches with tall salix and poplar trees. Simbiling Gompa was once a famous Lamasery, perhaps still is. There is regular school for the monks of the monastery.
Khochernath Gompa 1
There is a good library of Tibetan books including works of Kanjur and Tanjur. There are many thankas or banner paintings. During the days of Cultural Revolution this monastery like many others too had its share of destruction by the Red Guards.This and many monasteries in Tibet are the inheritance of Tibetan past. The Tibetans fiercely want to preserve them as their heritage. Majority of these monasteries were damages by the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution. Modernisation activities in Tibet by Chinese are steadily damaging the pristine environment of Tibet. There is, growing suspicion among Tibetans that China is irreparably altering their culture and way of life which they want to preserve.
Khochernath Monastery
On our last day of stay in Tibet we visit famous Khochernath Gompa. It is situated on the left bank of River Karnali, in Purang valley about 20 km away in south-easterly direction from Taklakot and is visited by pilgrims all the year round. A short distance down the river is a bridge, cross it over and you are in Nepal. There is a long story associated with creation of this gompa and an Indian acharya (ascetic). The Monastery is worshipped equally by Indian and Nepali Hindus, as also by Tibetan Buddhists.
This is an old monastery and is well preserved. Situated in sylvan surroundings under the shadows of the snowy Aral mountain ranges of Nepal, it is an oasis amid desert-like scenario. The conditions as a whole resemble a desert yet the region is not one.
Khochernath village
The rolling hillocks which look like sand dunes are fast eroding due to extreme arid conditions. Out side the boundaries of the monastery is a small village which exists under these harsh conditions. There are more villages in this valley by the river. A shrub closely resembling Juniper widely grows in these areas. Though this plant is a very useful for soil conservation it is either being heavily browsed by animals or uprooted and used for fuel and heating. Alpine flora dominates the ground. The grasses here do not form dense spread but grows in tufts. The silvery mountain range in the north is continuation of Gurla-Mandhata mountain range. At the end of the day we are busy collecting mementos. There is not much choice. Taklakot market is flooded with Chinese goods, clothes and fancy items. Some of us have already purchased items like semi-precious stone garlands, statue of Buddha; so on from Tibetan women hawkers at Darchen, some have bought wide rimmed cowboy hats made of yak skin and others buy anything of interest including China-made clothes or fancy items for gifts for friends and near dear ones back home.
Taklakot was once very popular for animal-skin trade. Beside the skins of yak, goat, sheep, wild ass, the skins of leopards and tigers were openly displayed for sale. The tiger and leopard skins used to be smuggled through ancient silk route, a well established trade route which we have travelled through. Popularity of tiger or leopard skin lies in the fact that during Tibetan New Year celebrations, dancers, riders and spectators wear the traditional Chuba which is generally coated with tiger and leopard skin. Now such displays have stopped, but clandestine trade may still exist even to day.
