About the Dalai Lama
Jampel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso is the true name of the Dalai Lama. He is the son of farmers in the village of Takster. In his childhood he wanted to be an engineer. When he was only 2 years old he was recognized as the 14th incarnation of Prince Cherezig. At 4 years old his family moved to the Potala Palace in Lhasa capital of the country. There he was prepared to become a Dalai Lama. At 16 years old he assumed political power in Tibet in the same year 1950s when China began to occupy the country.
The Escape to Exile
The Dalai Lama is invited to a military parade outside the Tibetan capital. The event was rescheduled because of Lama’s commitments. The Chinese Communist Party insist that he not go accompanied by Tibetan army soldiers, but only by unarmed security guards. So it is rumored that it would be an ambush for Beijing to catch the Dalai Lama.
in 1959 on the night of March 17, just before 10 o’clock the Dalai Lama flees the country through the Himalayas. It crossed the Tibetan territory under control of China and crossed the border with Nepal disguised of soldier not to be recognized by the Chinese troops. He arrived safely in Kathmandu the capital of Nepal. He then headed north to the Dharamsala city of India. He arrived in India after a 13 day trek through the Himalayas.
The escape of the 14th Dalai Lama occurred amidst the armed conflict between the forces of the Tibetan rebellion and the Chinese army. The hostilities began in 1956 in the Kham and the regions of Amdo. Tibet was a theocratic kingdom where the religious leader is also the political leader. Tibet has always had an ancient connection with the Chinese culture. The communist government took over China after the civil war in 1949 considering the Tibet region as a province. The Chinese troops annexed the region in 1950 promoting violent repression.
The Himalayan Way
The route used by the Dalai Lama’s delegation was an ancient route in the Himalayas that links Lhasa to the capital of Tibet to Kathmandu the capital of Nepal. Lhasa is considered one of the most fabulous places in Asia.
The first image for those arriving in Lhasa is the Potala monastery that sits high on a hill. It was in this palace-monastery that the Dalai Lama lived before the Chinese invasion. The building was built in the 17th century. It is one of the most beautiful in the world. It was full of treasures and in a hurry the Tibetan leader had to leave everything behind.
They traversed a stretch between Lhasa and Kathmandu which is about 900 kilometers long. It was not the shortest route between the two cities, but was chosen as the escape route because it is the most difficult, isolation and altitude are permanent disorders. This prevented the Chinese soldiers from pursuing their delegation.
In two weeks he traveled almost 1,500 km at altitudes of more than 5,000 m. Escaping through the Himalayas the highest mountain range in the world was an incredible feat for the young Lama.
On 19 April he is received by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in New Delhi. India becomes your home. To this day the Dalai Lama continues to fight for the sovereignty of Tibet and refuses to accept the Autonomous Region of Tibet of the People’s Republic of China established in 1965.
Did you like our story? Stay tuned that soon we will talk more about this incredible journey that Saber Viver TV made to Nepal.
