Silk Road

by Nick Middleton

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Introduction to Chapter

In this essay, the writer gives a description of his journey to Mount Kailash. The journey is difficult. But the natural scenery is very beautiful. The writer describes in detail how he was helped by some persons whom he had befriended. In the end, he met Norbu whose purpose of journey in that remote area was the same as that of the writer. They performed the rest of journey together.

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Detailed Summary of he Chapter

The author was on his way from Lhasa to Mount Kailash. He wanted to have an experience of the Kailash kora.

A religious pilgrimage. He had with him his guide, Daniel, and the taxi driver, Tecan. They camped at a small Tibetan village named Ravu. The woman at whose place they stayed was named Lhamo. She was a very nice woman. She gave the author a long-sleeved sheepskin coat as a parting gift. When he wore it. he looked a perfect Tibetan nomad.
It was a lovely morning when they started from Ravu. The sky was perfectly blue. A charming half-moon was floating in the sky. Tictan took a shorter route but it involved crossing several high mountain passes. He hoped that there would be no snow at that time of the year. But he said, Not knowing, sir, until we get there."

जब वे खु से चले तो एक सुहावनी सुबह थी। आकाश पूरी तरह साफ था आकाश में आधा चन्द्रमा बहुत सुन्दर लग रहा था। सेतन ने एक छोटा रास्ता लिया, परन्तु इसमें कई पहाड़ी दरों को पार करना पढ़ना था। उसे आशा थी कि वर्ष के उस समय में वहां कोई बर्फ नहीं होगी। परन्तु उसने कहा, "जब तक वहां पहुंच नहीं जाते, कुछ नहीं कहा जा सकता।"

The short cut took them across vast open plains. Here and there, they saw small groups of antelopes. Further on, they saw herds of wild asses that produced clouds of dust as they ran one after the other in circles. Thea hills began to push up from the rocky plains. Here they saw nomads tending their flocks.

Men and women would sometimes stop and gaze on their car. Some of them would wave as they passed. When the track took them close to their animals, the sheep would move away from the speeding vehicle. Their huge mastiff dogs would come running like a bullet and barking furiously. Sometimes, they came straight into their path. Tsetan had then to apply the brakes and turn to the other side. They would keep chasing the car for about a hundred metres, until the car was out of their property.

उस छोटे रास्ते से वे विशाल खुले मैदानी इलाकों में आ गए। यहां वहां उन्होंने मृगों के छोटे-छोटे झुण्ड देखे। आगे जाकर उन्होंने जंगली गधों के झुण्ड देखे। वे चक्र में एक-दूसरे के पीछे भागते हुए धूल उड़ा रहे थे। फिर पथरीले मैदानी इलाकों से पहाड़ियां शुरू हो गई। यहां उन्होंने खानाबदोशों को अपने पशु चराते देखा। आदमी और औरतें उनकी कार को देखते। उनमें से कुछ उनकी तरफ हाथ हिलाते, जब वे वहां से निकलते। जब वे उनके पशुओं के नजदीक पहुंचते तो भेड़ें तेज गति से आने वाली गाड़ी के रास्ते से दूर हट जातीं। उनके बड़े-बड़े कुत्ते भौंकते हुए गोली की भान्ति उनकी तरफ आते। कई बार वे सीधे उनके रास्ते में आ जाते तब वेतन को कार की ब्रेक लगा कर उसे दूसरी तरफ घुमाना पड़ता। वे कार का लगभग सौ मीटर तक पीछा करते रहते, जब तक वह उनके क्षेत्र से बाहर न हो जाती।

Snow-covered mountains had started appearing in the distance. They entered a valley where the river was wide and mostly dogged with ice. The turns became sharper and the ride bumpier. The track moved away from the icy river. Snow was hanging down the rocks that were almost always in the shade. The author felt the pressure building up in his ears. After going round, a bend. Tsetan stopped the car and jumped out. There was snow on the track. It stretched for about fifteen metres.


Tsetan stepped on to it and went stamping his foot from time to time to ascertain how sturdy it was. The author looked at his watch. They were at a height of 5,210 metres above sea level.

कुछ दूरी पर बर्फ से ढके पर्वत नखर आने शुरू हो गए थे। वे एक घाटी में पहुंचे जहां पर नदी चौड़ी थी और काफी जगह पर जमी हुई थी। अब मोड़ तीखे होते जा रहे थे और रास्ता गड्ढों वाला रास्ता बर्फीली नदी से दूर चला गया। उन चट्टालों से बर्फ नीचे को लटकी हुई थी जो सदा छाया में रहते हैं। लेखक को अपने कानों में दबाव बनता हुआ महसूस हुआ एक मोड़ पार करने के बाद, चेतन ने कार रोक दी और बाहर छलांग लगा दी। रास्ते पर बर्फ थी। वह लगभग पन्द्रह मोटर तक फैली हुई थी। जेतन इस पर चलने लगा और यह देखने के लिए कि यह कितनी ठोस है, बार-बार उस पर अपना पांव पटकता। लेखक ने अपनी घड़ी देखी। वे समुद्र तट से 5.210 मीटर की ऊंचाई पर थे।

Tsetan gathered handfuls of dirt and threw them across the frozen surface. The author and Daniel also gave him a helping hand. Thus, Tietan was able to take the car slowly to the other side of the icy stretch. Ten minutes later, there was another icy stretch. But this time. Teran avoided the icy path and made his way through the rocks that were along the side of the icy stretch. They had reached a height of more than 5.400 metres. The author's head began to throb horribly. He took gulps of water from his bottle, which is supposed to help a rapid ascent.

जेतन ने मुट्ठियां भर के मिट्टी बर्फ पर डाली लेखक और डेनियल ने भी उस काम में उससको सहायता को इस प्रकार अपनी कार को धीरे-धीरे बर्फ की दूसरी तरफ से गया। दस मिनट तक आगे जाने के बाद रास्ते पर और बर्फ गई। परन्तु इस बार चेतन ने उसके साथ लगते पचरीले रास्ते से गाड़ी निकाली ये 5,400 मीटर से भी अधिक ऊँचाई पर आ गए थे। लेखक का सिर बुरी तरह से दुख रहा था। उसने अपनी बोतल से काफी पानी पिया जो तीखी चढ़ाई में सहायता करने के लिए था।

Finally, they reached the top of the pass. It was at a height of 5.515 metres. It was marked by a large pile of stones with ragged prayer flags and white silk scarves. They took a turn round it in the clockwise direction, as is the tradition. Tsetan checked the tyres and the fuel in the petrol tank. The author's head soon cleared when they reached the other side of the pass. It was two o'clock by the time they stopped for lunch. And by late afternoon, they had reached the small town of Hor. They were now back on the main east-west highway. It followed the old trade route from Lhasa to Kashmir (the Silk Route). Here Daniel found a ride in a truck to go back to Lhasa.

आखिर वे दरें के ऊपर पहुंच गए। यह 5,515 मीटर की ऊंचाई पर था उसे पत्थरों के एक बड़े से ढेर से दिखाया गया था और उन पर फटी पुरानी प्रार्थना कीयां और रेशमी स्कार्फ लगे हुए थे। उन्होंने परम्परा के अनुसार उसको दाहिनी तरफ से चक्कर काटा तन नेटरों को और पेट्रोल टंकी में पेट्रोल की जांच की। जब वे दरें के दूसरी तरफ पहुंचे तो लेखक का सिर ठीक हो गया। उस समय तक दो बज चुके थे और दोपहर के भोजन के लिए रुक गए और देर दोपहर तक वे होर नामक एक छोटे से कस्बे में पहुंच गए। अब वे पूर्वी पश्चिमो राजमार्ग पर वापस आ गए थे ये रास्ता प्राचीन व्यापार मार्ग को जाता था जो हासा से कश्मीर तक था इसे रेशम मार्ग भी कहा जाता था। यहां डेनियल को सहामा जाने के लिए एक ट्रक में सवारी मिल गई।

While Tsetan was having his tyre-punctures fixed, the author went to have a view of the town. The town of Hor is situated on the shore of Lake Manasarovar. But the writer was sorely disappointed. His experience of Hor was in sharp contrast to what he had heard about it. It was a dirty, miserable place. There was no vegetation at all, just dust and rocks. There were heaps of refuse all around.


Lake Manasarovar is Tibet's most venerated stretch of water. Ancient Hindu and Buddhist shaitras describe Manasarovar as the source of four great Indian rivers: the Indus, the Ganges, the Sutlej and the Brahmaputra. Actually, only the Sutlej flows from the lake. The other rivers rise nearby on the sides of Mount Kailash.

