pic: Geu mummy which is 675 years old
2 hours of drive from Kaza to Geu goes through narrow roads along the impressive gorges of Spiti Valley. Geu is a sleepy mountain village hardly three hours of trekking distance from western Tibet and is under the constant vigil of the intelligence agencies and ITBP (Indo Tibetan Border Police). Compared to the eastern borders of India with Pakistan, there is no tension on the borders and it seems people some times even cross borders for pasturing. Geu came into global attention when ITBP officials discovered a mummy after the 70’s earthquake that created extensive damage in various parts of Spiti Valley. It seems the ITBP officials hit upon the ‘body’ of the mummy while excavating and was surprised to see a mummy in a sitting position with all body parts intact.
pic: bridge under construction on the way to Giu village
Carbon dating of the mummy has scientifically proved that it was the body of a 45 year old Lama from the last quarter of 15th century. Historical research has proved that this mummy was part of several others that existed in Western Tibet. It seems this mummy was of a monk from Gelugapa order who were practitioners of "Zogchen", the highest form of meditation to find a solution to the destructive drought and famine that had hit the western part of Tibet. (Spiti was part of the larger Tibet at that time). The Lama along with several others used ‘Gomthak’ to tie his neck to his knee in order to free the body and transport his mid to a higher plane.
pic: Apricots offered by our host in Geu village
Continuous meditation and fasting before attaining ‘nirvana’, the body was probably devoid of all juices and any bacteria, which preserved the body with no chemical embalming. Natural mummification has preserved the body of the Lama for more than 675 years!
Upon a small hill in the village of Geu, you can see the mummy kept safely in a small hutment. Prayers are offered daily by locals and the key to the monument can be collected from the soldiers posted in the station. It’s a bit surreal to see gunmen ‘protecting’ the mummy and the surrounding areas. Separated by a glass pane, it was quite a breathless moment to see the mummy in a sitting posture. The small frame of the mummy even has its hair intact above the forehead.
Research findings from rest of the world has shown several other mummies in Tibet, which were destroyed by the Buddhists monks themselves fearing the onslaught of the Chinese after the Cultural Revolution. It seems ‘Geu Mummy’ is the only one that is remaining. As a local mentioned, it survived probably only because it was in India.While leaving the ‘shrine’, I bowed my head in a silent prayer to the Lama who made the supreme sacrifice for his land and his people.
Kaza © GP 2007
pic: bridge under construction on the way to Giu village
Carbon dating of the mummy has scientifically proved that it was the body of a 45 year old Lama from the last quarter of 15th century. Historical research has proved that this mummy was part of several others that existed in Western Tibet. It seems this mummy was of a monk from Gelugapa order who were practitioners of "Zogchen", the highest form of meditation to find a solution to the destructive drought and famine that had hit the western part of Tibet. (Spiti was part of the larger Tibet at that time). The Lama along with several others used ‘Gomthak’ to tie his neck to his knee in order to free the body and transport his mid to a higher plane.
pic: Apricots offered by our host in Geu village
Continuous meditation and fasting before attaining ‘nirvana’, the body was probably devoid of all juices and any bacteria, which preserved the body with no chemical embalming. Natural mummification has preserved the body of the Lama for more than 675 years!
Upon a small hill in the village of Geu, you can see the mummy kept safely in a small hutment. Prayers are offered daily by locals and the key to the monument can be collected from the soldiers posted in the station. It’s a bit surreal to see gunmen ‘protecting’ the mummy and the surrounding areas. Separated by a glass pane, it was quite a breathless moment to see the mummy in a sitting posture. The small frame of the mummy even has its hair intact above the forehead.
Research findings from rest of the world has shown several other mummies in Tibet, which were destroyed by the Buddhists monks themselves fearing the onslaught of the Chinese after the Cultural Revolution. It seems ‘Geu Mummy’ is the only one that is remaining. As a local mentioned, it survived probably only because it was in India.While leaving the ‘shrine’, I bowed my head in a silent prayer to the Lama who made the supreme sacrifice for his land and his people.
Kaza © GP 2007
1 comment:
heloooooooooooooooooo, where are you guys? Havent heardany thing in s omany days....Saw landslides in himachal..ru stuck buddy?
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