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Journey into Tibet is an experience
that every traveller should undertake
once in their lifetime. Nothing can
describe the feeling one gets in this
ancient land so full of culture and
heavy with mystic spiritualism. All
set in some of nature's most amazing
terrain. Come, allow us to show you
a land that you had only imagined
of before....
Tibet is limited in accessibility
for reasons more than one The weather,
government regulations, lack of logistical
iinfrastructure and a host of other
factors make travel into Tibet a difficult
proposition., To overcome some of
these hurdles, we strongly recommend
that you travel in an organized tour
which we conduct so you are left to
enjoy your trip, leaving the planning
and organizing to us.
You would want to make a careful note
of the fact that flights between Kathmandu
and Lhasa are on Tuesdays and Saturdays
only and it takes us a couple of days
to organize your Tibet travel permit
and visa at Kathmandu. As a result,
it is advisable to arrive in Kathmandu
atleast 3 days prior to your intended
departure for Tibet. .
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INTRODUCTION
Tibet, a rich and beautiful land,
is located at the main part of Qinghai-Tibet
plateau, south-west frontier of China,
situates between 26'50'-36'53' north
latitude and 78 25'-99 06' east longitude
with an average altitude over 4000m
above sea level. Tibet possesses more
than fifty peaks above 7000 m. among
which eleven are over 8000 m. Tibet
borders with Sichuan, Yunnan, Qinghai
and Xinjiang; to the south contiguous
to India, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and
Burma and bounded by Kashmir on the
west. The Tibet Autonomous Region
with a population of two million and
an area 1.2 million sq. km. Tibet
is rich in natural resources and owns
a vast expanse of landforms. People
living on this land have been creating
a glorious culture since ancient times.
There has a long history; majestic
mountains and rivers, regular customs
and habits, wonderful natural landscapes
with monks clad in robes and yellow
hats are seen everywhere.
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BRIEF HISTORY
Inhabitants were in existence in
Tibet since the latter part of the
Palaeolithic Age, which is considered
as the opening curtain of the Tibetan
history. By the Neolithic Age these
inhabitants had scattered to a wider
range of circle whose result had gradually
let to the Tibetan race of the present
generation.
In the 7th century a famous Tibetan
King names Songtsen Gampo united the
whole of Tibet and established the
Tubo Dynasty. In the 7th and 8th centuries
respectively two princesses from the
Tang Dynasty had married Tibetan kings.
In the mid 13th century Tibet became
subject to the Yuan Dynasty, whose
central administration, passed the
power to the Sakya for the over-lordship
of Tibet. In the latter part of the
Yuan Dynasty, the Sakya's rule over
Tibet tottered and the Kagyupa Sect
overtook the power and established
Pagdu Dynasty. At the end of the Ming
Dynasty and at the beginning the Qing
Dynasty, the 5th Dalai Lama by the
help of the Mongolian prince, Gorshi
Khan, became the ruler of Tibet and
established the Ganden Podrang administration
region. .
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RELIGION IN TIBET
Buddhism, with a history of some
1300 years since its penetration into
Tibet, has shaped a unique form "Lamaism".
Tibetan history, culture and religion
are mixed together and infiltrated
on every aspect of social life. Tibetan
religious arts have distinctive style
with adoption of Indian and Chinese
Buddhist influence, thus forming itself
a pearl of oriental Buddhist art Tibetan
architecture is rich in shapes, sumptuous
and full of noble aspiration. The
Potala Palace is built on the top
of a hill and penetrates its dome
into the sky. It's the king of Tibetan
architectural structures. These architectural
buildings include wonderful sculptures,
carvings, mural 'thangkas' and skilled
butter sculptures, and a vast accumulation
of historical monuments, which form
a kind of religious art, which are
developed into a school of Tibetan
tradition
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ETHNIC COMMUNITIES AND CUSTOMS
People living on the Tibetan plateau,
such as Tibetans, Monpas, Lhopas and
Moslems, have their own ways of living,
marriage, burial or other ceremonies.
Tibetans call themselves ' Bodpas'.
They have a total population of 3.4
million among which 2.2 million are
in Tibet who.mainly engage in agriculture,
animal husbandry and handicrafts Tsampa
(barley flour), beef, mutton, butter
tea and barley beer are the main food
and drinks. As for clothing, Tibetans
wear cloaks made of woolen fabrics
or lambskins. They love ornaments
and women wear striped aprons. Festivals
in Tibet are in variety among which
the grandest being the Tibetan New
Year followed by others such as "Wangkor"
Festival and horse races. For the
dead, sky burial, water burial, cremation
and stupa burial, are in practice
but the sky burial is the most popular
of them all.
Nomads and people living in remote
areas depend their transportation
on yaks, donkeys, horses and yakskin
boats. Tibetans don't have surnames.
Their names consist of four or two
syllables chiefly adopted meanings
from Buddhist ideas.
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SCIENCE AND CULTURE IN TIBET
Science and culture in Tibet include
technology, medicine, grammar, logic,
Buddhist philosophy, rhetoric, words
and expressions, syntax, drama and
astrology. Tibet is known as the sea
of songs and dances' folk songs and
dances are various in style, especially
during the "Shoton" Festival
in August each year, everywhere is
a scene of jubilation.
Along with the development of Tibetan
history, Tibetans have created a unique
science and culture of their own.
The voluminous and magnificent historical
documents, and cultural relics, humanist
and folk literature presently in existence
is the fruit of labor and wisdom of
the Tibetans. Great volumes of scriptures
such as "Kagyur" (Translation
of Commandments)," Tengyur"
(Translation of Commentaries), "Four
Tibetan Medical Tantras", "
The Happy Feast of Sages". "Biography
of Bhuton" and "Biography
of Milarepa" have been translated
into many languages.
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