जबकि जेतन टायरों को पंक्चर लगवा रहा था, लेखक देखने यस पड़ा कस्बा होर मानसरोवर के तट पर स्थित है। परन्तु लेखक को बहुत निराशा हुई। उसका दोर के बारे में अनुभव उससे बिल्कुल विपरीत था जो उसने इसके बारे में सुन रखा था। यह एक गन्दा सा स्थान था। यहां कोई हरियाली नहीं थी, बस मिट्टी और पत्थर थे। जगह-जगह कूड़े के ढेर लगे हुए थे। मानसरोवर झील तिब्बत का सबसे पवित्र पानी का स्रोत है। प्राचीन हिन्दू और बौद्ध शास्त्र मानसरोवर को भारत की पार बड़ी नदियों का स्रोत मानते हैं। ये सिन्धु सतलुज और ब्रह्मपुत्र वास्तव में केवलज ही इस झील से निकलती है। बाकी नदियां पर्वत से निकलती है।।

It took Tsetan quite some time to have the punctures fixed. It was dark by the time they left Hor, and it was past 10.30 when they reached a guest house in Darchen. It turned out to be a horrible night for the author. He was tired and hungry He had caught cold and was finding it difficult to breathe. He couldn't sleep a moment the whole night. Whenever he would lie down and try to sleep, he had to get up again immediately because he found it impossible to breathe in that position. He stayed awake all night. The next morning, Tseran took him to the Darchen medical college The Tibetan doctor there gave the author some medicine, and he slept very soundly the next night. When Tsetan saw that the author had no serious problem, he left the author there and returned to Lhasa.

अंतन को पंक्चर लगवाने में कुछ समय लग गया। जब तक ये होर को छोड़कर जाते तब तक अन्धेरा हो चुका था। रात के 10.30 बज चुके थे जब वे दर्शन में एक गेस्ट हाउस में पहुंचे। यह लेखक के लिए एक भयानक रात रही। वह बहुत थक गया था और उसे भूख लगी थी। उसे जुकाम हो गया था और उसे सांस लेने में कठिनाई हो रही थी। वह पूरी रात एक पल के लिए भी नहीं सो सका। जब भी वह सोने के लिए लेटता और सोने की कोशिश करता, उसे तुरन्त उठना पड़ता क्योंकि उस स्थिति में उसे सांस लेने में कठिनाई होती। वह सारी रात जागता रहा। अगली प्रातः सेतन उसे दर्बन मैडिकल कॉलिज में ले गया। यहां के तिब्बती डॉक्टर ने लेखक को कोई दवाई दी और अगली रात वह बहुत आराम से सोया जब शेतन ने देखा कि लेखक को कोई समस्या नहीं है, तो यह लेखक को वहीं छोड़ कर ल्हासा तौट गया।

Darchen was almost as dirty as Hor, but it gave a good view of the Himalayas. The town had a couple of small general stores selling Chinese cigarettes, soap and other basic provisions. In front of one, men gathered in the afternoon for a game of pool.


Nearby, women washed their long hair in the icy water of a narrow brook. Darchen felt relaxed and unhurried but, for the author, it was a significant drawback. There were no pilgrims.

दर्शन भी होर जैसा ही गन्दा था, परन्तु यहां से हिमालय का सुन्दर नजारा दिखाई पड़ता था। शहर में थोड़ी-सी पंसारी की दुकानें थी जो चीनी सिगरेट, साबुन और अन्य थोड़ा-बहुत कराने का सामान बेचती थीं। एक दुकान के आगे कुछ आदमी दोपहर के समय बिलियर्ड खेलने के लिए जमा हो जाते नजदीक हो कुछ औरतें एक छोटी-सी नदी के पानी में अपने बाल धो रही थीं। दर्बन एक आरामदायक और शान्तिपूर्वक स्थान प्रतीत होता था परन्तु इसमें एक बहुत बड़ी कमी थी। वहां कोई तीर्थयात्री नहीं थे।

The author had been told that at the height of the pilgrimage season, the town was bustling with visitors. Many brought their own tents. The author had timed his arrival for the beginning of the season, but it seemed he was too early. The pilgrimage trail was well-trodden, but the author didn't dare to do it alone. The kora was seasonal because parts of the route were liable to be blocked by snow. The author had no idea whether or not the snow had cleared. And there was no one to tell him about it. Since Tsetan had left, the author hadn't come across anyone in Darchen with enough English to answer even this most basic question.

लेखक को बताया गया कि जब तीर्थयात्रा का मौसम चरमसीमा पर होता तो कस्वा यात्रियों से भरा होता था। बहुत से लोग अपने खुद के टैण्ट लाते। लेखक यात्रा के मौसम से बहुत पहले आ गया था। तीर्थयात्रा का रास्ता बहुत साफ था, परन्तु लेखक की अकेले जाने की हिम्मत नहीं हुई। कोरा मौसमी था क्योंकि रास्ता बर्फ के कारण बन्द हो सकता था। लेखक को इस बात का कोई अन्दाता नहीं था कि बर्फ काट दी गई थी या नहीं, क्योंकि सेवन जा चुका था। लेखक को दर्शन में ऐसा कोई व्यक्ति नहीं मिला जिसे इतनी भी अंग्रेजी आती हो जो इस साधारण से प्रश्न का उत्तर दे सकता।

One afternoon, the author sat drinking tea in Darchen's only cafe. He had brought a novel with him to help pass the time. A man, Norbu, came in and asked the author with a gesture if he could sit opposite him at the table. After he had ordered tea, he asked the author, "You English?" Thus, a conversation started between the two.
The man was a Tibetan, but he worked in Beijing at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Norbu said that for many years, he had been writing academic papers about the Kailash kora and its importance in the various works of Buddhist literature. But he said that he had never done it himself. Norbu was staying at the same guest house where the author was staying. The two decided to do the kora together. But Norbu kept saying, "Very high up, so tiresome to walk." It came as a big relief to the author that he had no intention of prostrating himself all-round the mountain. "Not possible," he said in hysterical laughter. His tummy was too big for that!

एक दोपहर लेखक दर्शन के एकमात्र रेस्तरां में चाय पी रहा था। समय व्यतीत करने के लिए वह अपने साथ एक उपन्यास लाया था नोर नामक एक व्यक्ति आया और उसने लेखक से बड़े अदब से पूछा कि क्या वह उसके साथ उसकी मे पर बैठ सकता था। चाय का आर्डर देने के पश्चात् उसने लेखक से पूछा, "क्या आप एक अंग्रेज है ?" इस प्रकार दोनों के बीच बातचीत शुरू हो गई।
वह आदमी तिब्बती था, परन्तु वह कई वर्षों से बीजिंग में चाइनीज़ एकैडमी ऑफ सोशल साइंसिज़ में काम कर रहा था। नोबू ने कहा कि वह कई वर्षों से कैलाश यात्रा और बौद्ध साहित्य में उसके महत्त्व के बारे में अनुसंधान-पत्र लिख रहा था। परन्तु उसने कहा कि उसने स्वयं कभी कोरा नहीं किया था।
नोरबू भी उसी गैस्ट हाउस में रुका हुआ था जहां लेखक रुका हुआ था। दोनों ने इकट्ठे कोरा करने का निश्चय किया। परन्तु नोरबू यह कहता रहा, "चढ़ाई बहुत है, और पैदल चलना बहुत थकाने वाला है।" लेखक को यह जानकर बहुत तसल्ली हुई कि नोरबू दण्डवत् होकर चढ़ाई करने का कोई इरादा नहीं रखता था। नोरबू ने ज़ोर-ज़ोर से हंसते हुए कह दिया, "मेरे लिए यह सम्भव ही नहीं है।" उसका पेट इस काम के लिए बहुत मोटा था !

Full Explanation with Word Meanings

A FLAWLESS half-moon floated in a perfect blue sky on the morning we said our goodbyes. Extended banks of cloud like long French loaves glowed pink as the sun emerged to splash the distant mountain tops with a rose-tinted blush. Now that we were leaving Ravu, Lhamo said she wanted to give me a farewell present. One evening I’d told her through Daniel that I was heading towards Mount Kailash to complete the kora, and she’d said that I ought to get some warmer clothes. After ducking back into her tent, she emerged carrying one of the long-sleeved sheepskin coats that all the men wore. Tsetan sized me up as we clambered into his car. “Ah, yes,” he declared, “drokba, sir.” We took a short cut to get off the Changtang. Tsetan knew a route that would take us south-west, almost directly towards Mount Kailash. It involved crossing several fairly high mountain passes, he said. “But no problem, sir”, he assured us, “if there is no snow.” What was the likelihood of that I asked? “Not knowing, sir, until we get there.” From the gently rolling hills of Ravu, the short cut took us across vast open plains with nothing in them except a few gazelles.

that would look up from nibbling the arid pastures and frown before bounding away into the void. Further on, where the plains became more stony than grassy, a great herd of wild ass came into view. Tsetan told us we were approaching them long before they appeared. “Kyang,” he said, pointing towards a far-off pall of dust. When we drew near, I could see the herd galloping en masse, wheeling and turning in tight formation as if they were practising manoeuvres on some predetermined course. Plumes of dust billowed into the crisp, clean air.

