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Magical Moments A Journey To Mount Kailash
Since many years I dreamed of travelling to the famous holy mountain Kailash. Because the way to Western Tibet is long and cumbersome, I joined an organized trekking tour in Kathmandu.
From there we begin our adventure with the flight to Simikot.
Small propeller-driven airplanes are the only modern means of transport
by which the inaccessible capital of the Nepalese wild west can be reached.
The planes can start and land only on the short sandy runway between the ravines.
In the afternoon after our arrival the airstrip is changed into a sports field. The players are policemen and soldiers, who are stationed here
to protect the place against Maoist rebels from the hinterland.
During the next days the Monsoon rains settle into the valley. For three days the man in the Tower must call off all flights.
No airplane, no getting ahead for us.
Our passports are still in Kathmandu, because of delays with the Chinese visa authorities and have to be flown in.
And without passports the local officials do not let us continue.
We are all eager to start the trip, but without papers we have much time to relax and become acquainted with each other.
And our cooks, carriers and travel guides enjoy their spare time.
ANDREA: Hi...
GAVAKSHA: Ok...
RANDY: I'm from the United States...
FELIX: My name is... FRANZISKA: I'm happy... MAHENDRA: Hi...
Walking around in the village I feel like on a time travel into the past. The locals live without cars, TV and other modern technical devices. Their life-style does not seem to have changed for centuries.
I am very touched by their simplicity and their happines despite their poverty.
Finally the authorities allow our departure without our passports, which will be delivered by a runner later on.
In pouring rains we are packing.
Our way leads us along the picturesque Karnali river towards Tibet.
The sea level increases slowly from 2800 meters in Simikot to 4500 on the pass before the border.
This footpath is an old trading and pilgrims' route, which is in use again today.
Constantly on the move we are passing sheep and shepherds, farmers and villages.
We meet a Lama on a pilgrimage and some Drogpas,
nomads, who carry salt with their animals from the highlands to the farmers in the valleys .
Our luggage, consisting of 5 tents, mattresses, food for 3 weeks and our personal stuff is carried by pack animals.
We've got some donkeys, a horse and tzus, a crossing from cow and yak.
On the road we are visiting a Tibetan monastry with very vivid young Lamas,
who enjoy recognizing each other in my camera display.
I am highly impressed by the elementary force of the Karnali clearing it's way through the Himalayas.
For 200 kilometers the river dug it's canyons into the mountains and created many fertile areas for farming.
After passing many irrigated fields we continue to Tora Donga, a stop over for yak caravans, meaning literally "steep rise".
During the clear and windy full moon night I suddenly wake up to take a deep breath.
The air is getting noticeably thinner now.
On the next morning we manage to climb up to Nara La, the last pass on the Nepalese side.
It is very foggy and stormy, I can hardly hold the camera,
but then the clouds break open and a breathtaking view into Western Tibet reveals itself.
But before we may enter this legendary country, we must pass the Chinese border posts.
And they do not like the chapter about the Chinese occupation of Tibet in our travel guides.
Only after they rip out the critical pages, we can move on with our Tibetan jeep crew,
which we meet behind the border.
Our group is extended now by 4 Tibetan guides, 2 Toyota jeeps and a truck.
During the next days we travel north rapidly. The road in the picture is in an unusually good condition.
The route leads us past the legendary lakes Rakshas Tal and Mansarovar and past the Kailash.
There we will return later.
In order to get to Toling and Tsaparang we take the South Main Road, one of the two so called motorways in Western Tibet.
The Chinese established a small border town close to the destroyed monastery in Taklakot.
Before the Chinese came here there were only nomads
and a few monasteries in this western Tibetan province, no settlements at all.
Mostly we are facing now an endless vastness, only the wind playing it's game with sand and clouds.
The first road sign in the middle of nowhere amuses us a lot.
Our way is interrupted occasionally by torrents. For some people it is a sudden interruption of their trip.
Our truck, with all our provisions, luggage and gasoline for 2 weeks gets stuck at a slope.
The driver is risking his life with the rescue manoeuvers,
but all towing attempts by jeeps and other trucks are in vain.
It's inclination becomes more and more threatening.
Only after some nomads come to our help, we can prevent a disaster by pulling the truck up with ropes.
For the crucial action my help is needed and the video camera falls into the dirt.
