Tamang Buddhists of the Langtang

The Langtang valley is the home of the Tamang people who are all Buddhist and originally came from Tibet. There are many chortans (graves), gompas (monasteries), mani walls (stones with Om Mani Padme Hum etched into the slate/stone) and in each home is a small shrine with a Thangka (wall hanging with a picture of the Buddha), bowls of water, butter lamps, prayer wheel, katas, pictures of the Dalai Lama, Rinpoche's, etc.

Outside on the trails in the Langtang one walks left around mani walls, water wheels turning the large prayer wheels and colorful Tibetan prayer flags in most high places. They are pleasant, industrious, cheerful people who live off the land, greeting everyone with either a Namaste or Tashi Delek. They make cheese and wonderful Tibetan bread. The gardens are full of saag (spinach), alu (potato), mula (radish), banda (cabbage), adhwa (ginger), lasun (garlic) and beans. This is harvest time and Tihar, which is another story later.

The weather is harsh but somehow they survive on barley, wheat, potatoes and nak cheese. (a nak is a female yak. Don't ever ask for yak cheese or they will laugh and enjoy a great joke at your expense!)
Om shanti Om.
Karmapa Chenno,
Neil

ps due to power shedding, one never knows when the power will be cut off so if these posts are a bit disconnected, you know why as numerous times I am halfway and out it goes! Also note you can leave comments on the blog, which I welcome. It lets me know how this blog reads at your end and any thoughts on what you read. thanks, N