निक मिडल्टन एक पुरस्कार विजेता लेखक हैं जो विभिन्न पर्यावरणीय मुद्दों पर कार्य, शिक्षण तथा स करते हैं। एक भूगोलवेत्ता के तौर पर उन्होंने 50 से अधिक देशों पर यात्रा की है। उन्होंने सात यात्रा पुस्तकें लिखी है। अध्याय "Silk Road'


में, लेखक की कैलाश पर्वत की यात्रा दी गई है। लेखक अपनी यात्रा के बारे में अपने अनुभव बताता है कि उसके द्वारा किस तरह की कठिनाइयों का सामना किया गया। रास्ते में लेखक बीमार हो गया। तब उसके साथी Tsetan ने उसकी सहयता की वह उसे दर्थन मेडिकल कॉलेज ले गया। उस सुबह जब हमने अलविदा कहा, एक दोषरहित आया चन्द्रमा पूर्णता लिए हुए आ तैर रहा था। जब हम रावू (Ravu) नामक स्थान से निकले तो लहानो (Lhamo) ने कहा कि वह मुझे विदाई में एक उपहार देना चाहती थी। एक शाम डेनियल के माध्यम से मैंने उसे बताया था कि मैं कोरा (Kora) को पूर्ण करने के लिए कैलाश पर्वत की ओर जा रहा था तथा,
उसने मुझे कहा था कि मुझे कुछ गर्म कपड़े साथ ले लेने चाहिए। अपने तम्बू में जाकर वह एक लम्बी बातुओं वाला भेड़ की खाल का कोट साथ लेकर आई जिसे सभी आदमी पहनते थे। कार में बैठते समय Tsetan नामक व्यक्ति ने मुझे कहा, "आह! श्रीमान, डरोकबा (Drokba)"। हमने Chantang से जाने के लिए एक छोटा रास्ता लिया। Tsetan को एक रास्ता पता था जो हमें कैलाश पर्वत की ओर लगभग सीधा दक्षिण-पश्चिम की ओर ले जाता। इस रास्ते पर कई ऊँचे पहाड़ी दरों से गुजरना या परन्तु उसने कहा, "श्रीमान्, कोई समस्या नहीं है," उसने हमें आश्वासन दिया, "यदि रास्ते में बर्फ ना हुई तो मैंने उससे पू कि इसकी कितनी सम्भावना थी, तो उसने कहा, "यहां पहुंचने तक कुछ नहीं कहा जा सकता है यह छोटा रास्ता हमें रायू की सुगम पहाड़ियों से खुले मैदानों की ओर ले गया जहां गैजल पशुओं के अतिरिक्त बुछ नहीं था। आगे जाने पर मैदान पास की अपेक्षा पचते हो गए, तो हमें जंगली गर्यो का एक झुण्ड दिखाई दिया। Tsetan ने हमें बताया कि हम उनके दिखाई देने के बहुत पहले उन तक पहुंचने वाले थे। "केयांग" उसने उड़ती धूल की ओर संकेत करते हुए कहा जब हम पास पहुंचे, तो मैंने उन्हें मिलकर कूदते तथा चक्कर काटते हुए देखा जैसे वे पूर्व निर्धारित तरीके से अभ्यास कर रहे हो।

As hills started to push up once more from the rocky wilderness, we passed solitary drokbas tending their flocks. Sometimes men, sometimes women, these well-wrapped figures would pause and stare at our car, occasionally waving as we passed. When the track took us close to their animals, the sheep would take evasive action, veering away from the speeding vehicle. We passed nomads’ dark tents pitched in splendid isolation, usually with a huge black dog, a Tibetan mastiff, standing guard.

These beasts would cock their great big heads when they became aware of our approach and fix us in their sights. As we continued to draw closer, they would explode into action, speeding directly towards us, like a bullet from a gun and nearly as fast. These shaggy monsters, blacker than the darkest night, usually wore bright red collars and barked furiously with massive jaws. They were completely fearless of our vehicle, shooting straight into our path, causing Tsetan to brake and swerve. The dog would make chase for a hundred metres or so before easing off, having seen us off the property. It wasn’t difficult to understand why ferocious Tibetan mastiffs became popular in China’s imperial courts as hunting dogs, brought along the Silk Road in ancient times as tribute from Tibet. By now we could see snow-capped mountains gathering on the horizon. We entered a valley where the river was wide and mostly clogged with ice, brilliant white and glinting in the sunshine. The trail hugged its bank, twisting with the meanders as we gradually gained height and the valley sides closed in.

No.	Word	Meanings
1	En Masse (अन मेसे)	All of thems (वे सभी)
2	Manoeuvres (मेनूवर)	Tactics (चाले)
3	Billowed (बिलोड)	Puffed out (गुब्बारे की तरह बाहर आना)
4	Wilderness (वाइलडरनेस)	Barrenness (बजरपन)
5	Evasive (इमेसिव)	Equivocal (टाल मटोल वाता)
6	Veering away (दीरिंग एवे)	Moving away (दूर जाते हुए)
7	Mastif (मसटिफ)	A breed of Tibetan dog (कुत्ते की एक नस्ल)
8	Shaggy (शैगी)	Hairy ( बलयुक्त)
9	Monsters (मोनसटर)	Devils (शैतान)
10	Massive (मेससिव)	Huge (ति)
11	Swerve (स्वर्ब)	Turm (मुड़ना)
12	Ferocious (फिरोसियस)	Horrible (भयानफ)
13	Clogged (फ्लोगड)	Blocked (अकया हुआ)

जब एक बार फिर पथरीले जंगलीपन से ऊपरी पहाड़ों का उठाव आरम्भ हुआ, हम Drokhas के पास से गुजरे जो अपने जानवरों के झुण्ड लेकर जा रहे थे। अच्छी प्रकार से लिपटे हुए कभी पुरूष तो कभी महिलाएं हमारी कार की ओर देखते थे तथा कभी-कभी पास से गुजरते समय हाथ भी हिलाते थे हम उस अकेलेपन में खानाबदोशों के काले तम्बूओं के पास से गुजरे जिसकी सुरक्षा तिब्बती मैस्टिफ (Mastiff) नस्ल के काले कुत्ते कर रहे थे। इन जानवरों ने हमारे पहुंचने की भनक लगते ही अपने बड़े सिरों को उठा लिया तथा अपनी दृष्टि हम पर गड़ाली। जब हम उनके निकट पहुंचे, वे हरकत में आ गए तथा बंदूक से निकली गोली की गति से हमारी ओर दौड़े ये भये दैत्य जो कि अंदेरी रातों से भी अधिक काले थे, सामान्यतः चमकदार लाल पट्टे पहनते थे तथा अपने बड़े जबड़ों को फैलाकर जोर-जोर से मौकते थे। उन्हें हमारे वाहन का कोई डर नहीं था तथा वे हमारे रास्ते में आ रहे थे जिसके कारण Tsetan को बार-बार ब्रेक लगानी पड़ रही थी। हमें अपने क्षेत्र से बाहर निकालने से पूर्व एक कुत्ता सैकड़ों मीटर तक हमारे पीछे भागा। इससे हमें यह समझने में कोई कठिनाई नहीं हुई कि क्यों तिब्बती मैस्टिफ जिन्हें ति से चीन में उपहार के रूप में भेजा जाता था, धीनी शाही दरवारों में शिकारी कुत्तों के रूप में इतने प्रसिद्ध थे। अब हमें क्षितिज पर बर्फ से ढकी पर्वत घोटियां दिखाई देने लगी थी। हम एक घाटी में प्रविष्ट हुए जहां नहीं चीड़ी थी तथा मुख्यतः सफेद एवं ग्रूप में चमकती हुई बर्फ से ढकी हुई थी। इसके किनारे चढ़ाई तथा घाटी के साथ मोहपूर्ण होते गए।

The turns became sharper and the ride bumpier, Tsetan now in third gear as we continued to climb. The track moved away from the icy river, labouring through steeper slopes that sported big rocks daubed with patches of bright orange lichen. Beneath the rocks, hunks of snow clung on in the near permanent shade. I felt the pressure building up in my ears, held my nose, snorted and cleared them. We struggled round another tight bend and Tsetan stopped. He had opened his door and jumped out of his seat before I realised what was going on. “Snow,” said Daniel as he too exited the vehicle, letting in a breath of cold air as he did so. A swathe of the white stuff lay across the track in front of us, stretching for maybe fifteen metres before it petered out and the dirt trail reappeared. The snow continued on either side of us, smoothing the abrupt bank on the upslope side. The bank was too steep for our vehicle to scale, so there was no way round the snow patch. I joined Daniel as Tsetan stepped on to the encrusted snow and began to slither and slide forward, stamping his foot from time to time to ascertain how sturdy it was. I looked at my wristwatch. We were at 5,210 metres above sea level. The snow didn’t look too deep to me, but the danger wasn’t its depth, Daniel said, so much as its icy top layer. “If we slip off, the car could turn over,” he suggested, as we saw Tsetan grab handfuls of dirt and fling them across the frozen surface. We both pitched in and, when the snow was spread with soil, Daniel and I stayed out of the vehicle to lighten Tsetan’s load. He backed up and drove towards the dirty snow, eased the car on to its icy surface and slowly drove its length without apparent difficulty. Ten minutes later, we stopped at another blockage. “Not good, sir,” Tsetan announced as he jumped out again to survey the scene. This time he decided to try and drive round the snow. The slope was steep and studded with major rocks, but somehow Tsetan negotiated them, his four-wheel drive vehicle lurching from one obstacle to the next. In so doing he cut off one of the hairpin bends, regaining the trail further up where the snow had not drifted. I checked my watch again as we continued to climb in the bright sunshine. We crept past 5,400 metres and my head began to throb horribly. I took gulps from my water bottle, which is supposed to help a rapid ascent.

