 CHORTEN ON THE PANGONG TSO SHORE PHOTOGRAPHER : VIVEK SHARMA When I saw Kulanthapitha for the first time I did not know the term. I found out why Rudyard Kipling described it as 'a world within a world'! As I
stood on the crest of the Rohtang Pass and looked into the Lahaul Valley I
was awed! It was
mesmerising. It was spellbinding. Snow drenched mountains against bright blue
skies across the River Chandra which was a gentle trickle in the valley. The
country side was bare, not even a blade of grass. In total contrast to the
Manali side which was a verdant green. The soil was a light brown. This was
Kulanthapitha, the End of the Habitable World. I
walked a couple of hundred meters down the slope but was promptly called
back. We were at about 4,000 meters above sea level, my first time at this
altitude. I knew nothing about rarified atmosphere or lack of oxygen or high
altitude sickness. I
promised myself that I would come back to this amazing place and explore
every nook and corner of this world hitherto unknown to me. Twenty
five years would pass before I could keep that promise to myself. I
discovered lakes, rivers, mountains. Gompas and monasteries thousands of
years old. Hemis and Tabo, I found out were the most important for Buddhism.
And people. Ladakhis, Kinnauris and Tibetans. So different in looks, clothes,
language and food. I discovered momos! All this in an undiscovered corner of
India hidden behind the mighty Himalaya. It was
unspoilt Mother Nature, raw and excruciatingly beautiful! Skies so blue,
nights so black. So clear that you could see each star and the occasional
meteor streaking across the sky. The
monasteries were architectural masterpieces, clinging precariously to the
near vertical mountain sides. This is a totally featureless landscape.
Nothing to define where you are. Yet there was a constant traffic of pilgrims
between Ladakh and Tibet.They walked! Chortens,
cairns and mani walls lined the route, which was nothing more than a well worn pedestrian
path. Cairns
are loosely piled stones which serve to mark the route. Chortens or stupas
are well built prayer monuments to mark the presence of the Buddha. They can
vary in size. There is always a place to burn incense, as the pilgrims stop
and say a prayer and repeat Avalokiteshvra. A
wonderful and unique discovery for me was mani stones A mani
stone is a weather worn stone which has the mantra of Avalokiteshvra, ‘Om
Mani padme hum’ carved on it. It means ‘Hail the Jewel in the Lotus!' It is
in praise of the Lord Buddha. There are millions upon millions of these
stones scattered in a very organised manner over the country side. An item of
faith, promoting love and compassion. On my
first drive on the Manali-Leh road, it was just gravel, all 500 kilometres of
it! It was hailed as the highest motorable road in the world! It took me six
days! There is no road that is so desolate, dangerous yet drivable! It was
sheer excitement, plus a test of driving skills and courage. My wife was with
me. We were on our honeymoon. It
involved crossing the highest motorable passes in the world! After
Rohtang Pass at about 14,000 feet above sea level, comes Bara Lacha La
followed by Lacha Lang La, both at 16,000 feet. Then Tagalang La at 17,500
feet and down to Leh at 12,000 feet above sea level. Informatively,
La- Dakh means the land of high passes and La in Ladhaki means pass. Tso
means lake.
Pangong
Tso is an L shaped lake at the Eastern end of Ladakh. Situated at
about 14,000 feet, it is134 km long. Only about 22 km of the Lake is in
India. The rest is in Tibet under Chinese control. The Lake is 100 meters
deep and 5 km wide. It has no outlet and the water is brackish, meaning not
drinkable. However,
the real beauty of Pangong Tso is the still waters and the colours of the
water. It can change from every shade of blue to a bright turquoise as the
clouds roll by. This is
where the Indian and Chinese troops are involved in a war of words an eyeball
to eyeball confrontation at the moment! Some
years ago I was a driver on the Izusu Challenge. We drove from Manali to Tso
Khar, branched out to Hanle, Chushul and approached Pangong Tso from the
Chinese side. And then a dream came true! We camped on the
shores of Pangong Tso. I had always wanted to see a sunrise from Pangong Tso.
I did! A word
about Chushul or Rezang La. This is the site of the famous Last Stand
of 13 Kumaon who fought against overwhelming odds against the Chinese in
1962. It was a case of Last Man, Last Bullet. UNESCO
has selected eight battles of daring feats of valour, gallantry with a complete
disregard of danger and a total devotion to commitment above and beyond the
call of duty! The Indian
army finds mention twice. No other country has this unique and outstanding
Honour. The two
battles mentioned are The Battle of Saraghari, 12th September, 1897
and The Battle of Rezang La, as recently as 18th November, 1962. Sadly,
this year, 18th November came and went, as it always does. There
was no sounding of bugles, fluttering of flags, snapping of salutes to
remember and Honour the Brave Hearts of 13 Kumaon who made the ultimate
sacrifice. On the Plains of Chushul where this heroic action took place, there is a War Memorial which has a quotation from Lord Macaulay’s ‘Lays of Ancient Rome'. It recalls how one man stood defending Rome against an army. |
The Captain of the Gate.
To every man upon this Earth,
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can Man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his Fathers
And the Temples of his Gods.
PHOTOGRAPHER: VIVEK SHARMA
