Time flew by, as we crossed this enormous country, making our way from Nepal to the capital of Tibet.
Each city we stopped in, we overheard people talking about Lhasa, telling us stories and myths. It was surprising how very few actually visited the capital and how many had the motivation to do their annual pilgrimage in this holy city.
Unlike the other Tibetan cities, we seemed to be entering Lhasa for a long time – passing through the industrial zone, the huge car salons and the warehouses lined along the main road. We told ourselves we picked a good time to come visit Tibet (Chinese New Year) since all the factories were closed for the week and most of the population had gone to other parts of China while many East Tibetans were visiting Lhasa for their annual pilgrimage.
The feeling of excitement fluttering inside our bellies was growing with each passing street as we were making our way towards the city center. The guide was explaining that the city’s inner circle is one large area the locals would use for their morning koras (praying and prostrations around the city in clockwise direction). It has a very large circumference so it could take people an entire day to cover. It was our first glimpse into the religious passion of this city.
The streets were buzzing with life and we were happy to find out that our hotel was in the very heart of the action, located in one of the small side alleys, just behind the main square. We could hardly wait to leave our luggage and explore it.
Lhasa literally means ‘the city of gods’ and being one of the highest cities in the world (it sits at 3,490m or 11,450ft) we could see why. There was a majestic feel to the place and as dusk was drawing near, we headed to Barkhor city square and the Jokhang Market. All we knew was that we had to walk in the direction that everyone else walked.
“Just follow the masses” our guide said. We knew this meant clockwise direction but were not prepared for what we were about to see.
The Jokhang Temple was located in the middle of the Barkhor Square, surrounded by small stalls selling religious relics and thousands of people. We immediately spotted it without having to refer to any maps. This temple has remained a key center of Buddhist pilgrimage for centuries. The kora was marked by four large stone incense burners placed at the corners of the temple complex. The rooftop was gold in colour and had a huge statue of Dharma (two deers flanking a Dharma wheel) overlooking the front entrance of the temple.
After all we read, all the research we did, all the locals we talked to, nothing could have prepared us for the sight of hundreds of people prostrating all around the square and right in front of the sacred temple. Elderly and children, men and women. They all had plastic bags wrapped around their hands and dark marks on their foreheads so when their bodies would make contact with the floor, belly-down, their arms would come above their heads and their foreheads would gently touch the cold pavement, leaving a dark mark.
The prostration was very similar to any religious prayer but this one would start with kneeling and then placing the entire top part of the body on the floor. The individual would be completely stretched out on the floor and would bring their arms up above their head, palm touching right above the head.
They would get back on their knees and stand up straight with their hands in prayer position before attempting the same motion a few meters ahead. And this would happen all around the square many times.
The routine reminded me a little of my sun salutation in yoga and sent shivers down my spine to see so many people in such passionate religious sync.
As we climbed the top of the temple to get a birds eye view we just saw a mish-mash of colours and synchronized movements. The chanting sound of the prayers was like a buzz of melodies and I closed my eyes to feel the cold air on my face and the smell of fire burning and incense.
The sensation kept us warm and brought upon us a strange sense of calmness and peace.
I Travel I AM 