मोड़ तीव्र छोटे जा रहे थे तथा सफर में झटके लग रहे थे। हम एक जोर संकरे मोड़ पर पहुंच गए तथा Thetan रूक गया। इससे पहले कि मैं स्थिति को समझ पाता, यह अपनी और का दरवाजा खोलकर नीचे कूदा डेनियल, जो वाहन के रूकने पर बाहर आ गया था, उसने ठंडी हवा की सांस खींचते हुए कहा, "बर्फ"। हमारे सामने रास्ते पर सफेद माल का ढेर था जो कि समाप्त होने तक तथा पूल पूर्ण रास्ता दिखाई देने तक लगभग पन्द्रह मीटर तक फैला था बर्फ ऊपरी दलान के किनारे पर हमारे दोनों और फैली हुई थी। किनारा इतना ढलानपूर्ण था कि हमारा वाहन आगे नहीं बढ़ सकता था तथा इसलिए इस बर्फीले भाग से निकलने का कोई रास्ता नहीं था। मैंने डेनियल के साथ देखा कि 'Tsetan बर्फ पर फिसलते हुए आगे जा रहा था तथा वह बार-बार अपने पैर को नीचे मार कर जांच कर रहा था कि यह कितनी मजबूत थी। मैंने अपनी कलाई घड़ी को ओर देखा हम समुन्द्र तल से 5.210 मीटर की ऊँचाई पर थे। मुझे बर्फ अधिक गहरी नहीं लगी परन्तु डेनियल ने कहा कि इसकी ऊपरी सतह बर्फीली होने गहराई का खतरा नहीं था। उसने कहा, “यदि हम फिसल गए, तो कार पलट सकती है। हमने देखा कि Thetan मिट्टी की मुट्टियां भर-भर कर बर्फ पर फैला रहा था। जब बर्फ पर मिट्टी फैल गई, तो गाड़ी के भार को कम करने के लिए में और डेनियल बाहर ही रहे। Tsetan वापिस आया तथा पीरे-धीरे कार को बर्फीली सतह पर चलाने लगा और बिना अधिक कठिनाई के इसे पार कर लिया। दस मिनट पश्चात् हम पुनः एक स्कावट पर रूक गए। Tsetan स्थिति का सर्वेक्षण करने के लिए फिर से नीचे उतरा और "श्रीमान, यह ठीक नहीं है। इस बार उसने कोशिश करने का निर्णय लिया और बर्फ पर चल पड़ा ढलान खड़ी थी तथा। इस पर बड़ी चट्टानें थी परन्तु किसी प्रकार Tsetan एक बाया से दूसरी की ओर जाते हुए अपने चार पहियों के वाहन को यहाँ से निकालने में सफल रहा। इस बीच उसने एक तीव्र मोड़ को काटा तथा पुनः ऊपर की ओर चल पड़ा जहां बर्फ खिसकी नहीं थी। मैंने पुनः अपनी घड़ी देखी जब हम दमकती धूप में ऊपर की ओर चढ़ रहे थे। हम 5,400 मीटर ऊपर आ चुके थे और मेरा सिर तेजी से पड़क रहा था। मैंने अपनी पानी की बोतल से छूट भरे जो तीव्र चढ़ाई में सहायक हो सकते थे।

We finally reached the top of the pass at 5,515 metres. It was marked by a large cairn of rocks festooned with white silk scarves and ragged prayer flags. We all took a turn round the cairn, in a clockwise direction as is the tradition, and Tsetan checked the tyres on his vehicle. He stopped at the petrol tank and partially unscrewed the top, which emitted a loud hiss. The lower atmospheric pressure was allowing the fuel to expand. It sounded dangerous to me. “Maybe, sir,” Tsetan laughed “but no smoking.” My headache soon cleared as we careered down the other side of the pass. It was two o’clock by the time we stopped for lunch. We ate hot noodles inside a long canvas tent, part of a workcamp erected beside a dry Salt Lake. The plateau is pockmarked with salt flats and brackish lakes, vestiges of the Tethys Ocean which bordered Tibet before the great continental collision that lifted it skyward. This one was a hive of activity, men with pickaxes and shovels trudging back and forth in their long sheepskin coats and salt-encrusted boots. All wore sunglasses against the glare as a steady stream of blue trucks emerged from the blindingly white lake laden with piles of salt. By late afternoon we had reached the small town of Hor, back on the main east-west highway that followed the old trade route from Lhasa to Kashmir. Daniel, who was returning to Lhasa, found a ride in a truck so Tsetan and I bade him farewell outside a tyre-repair shop. We had suffered two punctures in quick succession on the drive down from the Salt Lake and Tsetan was eager to have them fixed since they left him with no spares. Besides, the second tyre he’d changed had been replaced by one that was as smooth as my bald head. Hor was a grim, miserable place. There was no vegetation whatsoever, just dust and rocks, liberally scattered with years of accumulated refuse, which was unfortunate given that the town sat on the shore of Lake Manasarovar, Tibet’s most venerated stretch of water. Ancient Hindu and Buddhist cosmology pinpoints Manasarovar as the source of four great Indian rivers: the Indus, the Ganges, the Sutlej and the Brahmaputra. Actually, only the Sutlej flows from the lake, but the headwaters of the others all rise nearby on the flanks of Mount Kailash. We were within striking distance of the great mountain and I was eager to forge ahead. But I had to wait. Tsetan told me to go and drink some tea in Hor’s only cafe which, like all the other buildings in town, was constructed from badly painted concrete and had three broken windows. The good view of the lake through one of them helped to compensate for the draught. I was served by a Chinese youth in military uniform who spread the grease around on my table with a filthy rag before bringing me a glass and a thermos of tea. Half an hour later, Tsetan relieved me from my solitary confinement and we drove past a lot more rocks and rubbish westwards out of town towards Mount Kailash. My experience in Hor came as a stark contrast to accounts I’d read of earlier travellers’ first encounters with Lake Manasarovar. Ekai Kawaguchi, a Japanese monk who had arrived there in 1900, was so moved by the sanctity of the lake that he burst into tears. A couple of years later, the hallowed waters had a similar effect on Sven Hedin,a Swede who wasn’t prone to sentimental outbursts.

No.	Word	Meanings
1	Meanders (मिटेनडर)	Paths with curves and bends (मर)
2	Bumpier (बमरिअर)	Bouncing (उछालदार)
3	Steep (स्टीय)	Sharper (तीन)
4	Daubed (डीड)	Painted (पुती हुई)
5	Hunks (रॉक्स)	Rough pieces (टुकड़े)
6	Swathe (स्वर)	Bandage/Wrap (पट्टी).
7	Petered out (पीटरड आऊट)	Died out (समाप्त होना).
8	Upslope (अपस्ोप)	On the slope ( ढलान के ऊपर)
9	Encrusted (ऐनकस्टड)	Deposits of many layers (अनेक परतों का जमाव)
10	Sturdy (स्टेडी)	Soung (मजबू)
11	Studded (स्टडिड)	Doned (जड़ा हुआ)
12	Negotiated (नसिएटेड)	Crossed (पर पाया)
13	Lurching (लविंग)	Staggering (तहखाने के तरीके से चलना)
14	Cairn of rocks (कैरन ऑफ रॉक्स)	Group of rocks (चट्टानों का समूह)
15	Festooned (फेसटूनड)	Decorated (सजी हुई)
16	Careered down (कैरियरड डाउन)	Moved down swiftly (तेजी से नीचे जाना)
17	Brackish (फिश)	Sour (धारी)
18	Vestiges (वैसटिजस)	Signs (चिन)
19	Trudging (ट्रजिंग)	Plodding (पैदल चलते हुए).
20	Glare (ग्लेअर)	Dazzling sunlight (श्रमियानी धूप).
21	Succession (सक्सेशन)	One by one (एक के बाद एक).
22	Accumulated (अडि)	Piled
23	Refuse (रिफ्यूज)	Waste (बेकार की चीजें)
24	Venerated (दनिरेटिड)	Respected (सम्मानित)
25	Cosmology (कोसमोलॉजी)	Science of universe (ब्रह्मांड विज्ञान)
26	Forge (फोर्ज)	Move (पतना)
27	Filthy (फिलदी)	Dirty
28	Confinement ( फनफनमैट)	Imprisonment
29	Stark (स्टार्क)	Shry
30	Sanctity (सेट)	Holines (पकिस्ता)

