Friday, November 27, 2009

Tsaparang

Western Tibet offers some of the most awe-inspiring and unusual vistas I have ever seen – parched, treeless plains, deep maze-like gorges and canyons, and all along the southern horizon the glorious Himalayas. Our purpose of driving nearly 1000 kilometers from Lhasa to western Tibet was to see Tholing and Tsaparng. This second place was a once fair sized city that commanded the main trade route from Kashmir/Ladakh to central Tibet. Even in its ruined state it is still quite a sight. The Red Guards did great damage to Tsaparang’s three main shrines but there is still enough left to make the arduous journey needed to get there worthwhile. Sad to say, young Chinese tourists who are now coming to Tsaparang seem to be perpetuating the worst behavior of their parents by scratching their names on everything.

This part of Tibet is even more arid than the rest of the country. From the top of the Tsaparang palace I could see only one tree which I later went over to have a look at. He’s a gnarled old codger, maybe several hundred years old. The only other vegetation is the grasses and thorny, stunted bushes that grow on the banks of the Sutlij. One particular type of bush was in fruit and our driver assured me that the beautiful golden buries were edible. I tried them and they were as bitter as gall. When our driver say me screw up my face at the taste he said, ‘Only very hungry people eat them’. Grrrr! Despite the extreme aridness of the landscape, Tsaparang nurtured what must have been several large monastic communities. Around Tsaparang itself and above Tholing are massive ancient ruins and man-made caves that once served as monk’s cells. Across the Sutlij are the remains of three or four large monasteries, there huge walls still standing after 500 years of neglect. The numerous caves monks cut into the cliffs are clearly visible there too.

8 comments:

Buddha said...

By Sutlij..do u mean River Sutlej?I thought it was in Pakistan?

Shravasti Dhammika said...

It's lower reaches are in Pakistan but it starts in Tibet, just near Mt.Kailash.

Buddha said...

hope the Chinese do not start buliding a dam at the Source , like they do for Tsang Po (Brhamaputra)..did u see any heavy construction activity across the rivers in tibet by China?

Ken and Visakha said...

Many thanks for the photos -- I've enjoyed Elliot Pattison's mysteries set in Tibet (also a good source for Tibetan Buddhism) but couldn't easily imagine the scenery until now.

Shravasti Dhammika said...

Dear Buddha,
We went very near the source of the Brahmaputra and followed its course for some distance but saw no signs of construction.

Dear Ken and Visakha,
Who is Eliot Pattison?

Ken and Visakha said...

He's a terrific mystery writer. Very smart, very knowledgeable about China and Tibet he has done a series of mysteries with a Chinese inspector as hero. This man ran afoul of the Communist authorities by following a trail of corruption to the inner Politburo. How else to handle him then send him for exile and punishment to the Gulag of Tibet? His life and sanity are saved by imprisoned lamas and he learns the language and Buddhism from them.

Brilliant writing but you can well imagine how hard it is to describe the wildernesses of the region in mere words!

Buddha said...

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/india-downplays-chinas-dam-construction-on-brahmaputra/537683/

http://www.2point6billion.com/news/2009/10/19/uncertainty-over-china%E2%80%99s-aims-for-brahmaphutra-river-2652.html

"Beijing says it needs to better manage its water supplies, majority of which originate in Tibet, but water diversion or siphoning is proving catastrophic for some of its neighboring countries because Mekong River levels are becoming depleted. Diversion of the Brahmaputra River would have serious consequences for India’s Northern States."

Buddha said...

http://www.selfdestructivebastards.com/2009/11/tibetan-plateau.html

The reason for china to Build dams is given in the above Link