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… an ancient art in a new tradition The flight of the Dalai Lama from Tibet in 1959 ushered in a new dawn for 60000
Tibetan people who chose not to remain under Chinese political
influence.
A European sponsored
resettlement campaign headed by Prince Bernard of the Netherlands,
supported by the United Nations High Commission for refugees and
assisted by coordinated funds coming from 18 countries began its work
of rehabilitation.
3000 of those Tibetans
went to the Indian State of Orissa, 3000 to Madhya Pradesh, another
3000 to Maharashtra. Thousands more were settled in West Bengal, a
few hundred went to Canada and others to Switzerland but the greatest
number, about 30000, live in the State of Karnataka in southern India
at five distinct settlements. Gurapura, one of the major settlements
lies about 50 miles west of Mysore City. Here about 3000 refugees
have been living, working and recreating an ancient lifestyle since
1971. Comprised of 15 villages, 32 houses to a village and
approximately 5 people to a house, Gurapura consists of 4000 acres of
cleared land on which maize is cultivated. Carpets are made in the
old traditional way and Tantric Buddhism is taught and studied in the
only metaphysical college complex to be transferred in its entirety,
complete with all its sacred books, from Tibet. The ancient cultures
are still preserved, festivals and religious dances go on as they
have for centuries.
The land was given buy
the Indian Government under the conditions whereas for every 4000
acres donated, 4000 landless Indian people would also be taken into
consideration and accommodated. Thus you see in Gurapura, many
Indian families living side by side in harmony with Tibetans.
The average family works
3 to 4 acres of land, cultivating their own crops which they sell to
the combine that markets their product. Every one seems happy in
Gurapura. There are lots of smiling faces and the old traditional
songs accompany the carpet making.
The monks, numbering
about 200 conform to every image conceived about Tibetan red-robed
priests. They, too, work the fields in between metaphysical
speculations.
The Dalai Lama visits
once a year and as spiritual leader occupies his own residence
situated next to the Tantric College which is part of the monastery
of Zongkar Chode, meaning ‘White Castle’. All settlements
exist under the umbrella of the Home Office in Dharmsala in the State
of Himachal Pradesh and bureaus of information, education, religion
and service management are well organized. The children are taught
Hindi and English as well as their native tongue.
Exotic Carpets
Tibetan carpets have an
ancient background and take their place among the better Oriental
carpets available throughout the world. Rich vibrant colours and
bold traditional design motifs, influenced strongly by Buddhism, are
their distinguishing feature, yet others are evident.
The Dragon, influenced by
China, is representative of divine wisdom. The Lotus, a symbol of
regeneration is used extensively in the central medallions and the
corner decorations. Sometimes the right angled Swastika,
representative of evolution is seen along with prayer flags, ribbons,
boxes etc., The slightly raised design effect is almost three
dimensional and the carpet becomes an object of increasing beauty and
interest.
Traditionally, Tibetans
used their carpets mainly as a seat or bed, sometimes as a wall
piece. Many designs are made for ritual use as objects to aid
meditation.
The Tibetan’s
association with the rich cultural flow along the silk route from
circa 550 BC to 600 AD and the impact of the Central Asian landscape
with which they had a close affiliation, are no doubt reasons why the
drama of line and colour is so vividly presented.
Historically, there
existed around 600 BC to 500 BC a society in the Tarim basin,
adjacent to Tibet. These people absorbed the knowledge and
traditions of Persia, India and China in their arts. The
proto-Tibetan peoples lived in the midst of this society during that
time. The White Huns, descending from Siberia, wiped out most of
this civilization. The remaining Tibetans were forced to retreat to
their plateau. But under the Tibetan pastoral society that was to
endure for 2000 years, the knowledge and traditions of the Tarim were
preserved.
The Tibetan carpet is
thus a link with the traditions of a remote era in history. The
basic technique in their creation is the Senna loop, dating back to
11th Dynasty Egypt. It survives only in Tibet and
Scandinavia.
Hand loomed from pure
Punjabi wool, the resilient, thick pile of a quality Tibetan carpet
is unequalled in sheer durability by any other carpet produced today
and will last at least 100 years with proper care.
The Statue that Spoke
An uncanny story
surrounds the original Zongkar Chode Monastery in Tibet, prior to its
re-establishment at Gurapura. A small wooden statue of the Goddess
Tara, the ‘mother of wisdom’, who, in Tibetan metaphysics,
personifies ‘mystic knowledge’, had always been revered at
the monastery. About 20 years prior to the annexation of Tibet by
China, the Statue ‘spoke’ for the first time.
It revealed that
difficult times were ahead for Tibet. That particular prophesy came
true. It spoke again prior to the exodus of the monastery personnel
from Tiber. Its words were quite enigmatic: - I AM GOING BACK TO
WHERE I CAME FROM”.
The monks fled form
Zongkar Chode via Nepal to Dalhousie in Northern India and later, by
arrangement with the authorities, managed to settle in Gurapura. Some
time later, they requested that two men be allowed to return to a
spot on the Nepalese/Tibetan border to bring back certain valuable,
spiritual artifacts which had been buried and hidden during their
swift departure. Permission was granted for this journey.
Eventually they returned with the small wooden statue of the Goddess
Tara. The figurine was found to be made of sandalwood; the kind that
grows only in the forests of Hunsur district where Gurapura is
situated. The statue had been returned to the place where its
wood had come form – centuries ago!
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