हम अन्ततः दरें के शिखर 5515 मीटर की ऊंचाई पर पहुंच गए। Tsetan ने अपनी गाड़ी के पहियों की जांच की। वह पेट्रोल की टंकी के पास का और इसे ऊपर से थोड़ा दीला किया जिससे तीव्र ध्वनि बाहर आई। मुझे यह काफी खतरनाक लगा। "हो सकता है, श्रीमान, " Thetan हंसा, "परन्तु पुआँ नहीं है।" मेरा सिर दर्द जल्द ही ठीक हो गया जब हम दरें के दूसरी ओर नीचे की तरफ गए। जब हम दोपहर के भोजन के लिए स्के, तब तक दो बज चुके थे। हमने तिरपात से बने एक तम्बू में गर्म नूडल्स खाए। देर दोपहर बाद हम होर (Hor) नामक छोटे क में पहुंच गए जो कि मुख्य पूर्व-पश्चिम मार्ग पर पीछे स्थित था तथा ल्हासा से कश्मीर के प्राचीन व्यापारिक मार्ग की ओर जाता था। डेनियल को हासा वापिस जाना था तथा उसे एक ट्रक पर सवारी मिल गई, इसलिए Tsetan तथा मैंने एक टायर मरम्मत की दुकान के बाहर से उसे विदा कर दिया। नमक की झील से नीचे आते समय हमारी गाड़ी में एक के बाद एक दो पंचर हो चुके थे तथा Thetan उन्हें ठीक करवा लेना चाहता था क्योंकि उसके पास कोई अतिरिक्त टायर नहीं बचा था परन्तु मुझे इन्तजार करना पड़ा। Tsetan ने मुझे होर के एकमात्र पैके में जलकर चाय पीने के लिए कहा जो कि कस्बे के अन्य भवनों के समान भद्दे रंग के पत्थरों से बना था तथा जिसमें तीन टूटी हुई खिड़कियां थी। उनमें से एक में से दिखाई देने वाला झील का मनोरम दृश्य इस सूखे में राहत देने में सहायता कर रहा था। मुझे सैनिक की वेशभूषा पहने एक चीनी ने चाय परोसी जिसमें मुझे गिलास व चाय का परमस देने से पूर्व मेरे मेज पर एक चीपड़े से प्रीस फैला दी। आधे घण्टे बाद, Tsclan ने मुझे मेरे अकेलेपन से मुक्त किया तथा हम और अधिक चढ़ानों तथा गंदगी से पश्चिम की ओर कस्बे से बाहर कैलाश पर्वत की ओर चल पड़े। होर में मेरा अनुभव, उन यात्रियों के मानसरोवर प्रीत की मात्रा के प्रथम अनुभव जो मैंने पढ़े थे, उनसे पूर्णतया विपरीत था| Ekai Kawagnchi जो कि एक जापानी भिक्षु था तथा 1900 में यहां आया था, यह झरीत की पवित्रता से इतना प्रभावित हुआ था कि रोने लगा था। कुछ समय पश्चात् इस पवित्र स का Swen Hedin पर भी ऐसा ही प्रभाव हुआ था जो कि एक स्वीडन निवासी था तथा ऐसी भावनात्मक अनुभूतियों का आदी नहीं। था

It was dark by the time we finally left again and after 10.30 p.m. we drew up outside a guest house in Darchen for what turned out to be another troubled night. Kicking around in the open-air rubbish dump that passed for the town of Hor had set off my cold once more, though if truth be told it had never quite disappeared with my herbal tea. One of my nostrils was blocked again and as I lay down to sleep, I wasn’t convinced that the other would provide me with sufficient oxygen. My watch told me I was at 4,760 metres. It wasn’t much higher than Ravu, and there I’d been gasping for oxygen several times every night. I’d grown accustomed to these nocturnal disturbances by now, but they still scared me. Tired and hungry, I started breathing through my mouth. After a while, I switched to single-nostril power which seemed to be admitting enough oxygen but, just as I was drifting off, I woke up abruptly. Something was wrong. My chest felt strangely heavy and I sat up, a movement that cleared my nasal passages almost instantly and relieved the feeling in my chest. Curious, I thought. I lay back down and tried again. Same result. I was on the point of disappearing into the land of nod when something told me not to. It must have been those emergency electrical impulses again, but this was not the same as on previous occasions. This time, I wasn’t gasping for breath, I was simply not allowed to go to sleep. Sitting up once more immediately made me feel better. I could breathe freely and my chest felt fine. But as soon as I lay down, my sinuses filled and my chest was odd. I tried propping myself upright against the wall, but now I couldn’t manage to relax enough to drop off. I couldn’t put my finger on the reason, but I was afraid to go to sleep. A little voice inside me was saying that if I did, I might never wake up again. So, I stayed awake all night. Tsetan took me to the Darchen medical college the following morning. The medical college at Darchen was new and looked like a monastery from the outside with a very solid door that led into a large courtyard. We found the consulting room which was dark and cold and occupied by a Tibetan doctor who wore none of the paraphernalia that I’d been expecting. No white coat, he looked like any other Tibetan with a thick pullover and a woolly hat. When I explained my sleepless symptoms and my sudden aversion to lying down, he shot me a few questions while feeling the veins in my wrist. “It’s a cold,” he said finally through Tsetan. “A cold and the effects of altitude. I’ll give you something for it.” I asked him if he thought I’d recover enough to be able to do the kora. “Oh yes,” he said, “you’ll be fine.” I walked out of the medical college clutching a brown envelope stuffed with fifteen screws of paper. I had a five-day course of Tibetan medicine which I started right away. I opened an after-breakfast package and found it contained a brown powder that I had to take with hot water. It tasted just like cinnamon. The contents of the lunchtime and bedtime packages were less obviously identifiable. Both contained small, spherical brown pellets. They looked suspiciously like sheep dung, but of course I took them. That night, after my first full day’s course, I slept very soundly. Like a log, not a dead man.

जब हम अन्ततः पुनः निकले, तब तक अंधेरा हो चुका था तथा रात्रि 10:30 बजे के पश्चात् हम Darchen में एक अतिथि गृह के बाहर थे जो कि एक और कठिनाईपूर्ण रात्रि थी। होर कस्बे की गंदगी से गुजरते समय गंधपूर्ण हवा ने मेरे जुकाम को पुनः पैदा कर दिया था वैसे भी वास्तव में यह मेरी हरयल चाय से कभी भी पूर्णतया ठीक नहीं हुआ था। मेरी एक ओर की नासिका पूर्णतया बन्द हो चुकी थी तथा जब में सोने के लिए लेटा, तो मुझे विश्वास नहीं था कि दूसरी मारिसका मुझे पर्याप्त आक्सीजन प्रदान कर पानी मेरी पड़ी ने बताया कि में 4,760 मीटर की ऊंचाई पर था यह रायू से अधिक ऊंचा नहीं था तथा प्रत्येक रात कई बार आक्सीजन की कमी हो जाती थी। मैं नश्क सम्बन्धी इन समस्याओं का आदी हो चुका था परन्तु वे अभी भी मुझे भयभीत करती थी। धकावट व भूख से ग्रस्त मैंने अपने मुंह से सांस लेनी आरम्भ कर दी। कुछ समय बाद में एकमात्र नासिका की शक्ति पर निर्भर हो गया जो मुझे पर्याप्त आसीजन प्रदान करती हुई प्रतीत हुई परन्तु में जैसे भटक गया था तथा में अचानक उठ गया। कुछ परेशानी थी। मुझे अपनी छाती में भारीपन अनुभव हुआ तथा में बैठ गया। उसी क्षण अचानक मेरी नासिकाएं खुल गई तथा मेरी छाती में हो रहे अनुभव से मुझे आराम मिला। मैंने सोचा यह कितना जिज्ञासापूर्ण था। मैं पुनः लेट गया और फिर से प्रयास किया। एक बार फिर तुरन्त उठने से मुझे बेहतर अनुभव हुआ। मैं खुलकर सांस ले पा रहा था तथा मेरी छाती बेहतर अनुभव कर रही थी। परन्तु जैसे ही मैं लेटता था, मेरी नासिकाएं भर जाती थी तथा छाती में तकलीफ होती थी। मैंने स्वयं को दीवार के साथ सीधा टिकने का प्रयास किया परन्तु मै आराम से नहीं बैठ पाया और गिर गया। मुझे इसका कारण समझ नहीं आ रहा था परन्तु मैं सोने से डर रहा था। मेरे अन्दर की आवाज मुझे कह रही थी कि मंदि में सो गया तो शायद फिर कभी ना जाग सकू। इसलिए मैं सारी रात जागता रहा। अगली सुबह Titan मुझे दर्दन के मेडिकल कालेज में से गया दर्शन का मेडिकल कालेज नया था तथा बाहर से एक मठ जैसा दिखाई देता था जिस पर एक बहुत मजबूत दरवाजा लगा था जो एक बड़े आंगन की ओर से जाता था। हमने सलाह के कस को ढूंढा जो कि अंधेरावा था तथा इसमें एक बडक्टर था तथा जैसी मुझे आशा थी, उसने कोई साजो-सामान नहीं पहन रखा था। उसने ट नहीं पहना हुआ था तथा यह एक मोटे पुलोवर तथा ऊनी टोप में किसी अन्य तिब्बती जैसा ही दिखाई दे रहा था। जब मैंने उसे अपने नींद ना आने के लक्षण तथा लेटने में अपनी दिक्कत के बारे में बताया तो उसने मेरी कलाई पर नसों को अनुभव करते हुए मुझसे कुछ प्रश्न पूछे। अन्ततः उसने Tsetian के माध्यम से कहा, "यह जुकाम है। जुकाम और ऊंचाई का प्रभाव में आपको इसके लिए कुछ दूंगा।" मैंने उससे पूछा कि क्या उसे लगता था कि मैं कोरा (Kora) करने लायक ठीक हो पाऊंगा। उसने बता "ओह आप ठीक हो जाएंगे में अपने हाथ में कागज की पन्द्रह पुड़ियों से भरा एक भूरा लिफापर लेकर बाहर निकला। मुझे तिब्बती दवा का पांच दिन का फोर्स लेना था जो मैंने तुरन्त आरम्भ कर दिया। मैंने एक पुड़िया को नाश्ते के पश्चात खोला तथा पाया कि इसमें एक भूरा पाऊडर था जो मुझे गर्म पानी के साथ लेना था। इसका स्वाद दाल-चीनी जैसा था। दोपहर व रात के खाने के साथ सी जाने वाली पुड़ियों की सामग्री कुछ हद तक पहचान योग्य थी। इन दोनों में छोटी-छोटी भूरी गोलियां थी। जब Thetan को लगा की में ठीक हूँ, तो वह मुझे छोड़कर लासा लौटने के लिए चल पड़ा। एक बौद्ध के रूप में उसने मुझे कहा कि वह मानता है कि मेरी मृत्यु होना यास्तव में कोई बड़ा मुद्दा नहीं था

