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TIBET - THE ROOF OF THE WORLD
 Tibet,
one of the extra-ordinary destinations where indeed
adventure lurks around every corner. Its name the "Roof of
the World" is not a mere statement. The valley bottoms of
Tibet are higher than the highest mountains elsewhere.
Adventure on the road is never short on the beautiful Trans
Himalayan drive of over 970 km, through four mountain
passes, promising a panorama of a cultural and scenic
diversity unsurpassable anywhere. The Buddhist monasteries
of Drepung, once the largest; the Jokhang - a spiritual
centre, and the awesome palaces of the Dalai Lama -
Norbulingka (the summer Palace) and the Potala (the
traditional seat) are some of the highlights of visit to
Tibet.
Lhasa, 11,850 ft) was
and still is the religious, cultural and economic centre of
Tibet. The famous Potala Palace, the 13 storey, 1000 rooms
palace of the Dalai Lama; the monasteries of Drepung and
Sera; the Summer Palace of the Dalai Lama- Norbulingka; the
Jokhang - the holiest shrine in Tibet are some of the places
of interest. The circular Barkhor Street has innumerable
shops and wayside peddlers, who inter-mingle with devotees,
walking clockwise around the Jokhang.
Gyantse, 13050 is a
small agricultural town famous for its wool carpets and the
Palkhor Choide Chorten. At the Lamasery and the fort there
is a unique structure built in 1414 of the five stories
representing the five steps of enlightenment, topped by
thirteen rings which symbolize the stages of achieving
Buddha hood. There are 108 halls inside, each with frescoes
and Buddha shrines. Before 1959 traders coming from India
used to enter Tibet through Yadong and on through Gyantse to
Lhasa.
Xigaze, 12600 ft is most
famous for its Tashihunpo Monastery, the seat of the Panchen
Lama. The monastery built in 1447 by the First Dalai Lama
contains the relics of Sakyamuni, the Hall of Maitreya and a
mind boggling "free" market at the foot of the ruins of the
Xigaze fortress where one can buy local handicrafts embedded
with coral and turquoise is another great attraction.
Lhaze, 13100 ft is
situated at the crossroads from where the road turns
westwards towards Mt. Kailash and Mansoravar Lake. During
the short summer, the whole valley is covered with green
barley fields and bright-yellow mustard meadows, a welcome
change after the barren lands of the Tibet Plateau.
Close-by, there is also a small hot water spring.
Xegar, 13800 ft is a new
Chinese commune built 7 km off the highway, at the food of
the ruins of Xegar Dzong. With a population of barely 3000,
it is the centre of a large and remote country and also the
base from where expeditions to Mt. Everest and other peaks
are launched. Zhangmu, 7000 ft better known by its Tibetan
name, Khasa, is a small settlement climbing to a hillside 10
km inland from the Friendship Bridge across the Bhotekosi.
After closure of the China-India border from Gangtok (Sikkim),
Zhangmu has become the major trading route between Tibet and
Nepal. The hills around Zhangmu are heavily wooded with
innumerable waterfalls in the summer and frozen 'icicles'
during winter.
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