Tsaparang Site of the Lost Kingdom of Tibet

Tsaparang was said to be found in Guge kingdom and it was also its ancient capital. This place is very much appealing and attractive to the people who are attracted towards history or historical places. A place called Garuda valley lies in the Western Tibet’s Ngari province used to have this remarkable lost kingdom which ranged and expanded from the upper area of Sutlej River to the modern Ladakh border. 

 

Thöling monastery is away from the former situated location at about 26 kilometers in the west direction. It is found to exist in near immediacy of the Mount Kailash and the religious lake of Manasarovar. It lies 278 kilometers away from Ali as well. The most attractive and attention grabbing property of Tsaparang is the fort which is enormous in size and built on a pyramidal rock which is about 500 to 600 feet high.

If you observe this rock closely, you can detect the presence of labyrinthine caves and tunnels dug onto it. It is speculated that in ancient times, there were two public temples the Lhakhang Karpo (White Chapel) and the Lhakhang Marpo (Red Chapel) accessed by the commoners inhabiting a village near its base. There are a set of serpentine tunnel staircases leading to the monks’ quarters and the royal quarters with increasing height with the summer palace poised at the top.

Historical accounts say that after the assassination of the anti-Buddhist Tibetan king Langdharma in the 9^th century, one of his two sons named Namde Wosung had established Tsaparang as the Guge capital. Other accounts claim that Guge came into prominence when Langdharma’s grandson Nyima Gon fled to Western Tibet and subsequently distributed his kingdom among his descendents by the names of  Maryul (modern Ladakh), Purang and Guge. Soon Guge acquired a powerful position by 10th century CE when it started controlling the India-Tibet trade route.

Guge Landscape

Tsaparang along with Tholing came into existence with the reintroduction of Buddhism in Western Tibet by King Yeshe O in the 11^th century. The power and prosperity of the Guge Kingdom was felt far and wide and was visited by the missionaries Manuel Marques and Antonio de Andrade in 1624. The church that you find at the foot of the Tsaparang citadel was built by them. With missionary activities rising in subsequent times, Tsaparang was captured by the Muslim besiegers sent by the Ladakh king. Although they defaced Guge Empire, some of the most captivating frescos of Tsaparang have remained intact.

What puzzles modern tourists and researchers of Guge, is why this once lively empire, inhabiting at least by 10,000 people has left behind no descendents at all. Could the 1650’s Ladakhi invasion followed by that of the Red Guards of the Chinese Cultural Revolution have completely wiped out the tunnel residents of the Tsaparang dwellings? Today you can visit Tsaparang as a Tibetan tourist spot and come across an excess of interesting facts and clues about Tsaparang that the pages of history do not provide.

The average buildings of the conical rock over which the ruined citadel of Tsaparang is situated, are carved out of rocks and mud brick. The chapels along the winding path to Tsaparang have stood against the ravages of time and stand out distinctly from the surrounding ruins. The Guge temples containing a wealth of statues were destroyed indiscriminately by the Chinese Red Guards in 1967. Thankfully, just before that in 1948, the German Buddhist monk Lama Govinda and his wife had visited Tsaparang and photographed the temples in their untouched glory.

Along with the Red and White Temples, the smaller temple called Dorje Jigje Lhakhang in Tsaparang and the Tibetan Buddhist Rinchen Zangpo in Tholing are remarkable for their intricate geometric hand-painted patterns. All the three holy abodes are bedecked with a range of natural and imaginary deities that look beautiful despite the notorious vandalism. The 14,000 feet climb to the fortress on top calls for real fortitude, but when you actually go through it and explore the handiworks of the ancient Guge artists with a flashlight, the hard work seems to pay.

With Tsaparang high on the right cliff

Yunak Evleri, Beautiful Luxury Caves in Turkey

This is not the ordinary hotel. This is the kind of hotel that represents touristic attraction itself. The building is called Yunak Evleri and it is located in Cappadocia, in Turkey.

It is a part of ancient village of Ugrup and it is believed that those caves are old about 1500 years. Someone got idea to build there a luxury hotel which now attracts a plenty of tourists.

Living in a cave doesn’t sounds pretty fashionable but when you see this hotel you will have to reconsider your thoughts about caves.

National Plitvice Lakes Most Elegant Form Of Nature

Plitvice Lakes National Park, the place bestowed upon by as many as sixteen lakes and rich wild life, has always enchanted the interest of tourists from different corners of the world. This wonderful National Park of Plitvice is visited by tens of thousands of tourists every year. If you are planning your trip to this place during vacations, here is the most informative guide to help you.

 History of Plitvice

Inhabited in past by a number of communities like Romans, Japods, Turks, Slavs and Thracians, the place attained the status of tourist destination in later years of 19^th century. It was in fifth decade of twentieth century that it was endowed with the status of a national park. In the glorious year of 1979, it was included in the World Heritage List of UNESCO. After passing through a tough phase of Croatian War of Independence, the national park has reemerged as a powerful tourist destination.

Location of Plitvice

Plitvice is located in dense forests of Croatia, midway between Zagreb and Zadar and could be found close to the borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina. River Korana is another mark, which specifies the location of this national park.

Best Time To Visit

You may visit Plitvice Lakes National Park round the year. In fact, there are different views of this place during different seasons. For instance, one may experience snowfall in winters and green natural beauty in summers.

How to Reach Plitvice

You may reach Plitvice Lakes National Park from any of the two cities of Zagreb or Zadar by bus or by car. This awe-inspiring tourist destination is connected well by roads to both these cities and thus, it is a safe journey to be followed from any of these two locations. You may even reach here from Karlovac or Split, riding on a bicycle, which is definitely a fun activity.

Bizarre and Beautiful Tufa Towers of Mono Lake in California

Mono Lake is one of the most beautiful natural resorts where you should go if you are visiting California.  One of the most interesting and attractive things which can be seen in Mono Lake are tufa towers which became visible when the water level of the lake fell because of higher demand for water use amongst people who lived in neighbor.

---

Tufa towers are actually rocks which were formed of carbonate materials. When water level in Mono Lake fell, it left those beautiful towers visible. People who come and see them and don’t know the way how they are formed, will feel like they are in some alien-like environment because of pretty strange and logically impossible shapes of those rocks.

Image source 1 , 2