But it remains intact and we succeed to let the vehicle slide down gently.
Our helpers are very proud and we are very relieved!
Soon our drivers speed with childlike carelessness over the bumpy tracks again
and we are glad, that we and the cars survive.
And if there is a break, we are happy to admire the breath-taking nature.
After a long and exciting journey we arrive at the valley of Guge, where a buddhist kingdom flourished from the 10th to the 15th century.
Since then the area had been deserted except for a few monasteries.
Amidst this bizarre landscape the Chinese built recently
a mini Las Vegas for their soldiers guarding the borders to India.
There is only one road with restaurants, brothels and hotels.
Near by is the old monastery of Toling.
As in most Gompas, the Tibetans are again permitted to resume their monk life and rebuilt the houses again.
But many inhabitants were killed or carried off during the cultural revolution.
Inside the temples some of the murals can still be seen.
They were painted by monks a long time ago with mineral colors.
Actually they should not be exposed to the flashlight, but Gavaksha is so impressed that
he does some snapshots unobserved by the custodian.
Perhaps these pictures would have been forgotten today,
if not Lama Anagarika Govinda and his companion Li Gotami would have travelled to this area
as pilgrims in the forties of the last century.
On the way he made some paintings and later described his experiences to the western world in his book
"The Way Of The White Clouds"
Searching for the secrets of Tibetan Buddhism his journey led him also to Tsaparang,
where the great Indian Mystic Atisha lived in the 11th century AD.
The ruins of the capital of Guge give an eerie testimony of the glorious Tibetan past.
There are many reports of the cultural and spiritual life at the court.
Once powerful rulers lived here,
but in 16th century the king lost a war with the neighbouring kingdom of Ladakh and the city was given up.
The temples of the monastery and the rock cells of the monks were built at the foot of the mountain.
Since Tsaparang was abandoned already before the Chinese invasion with the exception of a few caretakers,
the rage of the red guards was not so devastating here.
Many buildings and paintings remained intact.
At the top of the fortress were the royal premises.
There was a temple for the royal family and a summer palace with marvellous views in all directions.
Lama Govinda tells us an episode from the times of the amazing rulers of Guge:
The king of Guge, Yeshe Ö, who was then residing in Tholing, sent a delegation to Bengal to invite the famous pandit Atisa to his court.
Atisa declined, saying that his services were equally needed in his own country.
The King thought that his presents had not been sufficient
and organised an expedition to the northern border of his country, where gold could be found.
But unfortunately he fell into the hands of his enemy, the King of Garlog.
He demanded a huge sum as ransom for Yeshe Ö.
His son thereupon collected funds for the release of his father;
but when he reached Garlog, the amount was not found sufficient.
Before returning, in order to procure the missing sum, he met with his father.
The King, however, told him not to spend all his gold on an old man like him,
who at the best had only a few years more to live,
but to send it to Atisa instead and to tell him
that he prized his visit more than his life.
The son took leave from his father with a heavy heart.
He was never to see him again.
Another delegation was sent to Bengal.
When they told Atisa all that had happened, the great teacher was deeply moved and exclaimed:
"Verily that King was a Bodhisattva! What else can I do but obey the will of so great a saint!"
Back in the Tibetan present we are invited to visit the tent of a nomad family.
Everything that's small and portable, attracts my fellow travellers.
The old woman sells some bags to us, but she does not want to give her salt bag away despite good offers.
Before we go, we can try out the butter machine.
On the next morning in Tirtapuri I wake up very early and can witness an amazing sunrise over the Transhimalaya.
Like in many holy places in Tibet there are multicolored prayer flags on a small hilltop .
Each breeze makes them flutter and carries the Mantras across the world and to the Gods.
On the foot of the hill lies the original pilgrimage place, the monastery of Tirtapuri.
In this area the Sutlej, one of the four holy rivers which originate in the Kailash region,
is flowing between the multicoloured hills.
One of the first Indian Mystics, who came to Tibet in order to spread Buddha's message,
spent some time here meditating in a cave.
Padmasambhava, the Lotus born, combined the original buddhistic teachings with the shamanic religion of the locals
and is considered to be the founder of one of the 4 main groups of Tibetan Buddhism.
Later the Lamas built a monastery around the cave.
