Big Lhasa Talk
Amrit Ratna Tuladhar
Let us keenly observe the two short sentimental prayers for
a while. The former version is formatted in the Nepalese method whilst the latter
version is formatted in the Tibetan method. Whatever, it is nothing more than just
rendering the needy salutation to MANI --- the Enlightened One. The title
of our commercial company business firm or trading house was spelled out in
different styles like Lupou Ratna, Karuna Ratna, and sometimes
as Karuna Ratna, Pushpa Ratna. It is a relevant line of my elder
uncle, my own father and my younger uncle serially. It should actually have
been "Pushpa Sundar & Sons" totally or "Lupou Ratna &
Brothers" on a fair basis on the letterhead captions. They exchanged
correspondences numerous in number to cover all the bilateral transactions.
Therefore they always wrote in Newari instead of Nepali and English. They were
all addressed with the high rank of SAHU and Kathmandu was always known as
Kantipur during those days.
My father was in Lhasa when I was born in Nepal, on the 23rd of June 1949. My late mother is Hera Sobha Tuladhar who passed away at the age of ninety-four in Kantipur. Very obviously, grandfather Pushpa Sundar Tuladhar had three sons including Lupou Ratna Tuladhar, Karuna Ratna Tuladhar, and Pushpa Ratna Tuladhar respectively. We the lower generation are obliged much to pay sincere tribute to our grandpa Pushpa Sundar Tuladhar who entered life eternal elsewhere than in our sweet homeland. A sky burial was performed in his top honor against what was practiced back in Nepal like religious cremation. As a decent son of a Lhasa-Newar, I do speak some Tibetan which conjures up to be a sheer blend of Tibeto-Burman of the Orient.
Concerning the grandsons chronologically, we are proudly three brothers in all like Amrit Ratna Tuladhar (also known as Hera Bhai), Kamal Ratna Tuladhar (also known as (Sanu Raja) and Dipak Ratna Tuladhar (also just known as Baucha set in a nick-name style). Amrit Ratna and Kamal Ratna have in event been to Lhasa whilst Dipak Ratna has not been to Lhasa at all today (till today). It is highly advisable that the last son of Karuna Ratna also venture to Lhasa --- the Land of Gold once in his life period to supplement any required prestige to the ancestral commerce committed across the Great Himalayan Ranges --- the Pure Abode of the Everlasting Snows and the Land of the Yeti --- the Abominable Snowman. Nepal-Tibet Relation would naturally form the South Asia-Central Asia Relation indeed.
The Buddhist Newars of Nepal call Mount Everest (8,848 m.) GULUBHADYO whilst the Buddhist Tibetans call it CHOMOLUMGMA. We do share on an equal basis in the long run according to our common Buddha Dharma put to sound practice, you see. The fancy nomenclature of SAGARMATHA would of course apply to the others in general. Rasuwa and Kodari lying on the southern side belong to Nepal whilst Kalimpong also lying on the southern side belongs to India. Gangtok too lying on the southern side belongs to Sikkim. Kerung, Khasa, and Pharijong lying on the northern side belong to Tibet. The terms of Rasuwa, Kodari, Kalimpong, Kerung, Khasa, and Pharijong all sound Mongol by any oriental vocabulary. The four independent countries including Nepal, India, Sikkim and Tibet were busily involved in the trade cum transit system for a long time for sure. There occur three notable paths that virtually led us to Lhasa. a) Kathmandu-Rasuwa-Kerung; b) Kathmandu-Kodari-Khasa; c) Kalimpong-Gangtok-Pharijong; then together onwards to Shigatse, Gyantse and Lhasa --- the final stop.
Concerning any faithful religion, we also indeed profess Mahayana Buddhism or Himalayan Lamaism. We belong to the Ghelukpa sect and its strict canon which ultimately signifies that we follow the Dalai Lama with a Yellow Hat on. The Dalai Lama is the Religious Head and the Spiritual Leader of the entire Tibetan community. We all treat him as the LIVING BUDDHA too. The Lhasa-Newars happen to call him the Potala Lama as well as he spends most part of the year in the POTALA --- a Royal Palace cum Lamasery cum Fortress which served as the Autumn + Winter + Spring Residence. Otherwise, the NORBULING a smaller palace erected elsewhere served as the Summer Residence. Both of them are nestled within the Great Valley of Lhasa after all. Or more accurately, His Holiness Ven. The Dalai Lama spends nine months in the Potala whereas he spends the remaining three months in the Norbuling within the same year. The POTALA shows up as the largest monastery of the Tibetan plateau or tableland. Hence it has formally been recognized as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Organization. It is also the "Wonder of Tibet" sharing similarities with the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal of India, and the Pyramids of Egypt.
However, I find that the tourism entrepreneurs at present have been misled in some way or other than what we were basically taught back in high school. No doubt Tibet is the tallest plateau on earth or the highest tableland in the globe. Some maintain as Tibet to be the Roof of the World. I am afraid, this is totally wrong. To be precise enough, we garnered quality education back in our old alma mater more than half a century ago. The “Roof of the World” is none other than the PAMIR KNOT itself whence the Great Himalayan Ranges flank to the left or towards the cardinal direction of east with Mount Everest (8,848 m.) as the tallest snow-capped peak on earth whilst the Great Sulaiman Ranges flank to the right or towards the cardinal direction of west with Mount Karakorum (8,611 m.) as the second tallest snow-capped peak on this planet. We expedite that the lacuna be rectified at your earliest convenience. We also desire that the inadvertent mention of the Roof of the World referred to Tibet be alleviated in a permanent manner. It was Marco Polo the Pioneer of Italy indeed to offer the fancy nomenclature of “The Roof of the World” to the existing Pamir Knot of colossal nature while venturing along the Silk Road, you see. He was the first Italian to make it to the Royal Court of Kublai Khan in Beijing. Be reminded very well that the European mountains are much lower than the Asian mountains of the Northern Hemisphere. Praise be Eurasian solidarity forever!
Regarding the famous business run by my respectable ancestors, they had established official branches in Calcutta and Kalimpong. Thus the chapters of Kathmandu, Calcutta, Kalimpong, and Lhasa stood very important, scattered in the four different cardinal directions indeed. In other words, Lhasa stood as our next or second home, you see. Some foreigners call it the Shangri-La though Lhasa proved to be a forbidden city to the aliens in general. My beloved daddy was once unanimously elected the Chairman of "Nepalese Chamber of Commerce" in Lhasa itself during the Rana Regime incurred back in Nepal. How fortunate had my late father then been who got paid fairly in due time for his never-failing perseverance. Be reminded very well that Calcutta is the nearest sea-port to land-locked Nepal. So my late daddy had been almost from the sea-level to the tallest plateau on earth or the highest tableland in the globe located in the Northern Hemisphere during his entire life-period. Thank you.