Once he saw that I was going to live Tsetan left me, to return to Lhasa. As a Buddhist, he told me, he knew that it didn’t really matter if I passed away, but he thought it would be bad for business. Darchen didn’t look so horrible after a good night’s sleep. It was still dusty, partially derelict and punctuated by heaps of rubble and refuse, but the sun shone brilliantly in a clear blue sky and the outlook across the plain to the south gave me a vision of the Himalayas, commanded by a huge, snow-capped mountain, Gurla Mandhata, with just a wisp of cloud suspended over its summit. The town had a couple of rudimentary general stores selling Chinese cigarettes, soap and other basic provisions, as well as the usual strings of prayer flags. In front of one, men gathered in the afternoon for a game of pool, the battered table looking supremely incongruous in the open air, while nearby women washed their long hair in the icy water of a narrow brook that babbled down past my guest house. Darchen felt relaxed and unhurried but, for me, it came with a significant drawback. There were no pilgrims. I’d been told that at the height of the pilgrimage season, the town was bustling with visitors. Many brought their own accommodation, enlarging the settlement round its edges as they set up their tents which spilled down on to the plain. I’d timed my arrival for the beginning of the season, but it seemed I was too early. One afternoon I sat pondering my options over a glass of tea in Darchen’s only cafe. After a little consideration, I concluded they were severely limited. Clearly, I hadn’t made much progress with my self-help programme on positive thinking. In my defence, it hadn’t been easy with all my sleeping difficulties, but however I looked at it, I could only wait. The pilgrimage trail was well-trodden, but I didn’t fancy doing it alone. The kora was seasonal because parts of the route were liable to blockage by snow. I had no idea whether or not the snow had cleared, but I wasn’t encouraged by the chunks of dirty ice that still clung to the banks of Darchen’s brook. Since Tsetan had left, I hadn’t come across anyone in Darchen with enough English to answer even this most basic question. Until, that is, I met Norbu. The cafe was small, dark and cavernous, with a long metal stove that ran down the middle. The walls and ceiling were wreathed in sheets of multi-coloured plastic, of the striped variety— broad blue, red and white—that is made into stout, voluminous shopping bags sold all over China, and in many other countries of Asia as well as Europe. As such, plastic must rate as one of China’s most successful exports along the Silk Road today. The cafe had a single window beside which I’d taken up position so that I could see the pages of my notebook. I’d also brought a novel with me to help pass the time. Norbu saw my book when he came in and asked with a gesture if he could sit opposite me at my rickety table. “You English?” he enquired, after he’d ordered tea. I told him I was, and we struck up a conversation.

परन्तु उसे लगा कि यह उसके व्यवसाय के लिए बुरा था। रात्रि की अच्छी नींद के पश्चात् मुझे दर्दन इतना भयावह नहीं लगा उस कस्बे में कुछ जनरल स्टोर पे जहां चीनी सिगरेट, साबुन, अन्य आधारभू वस्तुएं तथा पूजा के झण्डों की बिक्री की जाती थी। डारचन आरामपूर्ण तथा धीमा था परन्तु मेरे लिए यह इसकी एक भी थी। यहां तीर्थयात्री नहीं थे मुझे बताया गया था कि तीर्थयात्रा के मौसम में यह यात्रियों से भरा रहता था। उनमें से कई अपने रहने का सामान साथ लाते थे तथा इसके आस-पास के मैदान में अपने तम्बू इसके आकार को बढ़ा देते थे। मैंने अपनी यात्रा को इस मौसम के आरम्भ में निश्चित किया था परन्तु ऐसा प्रतीत होता था कि मैं ज्यादा जल्दी आ गया था। अपने रक्षण में, पह मेरी सभी सोने सम्बन्धी कठिनाइयों के साथ सरल नहीं था परन्तु मैने इस पर विचार किया में केवल इंतजार कर सकता था। तीर्थयात्रा का रास्ता टीक निर्मित था परन्तु में इस पर अकेले जाने का प्रलोभन नहीं ले सकता था। कोरा (Kora) मौसमी या क्योंकि रास्ते के कुछ भाग बर्फ के कारण बन्द हो सकते थे। मुझे इस बात का पता नहीं था कि बर्फ को साफ कर दिया गया था अथवा नहीं परन्तु में दर्दन के सोते पर जमी गंदी बर्फ के टुकड़ों के कारण उत्साहित नहीं हुआ क्योंकि Thetan जा चुका था, इसलिए मुझे दर्बन में अंग्रेजी जानने वाला कोई नहीं मिला जो मेरे इस सामान्य प्रश्न का भी उत्तर दे पाता। ऐसा तब तक रहा जब तक में मोर से नहीं मिला। केके छोटा अंदेशव गुफामा था जिसके मध्य में एक बड़ा धातु का स्टोव या केके में एक ही खिड़की स पास मैंने अपना स्थान से लिया ताकि मैं अपनी नोट बुक के पन्नों की देस में समय गुजारने के लिए अपने साथ एक उपन्यास भी लाया था। जब नौरवू अन्दर आया तो उसने मेरी पुस्तक को देखा और संकेत में पूछा यदि यह मेज पर मेरे सामने बैठ सकता था। चाय का आर्डर देने के बाद उसने पूछा, "क्या आप?मैंने उसे हां कहा तथा हम बातचीत में लग गए। मुझे नहीं लगता कि यह उसी क्षेत्र से या क्योंकि उसने एक शैली के धातु के फ्रेम वाले चश्में पहने हुए थे। उसने मुझे बताया कि यह परन्तुग में चीन की सोशल साईडमी में कार्य करता था जो कि एथनिक साहित्य संस्थान में थी। मुझे लगा कि यह किसी क्षेत्र कार्य में लगा था। "हा या नहीं," उसने कहा, "मैं गोरा के लिए आपा हूँ। मेरा हृदय उछलने लगा। नोरथू कई वर्षों से बैलाश मोरा तथा बौद्ध साहित्य के विभिन्न कार्यों में इसके महत्व पर शैक्षणिक लेख लिख रहा था परन्तु उसने स्वयं कभी इसे नहीं किया था। जब मैंने उसे बताया कि मैं दर्दन क्यों आया हूँ, तो उसकी आंखे चमक उठी। "हम एक दल न सकते हैं।" उसने उत्तेजनापूर्वक कहा, "दो शिक्षाविद् जो पुस्तकालय से निकल गए है। शायद अन्त मेरी सफारात्मक सोच की रणनीति कार्य कर रही थी। नोरखू, जो कि स्वयं भी अतिथि गृह में ठहरा हुआ था, उससे मिलने का मेरा आरम्भिक जोश इस बात से कम हो गया कि उसके पास भी मेरी तरह तीर्थ यात्रा के लिए उपकरण नहीं थे। यह मुझे बताता रहा कि वह कितना मोटा था तथा का सब कितना कठिन होने वाला था। "बहुत ऊंचाई है," यह मुझे याद दिलाता रहा, "चलना अत्पन्त धकानपूर्ण होगा।" ऐसा स्पष्ट था

I didn’t think he was from those parts because he was wearing a windcheater and metal-rimmed spectacles of a Western style. He was Tibetan, he told me, but worked in Beijing at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in the Institute of Ethnic Literature. I assumed he was on some sort of fieldwork. “Yes and no,” he said. “I have come to do the kora.” My heart jumped. Norbu had been writing academic papers about the Kailash kora and its importance in various works of Buddhist literature for many years, he told me, but he had never actually done it himself. When the time came for me to tell him what brought me to Darchen, his eyes lit up. “We could be a team,” he said excitedly. “Two academics who have escaped from the library.” Perhaps my positive-thinking strategy was working after all. My initial relief at meeting Norbu, who was also staying in the guest house, was tempered by the realisation that he was almost as ill-equipped as I was for the pilgrimage. He kept telling me how fat he was and how hard it was going to be. “Very high up,” he kept reminding me, “so tiresome to walk.” He wasn’t really a practising Buddhist, it transpired, but he had enthusiasm and he was, of course, Tibetan. Although I’d originally envisaged making the trek in the company of devout believers, on reflection I decided that perhaps Norbu would turn out to be the ideal companion. He suggested we hire some yaks to carry our luggage, which I interpreted as a good sign, and he had no intention of prostrating himself all-round the mountain. “Not possible,” he cried, collapsing across the table in hysterical laughter. It wasn’t his style, and anyway his tummy was too big.