Next to the main building pilgrims piled up Mani-Stones and a Mani-wall, on which the holy Mantra Om Mani Padme Hum is countlessly repeated.
Close by healthy hot springs come out of the ground.
We are thrilled to have the rare possibility of a hot bath and rid ourselves of the ever present dust before going to Kailash.
Mt. Kailash is located between Chinese, Indian and Islamic areas of influence.
The mountain is located in the Transhimalayan range in one of the most inaccessible areas of the planet.
To the South the Himalayan peaks are stretched out, separated only by a small plateau.
On this plateau in the proximity of Kailash four big rivers are originating.
The Indus flows northwest around the Himalaya.
The Sutlej finds its way along the mountains westward.
The Brahmaputra goes east and takes the longest route ending in Bangla Desh.
The Karnali flows southward through the high mountain ranges and unites in northern India with the Ganga.
So the area around the Kailash is the main source of the lifelines of the Indian plains,
in which human settlements have been existing for thousands of years.
Therefore and due to its shape the mountain is worshipped by many religions
as a center or axis of the world. It is a symbol of the Mantra OM Mani Peme Hung:
In the Lotus blossom appears the diamond.
For Hindus Mt Kailash is the abode of powerful Shiva, God of destruction and renewal. He resides there with his beloved Parvati.
The Buddhists see the summit as the home of the tantric deity Demchog, who is often represented in a Mandala.
The pilgrim enters a huge form of this Mandala, when he starts walking around the holy mountain.
We planned 3 days for the circumambulation.
We are starting at Darchen in the plains.
West and east of the mountain there are long valleys, where one can walk comfortably.
At the northern side a steep ascend and descend have to be mastered.
In Darchen yet another fee has to be paid to the Chinese authorities.
Lots of Tibetan pilgrims meet here, many arriving on trucks decorated with swastikas.
The swastika, also called sun wheel,
is an ancient symbol of luck for the Hindus and Tibetans can be seen on the south side of Mt. Kailash.
Moment to moment we are now discovering new fascinating views of the holy mountain,
which correspond to different aspects of this great Mandala.
One of the few mammals who are able to survive in this altitude and climate are the marmots.
We are meeting hundreds of them, always on the lookout for dogs and birds of prey.
Then they warn each other whistling loudly and disappear quickly into their caves.
We are lucky. The weather is sunny and warm and we enjoy a fairly easy walk.
A few days before some Indians, probably badly equipped, died in an icy storm.
We follow the path in clockwise direction like Hindus and Buddhists.
If we meet travellers walking in the opposite direction, they are Bönpos,
members of the original shamanic Tibetan religion.
Some particularly persevering pilgrims are doing continuous prostrations.
Some have come from their hometowns in this manner
and are many months on their way.
We remain on our feet for the 52 kilometers and manage the trip in 3 days.
About halfway through we pass Shiva Tsal,
the symbolic cemetery on the spiritual journey.
Here dies the "I" of the pilgrim, and symbolicly some hair or clothing are left behind.
I brought some hair from friends and relatives in Germany, who cannot do the pilgrimage themselves and spread them in the wind.
A further step is the birth channel between huge rocks.
and three of us manage to sqeeze through.
Then the route continues steeply up to Dolma La with over 5630m the highest point on our journey.
Dolma is the Tibetan name for the female aspect of Buddha.
She manifests herself in sympathy and love, which are revealed
to those who have left their past behind during the ascent.
Reaching the pass is a reason to celebrate.
Of course we add our prayer flags to the enormous collection.
And if wind and weather permit it, there is a picnic, which the sparrows are enjoying, too.
Actually I wanted to do more filming here, but I am so overwhelmed from the experience that I lie down belly flat on a stone.
I am also missing the holy dip in the Gaurikund. This icecold lake of the grace lies directly below the pass.
After a long descent we camp in a lovely valley.
In this area Milarepa, ascetic, musician and mystic, is said to have spent a long time in a cave.
In one of its many songs he describes life at Mt. Kailash:
"This old man sings a song of joy and happiness, which promises good luck and auspiciousness. The summit of the jewel-mountain reflecting the first rays of the rising sun, is the crown decorated with garlands of white clouds... To its body veils of fog are clinging,
all day gentle rains are falling while the rays of the rainbow are glowing. Autumn flowers are blossoming in many colors and countless herbs are sprouting. Its the paradise of the cows, this motherland of the animals. This is the snow mountain the gods are talking about This is the place where I meditate so often."
