BHARAT DARSHAN: EXPLORING THE UNEXPLORED: HIMALAYAS: THE UNTOUCHED PARADISE-Nako & Tabo Monasteries (Episode-14)
In this show of our documentary travelogue on Steemit, "Bharat Darshan: exploring the unexplored", Sukhnidhey Films (www.sukhnidhey.com), takes you to the highest mountains in the world, the Himalayas.
Continuing our journey from Nako where in we arrived and explored the Nako Lake in the previous episode we now set out to explore another of Nako's delight: the ancient historical Buddhist Monastery of Nako. This monastery was built in the first half of the 11th century A.D. by Lochen Rinchen Zangpo, also known as "The Great Translator", Ratan Bhadra.
The monastery is spread over a very small area. We also spot several ancient Stupas in the monastery complex, which commemorate the sites of burial of religious objects and the remains of monks. These Stupas are considered great centers of energy; and are consequently great sites for meditation. It has has four chapels; we explore them one by one. The first of these is the Gia-Pag-Paih-Lhakang chamber, which houses some very exquisite ancient wall paintings: frescoes. These depict the Buddhist Gods and Goddesses, and events from the life of the Buddha.
These amazing frescoes are a reflection of the great cultural heritage of Buddhism in India, the country of its very origin. We also enter the Prayer Hall, in which are recited the prayers by the monks staying here; there are a variety of drums and traditional Buddhist musical instruments housed in the prayer hall. We speak to the chief monk of the monastery, Mr. Rajpal, who briefs us on the traditions and the importance of the Nako Gompa.
We next head to another monastery complex nearby, built chiefly out of wood. There are depictions of Tara Devi and other Buddhist monks in this Gompa. The new monastery houses a beautiful idol of Lord Buddha which imparts immense peace to the worshipers.
We continue our journey, heading to our next stop, Tabo, situated at 10,760 feet.
We soon enter the Spiti valley, leaving behind Kinnaur, as we drive further along the road. The roads are extremely curvy, slender, and dangerous! And yes, with the Spiti river flowing alongside into the valley all along. Spiti is also called the "Cold Desert", since it primarily comprises of snow covered peaks which are mostly barren, devoid of all vegetation.
Another distinguishing and extremely remarkable feature of the Spiti valley is the phenomenol sculpting of the barren Himalayan peaks and mountains by nature. The mountains here exhibit some of the most exquisite, naturally carved patterns, which seem as though delicately carved by wind and other natural forces. An extraordinary creation on nature's canvas is what Spiti is.
An important point along the journey is Samdo, at 9974 feet. At Samdo lies a check-post, where all vehicles are examined for security reasons. Permits are required to travel further along into the territory. We reach Hurling, where the roads are very landslide prone, with stones frequently rolling down mountain slopes onto the roads. If it were not for the strong steel fences along the slopes designed to stop falling stones from reaching the road; driving here would have been unimaginable!
In Hurling are located huge Apple Orchards, wherein takes place the cultivation of the famous Himachal apples, for which Himachal Pradesh is known worldwide. Amidst the Spitian cold desert, the lush green orchards are a pleasure to watch.
Further into the journey, the mountain slopes undergo a radical transformation: the slopes are now laden with loose, uncoupled, grainy sand, which deeply resonates with the desert like nature of the Spiti valley. A few water springs and high waterfalls are what keep the valley alive.
The sand of the Spiti valley is by no means a mirage; it is a reminder of that ancient period, when, millions of years ago, the whole Himalayan region was covered with ocean waters.
We finally reach Tabo; this being a very small Himalayan town with a population of just 400 individuals. In Tabo is situated a Buddhist monastery, which is the most ancient monastery in India which is still operational. Tabo Monastery has a number of Stupas and monastery chambers which are home to some of the most ancient and exquisite Buddhist frescoes in the whole world.
We explore the chambers one by one, such as the Mystic Mandala temple, the Golden temple, etc; and speak to the local monks. The Bodhisattva Maitreya temple houses an immense, 9.5 feet tall idol of Lord Buddha.
The entrance is adorned by magnificent carving, much similar to that found outside Hindu temples. The monastery is special in that it is a Mandala monastery; housing Mandalas, the latter being spiritual energy centers. There are only 4 such monasteries in the world, at Tabo, Ladakh, Sikkim, and Tibet.
We explore the Kalchakra Stupa, which was built by the 14th Dalai Lama. The influence of Hindu architectural style is evident, the Stupa having Kichakas on the outer wall.
