The Majestic & Strategic Tola
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Tola (ཁྲོ་ལ་) is a Tibetan term completely unknown to me until two years ago when I watched the Tibetan language movie, “Getak Tulku” which is a state sanctioned film and its story may not be correct to the facts of the time. Getak tulku who is the head lama of the Beri Gonpa in Karze is the central character of the film,
he who forged a friendly relationship with red army on “Long march” crossing Tibetan frontier areas in 1934-35. In the movie, the Chinese general Zhude pointed Tibetan areas of importance in strategic land mark description like the Tola of Dege. Tola is a historical and strategic mountain range in Tibet.
Tola range lies on the Tibet-Sichuan highway, 5050 feet above the sea level. It is a majestic, high range that you have to cross while you travel from east to central Tibet. Then “Tola” word again came up in my vocabulary, as the Dege Welfare society based in New Delhi got a Store named “Tola” in Majnu Ka Tilla in last few years.
Tola store with Master Tailor from Dege, Tibet specializes in Traditional Tibetan attires with accurate measurements and stitch. Tola store can deliver your spiritual item orders like unique religious hats of Tibetan Buddhist sects. Tola is a high mountain range compressed into ant’s mole infront of my eyes as I live far away from her. What fascinates me most is that it took many many years to know a little story of a great mountain in Tibet. Tola is a part of a Tibetan history and a guardian king of my paternal ancestral homeland, Dege.
Yet things change, now you can see and read the word Tola ཁྲོ་ལ་ as a brand name on Tibetan attires. And remember the small story (from my side) behind the big mountain range.
by sonam yangzom
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