No.	Word	Meanings
1	Hallowed	Purified (हुड)
2	Outtunts (आउट)	Explosions (विस्फोट)
3	Dump	Heap
4	Gaspling (रंग)	Heaving (होचते हुए)
5	Nocturnal (नोकटयूरनल)	Related to night (रात्रि से सम्बन्धित)
6	Nod	Signal (रस्त)
7	Impabes (इमलसिस)	Strong feelings (आवेग)
8	Sinuses (सिनुसस)	Empty bones of head (शिरानाल)
9	Propping (प्रीपिंग)	Siting with support (सहारे के साथ बेना)
10	Paraphernalia (पराफरनेलिया)	Equipments (साजो सामान)
11	Aversion (अयन)	Indifference/Hatred
12	Altitude (अल)	Height
13	Clutching (कलचिंग)	Holding (सड़े हुए)
14	Stuffed with (स्टपड पि)	Filled with (भरा हुआ)
15	Cinnamon (सिनमन)	Aspice (दालचीनी)
16	Pellets (पेलिटस)	Tablets (गोलिय)
17	Derelict (हरलिस्ट)	condition (बुरी दशा में)
18	Penctunted (पंकफ्यूटिड)	Interrupted (चापित)
19	Rubble ( रचत)	Debris (मतबा)
20	Wap (विस्प)	Athia line (एक पतली पत
21	Suspended (सस्पेंडिड)	In hanging position (लटके हुए)
22	Redimentary (यूडिमेनटरी)	Basic Preliminary (आधारभूत आरम्भिक)
23	Provisions (प्रोविजनस)	Arrangements (प्रबन्ध)
24	Strings (स्टिंगस)	Therads (पागे)
25	Battereu (बैटरड)	Damaged
26	Incongruous (इनकांडुअस)	Unmuitable (अनुपयुक्त)
27	Brook ( चूक)	River (नदी)
28	Babbled down (देवल्ड डाऊन)	Flowed down with noise (शोर करते हुए बहना)
29	Bestling (बसलंग)	Busy Crowded (व्यस्त भीड़ भरा)
30	Spilled (स्थितड)	Scattered (बाहुए)
31	Pondering (पोन्डरिंग)	Thinking over (सोते हुए)
32	Liable	Likely ( होना)
33	Chunks (क्स)	Pleces (टुकड़े या घंड)
34	Cavernous (वनस)	Likes cave (गुका की रह)
35	Wreathed	Wound up (लिपटी हुई)
36	Voluminous (बोलयुमिनस)	Large sized (बड़े आकार के)
37	Struck Up (स्ट्रक अप)	Decided (निश्चित की)
38	Tempered (टेम्परड)	Balanced (संतुलित)
39	Transpired (ट्रसिपापरड)	Became Anown (प्रसिद्ध होना)
40	Envisnged (इनविसेजड)	Forecasted (पहले से अनुमानित)
41	Devout (डिवाउट)	Religious (धर्मनिष्ठ)
42	Prostrating (प्रोस्ट्रेटिंग)	Lying flat (समतल लेटना)
43	Collapsing (फोलैपसिंग)	Falling (ढहते हुए)
44	Hysterical (हिस्टीरिकल)	Frantic Overwrought (उन्मादी)
45	Tummy (टम्पी)	Stomach/Belly (पेट)

कि वह वास्तव में एक बौद्ध नहीं था परन्तु उसमें उत्साह था तथा वह निःसन्देह एक तिब्बती था। यद्यपि मैंने मूल रूप से तीर्थ यात्रियों के साथ रास्ता तय करने की कल्पना की थी परन्तु वर्तमान स्थितियों में मैंने निर्णय लिया कि शायद नोरबू ही आदर्श साथी था। उसने सलाह दी कि हम सामान ले जाने के लिए कुछ याक किराए पर ले लेंगे जिसे मैंने एक अच्छा संकेत समझा तथा उसका दण्डवत लेटकर रास्ता तय करने का कोई इरादा नहीं था। एक मिरगी के दौरे के समान वह हंसते हुए मेज से लिपट गया और चिल्लाया, "यह सम्भव नहीं है।" यह उसका तरीका नहीं था तथा उसका पेट भी बहुत बड़ा था।

Exercises

Comprehension Passage:

Passage 1:

Hor was a grim, miserable place. There was no vegetation whatsoever, just dust and rocks, liberally scattered with years of accumulated refuse, which was unfortunate given that the town sat on the shore of Lake Manasarovar, Tibet's most venerated stretch of water. Ancient Hindu and Buddhist cosmology pinpoints Manasarovar as the source of four great Indian rivers: the Indas, the Ganges, the Sutle) and the Brahmaputra. Actually, only the Sutlej flows from the lake, but the headwaters of the others all rise nearby on the flanks of Mount Kailash. We were within striking distance of the great mountain and I was eager to forge ahead.

Questions

Q1. What was distinct about Hor?
(A) Grim and Miserable place
(B) No vegetation, just dust and rocks
(C) Liberally scattered with years of accumulated refuse
(D) All of the above
Q2. Where was Hor situated?
(A) On the shore of Salt Lake
(B) On the shore of Dal Lake
(C) On the shore of Manasarovar Lake
(D) On the shore of Sukhana Lake
Q3. What is pinpointed about Manasarovar in ancient Hindu and Buddhist cosmology?
(A) A beautiful and attractive lake for tourists
(B) A source of the river Narmada
(C) A source of the Indus, the Ganges, the Sutiej and the Brahmaputra
(D) A source of Yamuna Canal
Q4. Actually, which river flows from the Manasarovar Lake?
(A) The Sutlej
(C) The Ganges
(B) The Indus
(D) The Brahmaputra

Check your answers:
Ans.
1. (D)
2 (A)
3. (C)
4. (A)

Passage 2:

Tsetan took me to the Darchen medical college the following morning. The medical college at Darchen was new and looked like a monastery from the outside with a very solid door that led into a large courtyard. We found the consulting room which was dark and cold and occupied by a Tibetan doctor who wore none of the paraphernalia that I'd been expecting No white coat, he looked like any other Tibetan with a thick pullover and a woolly hat. When I explained my sleepless symptoms and my sudden aversion to lying down, he shot me a few questions while feeling the veins in my wrist.

Questions

Q.1. Where did Tsetan take the author the following morning?
(A) Monastery at Darchen
(B) Darchen Medical College
(C) Hor Medical College
(D) Darchen City Hospital
Q.2. How did the medical college look like from the outside?
(A) Like an army headquarter
(B) Like an anditorium
(C) Like a monastery
(D) Like a U-shaped building
Q3. Who had occupied the consulting room in the medical college?
(A) A Tibetan doctor
(B) A Japanese doctor
(C) An Indian doctor
(D) A Chinese doctor
Q4. What did the author explain to the doctor?
(A) His sleepless symptoms
(B) Sudden aversion to lying down
(C) Both (A) and (B)
(D) Neither (A) nor (1)

Check your answers:
Ans.
1. (B)
2. (C)
3. (A)
4 (C)

Passage 3:

We passed nomads dark tents pitched in splendid isolation, usually with a huge black dog, a Tibetan mastiff, standing guard. These beasts would cock their great big heads when they became aware of our approach and fix us in their sights. As we continued to draw closer, they would explode into action, speeding directly towards us, like a bullet from a gun and nearly as fast.

Questions

Q.1. Where were the nomads’ dark tents pitched?
(A) At the outskirts of the town
(B) By the side of a brook
(C) In splendid isolation
(D) In the busiest place of the town
Q.2. Who kept standing as a guard to these tents?
(A) An Alsatian dog
(B) A Mastiff dog
(C) A Japanese dog
(D) A Chinese dog
Q.3. What was the reaction of the mastiff dogs to our approaching towards them?
(A) They would cock their great big heads.
(B) They would fix us in their rights.
(C) They would explode into action like a bullet speeding directly towards up.
(D) All of the above.
Q.4. Select a word from the passage which means to lift.
(A) Cock
(B) Explode
(C) Isolation
(D) Approach

Check your answers:
Ans.
1. (C)
2. (B)
3. (D)
4. (A)

Question and Answers

See Video Of Exercises of the Chapter

Q1. The article has been titled 'Silk Road'.



Ans. In this essay, the writer describes his journey to Mount Kailash. The essay has been Road' after the famous Silk route of ancient times. It was through this route that the silk merchants of India and China visited these countries.

Q2. Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China's imperial courts.



Ans. The Tibetan Mastiffs were the favourite dogs in China's Imperial courts. They helped them in hunting. They were sent to China as a tribute from Tibet.

Q3. The author was disappointed with Darchen?



Ans. The writer had been told that in the pilgrimage season, Darchen was bustling with visitors. But he found that there were no pilgrims in the town. So, he was disappointed with Darchen.

Q4. The author thought that his positive thinking strategy worked well after all.
Ans. Earlier the writer had been disappointed at the prospect of having to travel alone from Darchen to Mount Kailash. But now he had come across Norbu and they would travel together. He thought that his positive thinking strategy was working well.

