06/03/2025
𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐆
𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐇𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐚
𝐈𝐧 𝐔𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐨𝐥𝐩𝐨, 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭.
Deep in the High Himalaya of North West Nepal, the15th Century Thasung Tsoling Gompa (Monastery) perches spectacularly on a promontory of land beside the stunning ethereal waters of Lake Phoksundo at around 3700 metres in altitude. From the monastery, the high snowcapped peaks of Kanjirowa Himal (over 6600M) soar above a ring of seemingly impenetrable rock at the other side of the Lake. An improbable path is carved into the cliff – sometimes known as the Demon’s path – it is the main route from this area to Upper Dolpo . Numerous prayer flags inscribed with Bon and Buddhist mantras flutter in the wind endowing sacred blessings on the people and land.
𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞
Around 600 years ago, the site of this spectacular monastery was not chosen just for its sublime and truly spiritual location, but as a strategic site to protect wildlife. Information on the Gompa states that ‘ The initial purpose of building the Gompa in this location was to protect the wildlife from hunters because this shore was the best place for traps when animals came for water’ . The name of the gompa itself reflects its purpose Tha – means edge, Sung – protect, Tso – lake, and Ling – island surroundings. So Thasung Tsoling Gompa literally means the Monastery that protects the edge and surroundings of the lake. The Monastery is therefore a testament to indigenous conservation practices that existed for centuries, well before the formation of the Shey Phoksundo National Park, Nepal’s largest National Park established in 1984.
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐭:
https://www.nomadicskies.com/news-and-blog?news=indigenous-conservation-beliefs-and-practices-in-the-high-himalaya