Milarepa, whose exceptional life story was written down by one of his disciples, is admired by the Tibetans with great devotion.
His cave was honored by building a monastery (gompa) around it.
We are allowed to watch the prayer ritual of two monks.
The ringing of the large prayer mill of the monastery marks for us the last piece of the Kora (circumambulation).
Between multicolored rock formations our next aim appears at the valley exit,
the holy lakes Mansarovar and Rakshas Tal
According to the Hindus Manasarovar Lake was created by Brahma,
in order to accomplish the ritual cleaning during the pilgrimage to Mt.Kailash,
According to the ancient buddhist legends this lake is the king of all holy lakes in the world.
Because the lake is fed only by the melting waters of the Kailash glaciers, its water is particularly clear and transparent.
On its banks many picturesque gompas can be found.
For the walk around the lake, which is about 110 kilometers, we did not have enough time. 222 00:37:28,850 --> 00:37:36,730 We walk only for a few hours along this source of peace and meditation and take a quick ritual dip despite the icy wind.
We do not see the famous swans, which are supposed to be found here.
But the proud black necked cranes are a great sight at dawn.
From Manasarovar Lake our return journey begins along the north side of the Himalayan range.
We are now travelling again with our jeeps for several days.
Again and again the vehicles have technical problems. They are old and the thin air causes trouble for them. 229 00:38:36,299 --> 00:38:39,299 Reaching further west we see the first larger Tibetan settlements
with many impoverished natives,
who have noticed that the tourists are sharing some of their goods.
For a few chinese Yuan or a ball-point pen they like their pictures to be taken.
Only a few seem to have enough money for living, like this proud owner of a small resthouse.
Our drivers help themselves to the (in)famous national beverage, the butter tea.
We Westerners prefer the tasty beer from Lhasa.
The third of the holy rivers crosses our way. We take a ferry across the Brahmaputra, which is called Tsampo Yarlung in Tibet.
Mostly we are passing breath-taking nature, like this beautiful mountain giant.
Majestically it overlooks the plateau.
Next to the road we discover a group of wild donkeys. These shy animals are a very rare species now.
Finally we reach a road which the Tibetans ironically call "the road to hell".
Along steep ravines and endless serpentines we descend 2000 meters down to Zhangmou, the Chinese border place to Nepal.
There our jeep crew leaves us and returns to Lhasa.
The border is marked by the bridge of friendship built by the Chinese.
In Nepal we change into a public bus and continue the journey.
For my senses the sumptuous vegetation, the damp climate, the thick air and the tropical smell
are an exciting cocktail after 2 extreme weeks in the highlands without connection to the rest of the world.
The last days of our trip we spend in Kathmandu. The friendly capital of Nepal is a melting pot of religions and races. 250 00:41:28,940 --> 00:41:32,940 Early in the morning I work my way through festival-parades.
I'm headed for the temple of Swayambunath, which towers high over the city.
Lots of people are already up.
It is a merry festival. I encounter several bands on their way from the temple into the city.
365 stairs lead to the big sanctuary which is holy to Hindus and Buddhists equally.
It is recognized as world cultural heritage since some years.
Buddhas eyes are watching the surrounding activities in all four directions.
Around the massive stupa in the center humans are circling untiringly
offering their gifts at small shrines which are dedicated to many different deities.
Swayambunath is called also temple of the monkeys, because the animals are the highly respected residents of the compound.
Hundreds of them linger around on the temple hill
and live from the edible offerings better than many human beggars.
Back in the busy world of Kathmandu our pilgrimage is almost finished. Everything is green and juicy down here, breathing is much easier. What will be the effects of our journey for us?
The experience of this journey will give me more joy in life and I will try to reduce my attachments.
This mixture between strength und relaxedness has impressed me most of all.
From the preface of the 14th Dalai Lama to the book: "Tibet": My future dream for Tibet is that there will be a genuine democracy. It will be completely demilitarized in the long run. Tibet should become a shelter, a zone of peace and non-violence. In this way Tibet could serve India and China again. A peaceful buffer zone between the two asian giants. Then visitors from allover the world will be welcome, in order to share our experience of peace and harmony with us.