Q5. What was the purpose of the author's journey to Mount Kailash?
Ans. The author undertakes the journey to Mount Kailash to complete the kora.

Q6. What was the author's physical condition in Darchen.
Ans. The author suffers a severe cold in Darchen. One of his nostrils is blocked. There was already shortage of oxygen in that area. With one nostril blocked, he feels trouble in breathing.

Q7. Explain the author's meeting with Norbu.
Ans. As Tsetan had left, for Lhasa, the author thought that there was no one who knew enough English even to answer his basic questions. But then he met Norbu in a cafe. Norbu was a Tibetan and also knew English language. He too was there to visit Kailash and they decided to go there together.

Q8. Tsetan's support to the author during the journey.
Ans. Tsetan was a good and efficient driver. He drove the car very carefully. During the journey, he spoke to the author giving information about the places they were visiting. He was very caring at Darchen when he found that the author was not well. He took him to the medical college and got medicine for him.

Q9. Can you write the reasons why people willingly undergo the travails of difficult journeys?
Ans. These are many accounts of the difficult journeys taken by many travellers. These journeys are full of risk. Risk is very romantic. It reveals new aspects of life for those who undergo difficult journey. Thus, in search of the hidden aspects of life on earth people willingly undergo the travails of difficult journeys.

Q.10. Why did Lhamo give a sheepskin coat to the writer?
Ans. He begins the description of this journey from a place called Ravu. There, a lady of that area, Lhamo, gave him a present. It was a long-sleeved sheepskin cost. She said that it would protect him from cold at Mount Kailash

Q11. What animals did they find in the open plains?
Ans. The short cut took them across vast open plains. There they saw gazelles that were grazing the grass, A little further, they came across wild ass. They saw a herd galloping across the grassy land.

Q.12. How does the writer describe the town of Hor
Ans. At one place it was difficult to go ahead as there was ice on the way and it was steep. If their vehicle skidded, it could be fatal, But Tsetan took some soil and spread it on the snow. In this way, they were able to cross that patch of snow cautiously.

Q.13. How was Tsetan able to drive his vehicle over the snow?



Ans. Then they passed the dark tents of nomads. These tents were isolated. A Tibetan Mastiff, a huge dog guarded each tent. When the writer's vehicle passed these tents, these dogs chased him and barked furiously.

Q14. The author's experience at Hor was in stark contrast to earlier accounts of the place.



Ans. By the afternoon the writer reached the small town of Hor. It was on the main east-west highway that followed the old trade route from Lhasa to Kashmir. The writer's friend bade him farewell at this place. The writer says that Hor is a grim, miserable place. There is no vegetation, just dust and rocks. There were heaps of rubbish. His experience in Hor was in a stark contrast to the earlier accounts of this place. Ekai Kawaguchi, a Japanese monk who had come here in 1900, was so moved by the sanctity of the lake that he burst into tears. Two years later, Sven Hedin, a traveller from Sweden came here. The holy place had a similar effect on him. He was also deeply moved by the holy atmosphere of the place. But the writer found nothing remarkable here. On the other hand, he found that the place was dirty.

Q.15. Describe the writer's experience at Darchen.
Ans. The writer reached Darchen. Here he suffered a severe cold. One of his nostrils was blocked. There was already shortage of oxygen in that area. With one nostril blocked, he would have trouble in breathing. He was tired and fell asleep. But he woke up as his chest felt heavy. When he sat up, he felt relieved. But when he lay back, the same condition returned. He felt that if he slept, he would never wake up again. So, he stayed awake all night. The next morning, Tsetan took him to the Darchen Medical College. There a Tibetan doctor gave some medicine. It had a good effect on him and he had a sound sleep that night. The writer had been told that in the pilgrimage season, Darchen was bustling with visitors. But he found that there were no pilgrims in the town. So, he was disappointed with Darchen. Here Tsetan left him and returned to Lhasa.

See Video for MCQs of the Chapter

Multiple Choice Questions:

Q:1- Who is the writer of the travelogue named Silk Road?
A) Marga Minco
B) Khushwant Singh
C) Nick Middleton
D) Nani Palkhiwala

Q:2- Who was his driver?
A) Norbu
B) Tsetan
C) Denial
D) Frank

Q:3- Who was the third person accompanying them?
A) Crocker Harris
B) Daniel
C) Aram
D) Mourad

Q:4- What is Kora?
A. Yoga Aasana
B. Medication
C. name of a small town
D. meditation performed by Buddhist believers

Q:5- Where was the protagonist heading towards in the beginning of the chapter?
A. Mount Kailash
B. Himalayas
C. Uttarakhand
D. Delhi

Q:6- What did Lhamo give to the protagonist as a farewell gift?
A. long sleeved sheep-skinned coat
B. Flowers
C. leather coat
D. shoes

Q:7- Who are Drokbas?
A. Hill Tribe
B. sheep
C. local people
D. cuisine

Q:8- Why did the driver take a short cut to Changtang?
A. he wanted to avoid traffic
B. he knew the shortest route towards Mount Kailash
C. he had to pick up another passenger
D. he didn't wanted to go to that town

Q:9- What is the meaning of 'Kyang'?
A. flower petals
B. sun rays
C. wild ass
D. huge pile of grass

Q:10- Where did the protagonist encounter the great herd of wild ass?
A. at Mount Kailash
B. at Changtang
C. at a small town
D. where the plains became more stony

Q:11- What did the protagonist notice in front of nomads tent?
A. Big black Tibetan dogs
B. sheep
C. grass
D. raw material

Q:12- What did the big Tibetan dogs do after they saw the approaching car?
A. they ran behind it as a bullet fired from a gun
B. they ignored it
C. they barked towards the car
D. they never saw it

Q:13- How were the Tibetan Mastiffs famous in China's royal court?
A. As hunting dogs
B. As big animal
C. As wild animals
D. None of the above

Q:14- When did the protagonist feel pressure on his ears?
A. when they reached Mount Kailash
B. when he was feeling sick in the car
C. when they entered a valley along icy river
D. when they were passing nomads tents

Q:15- Why did the driver stop the car at a sharp turn?
A. he was tired and wanted to rest
B. protagonist was feeling sick
C. car's tyre got punctured
D. long track of snow was in front of them

Q:16- What were the protagonist Daniel and Tsetan doing when they saw the snow?
A. trying to enjoy the snow
B. sat at a rock to take rest
C. trying to move smoothly over snowy surface
D. they were trying to find a guest house

Q:17- At what sea level were the three of them when they saw the snow on the road?
A. 5210 meters
B. 6000 meters
C. 1000 meters
D. 5300 meters

Q:18- When did the protagonist's head start to feel pulsated again?
A. when he reached his guest house
B. when he was climbing the mountain
C. when he was still in the car
D. when he fainted

Q:19- Where did they stop to have lunch at two o'clock?
A. at a long canvas tent beside the dry salt-lake
B. at a fancy restaurant
C. at roadside
D. Never

Q:20- Why was Hor an ugly and miserable place?
A. it had no modern markets
B. it had no vegetation
C. it didn't had any proper medical facilities
D. it had no place to live

Q:21- What was an old route from Lhasa to Kashmir?
A. east-west highway
B. Hor town
C. west-south highway
D. south-west highway

Q:22- What are the names of four rivers that Lake Mansarovar consists of?
A. the Ganges the Yamuna and the Sutlej
B. the Yamuna the Ganga and the Indus
C. the Indus the Ganges the Sutlej and the Brahmaputra
D. the Indus the Ganges and the Yamuna

Q:23- At which place did the protagonist wait for Tsetan while he was gone to fix the punctured tyres?
A. at roadside near lake
B. at car tyre's shop
C. inside the car
D. Hor's café

Q:24- What happened when they reached Darchen at night to stay in the guest house?
A. protagonist slept well
B. Tsetan went missing
C. protagonist was sad
D. Nick wasn't able to breathe properly

Q:25- Where did Tsetan take the protagonist to seek medical help?
A. Darchen Medical College
B. Tibetan Ayurvedic Doctor
C. to Lhasa
D. to Ravu again

Q:26- What did the Tibetan doctor give him?
A. a five-day course medicine in a brown envelope
B. Ayurvedic medicine
C. Homeopathic medicine
D. Allopathic medicines

Q:27- Where did the men play a game of pool in Darchen every afternoon?
A. near general store in open air
B. in the park
C. near lake
D. None of the above

Q: 28- Why was the protagonist facing communication problems in Darchen?
A. as he never wanted to talk to locals
B. as he was always busy in his meditation
C. as no one knew English
D. None of the above

Q:29- Where did the protagonist meet Norbu?
A. at cafe
B. at Kora
C. at nomad's tents
D. at guest house

Q:30- Where did Norbu work?
A. in Britain
B. Beijing at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
C. in India at IIT Delhi
D. in USA

Q:31- Why did Norbu want to do Kora?
A. because he wanted to become a monk
B. because he wanted peace
C. as he was practising meditation from so long
D. because he was writing an academic paper on Kailash Kora

Match your answers with our Answer Key:

 1C 2B 3C 4D 5A 6A 7C 8B 9C 10D
11A 12A 13A 14C 15D 16C 17A 18B 19A 20B
21A 22C 23D 24D 25A 26A 27A 28C 29D 30B
31D

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