Tibet Links

Chinese protocol requires foreigners, Tibetans and Central Asians included, to fasten their garments left over right (so they appear closed to the viewer's left.) This was once a sign of subjugation, which is also the reason Western men and women's garments are different, for it is then easier for the "master" to undress the "subject."

The practice dates from 612, when an edict by Gao Pe, ruler of Gao-chang (or Turfan) states: “. . . when our kingdom was in the wild country of the border, we wore our hair floating on the back and we buttoned our clothes on the left. Now that the Suei dynasty is governing, the universe is pacified and united. … common people and all aristocrats should all take away their braids and adopt Chinese coiffure and re-align the lapel of their robes” (Edict quote in Amy Heller. "Silver Jug at Jokhang," AsianArt.com)

May 12/05 Telegraph India [article about Tibetan footwear] by Reza Pradhan

Kalimpong, May 11: Ever heard of a shoe which can be worn on either leg? This is, however, only one of the attributes of the unique Tibetan shoe made in Kalimpong.

Used by Tibetans for their mask dances, the shoes are currently being made by seven families settled in Kalimpong. Of these, four make the sombalam (shoes for women) while the rest are engaged in making the pumelam (shoes for men) and the reeson (shoes worn by the monks).

The shoe, which comes up to the knees, is made, for the most part, with makmal (velvet cloth). Only the sole which is stitched on by hand, is made of rubber and leather. The reeson shoes made for the monks are made of more fashionable cloth which is brought from Banaras.

Since the Tibetans use these shoes for cultural and religious festivals, there is a healthy demand for these shoes in places with Tibetan population like Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Ladakh and Bhutan. Moreover, the shoes fetch a good price. While the pumelam costs more than Rs 850, sombalam costs between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. The reeson costs Rs 1,000. However, the art is under threat from a possible lack of makers who are gradually deserting the profession, as the work is delicate and backbreaking. In fact, some of the shops get as many as 50 orders every month, but manage to supply only 30 pairs, due to lack of skilled workmen.

Seventy-six-year-old Phurden Tobgyal, one of the oldest persons still making the shoes here, said: "This art is slowly dying as most of the people who made them are already dead. The future generations are not interested in making them any longer, although there is still a lot of demand for these shoes."

Phurden and his 42-year-old son, Sonam, are part of one of the families here making pumelam and reeson. ³The youth are not interested because it is a tough job with most of the shoe being made by hand. It usually takes two days to make a pair of shoes," said Phurden, who learnt this art in Tibet. Phurden, like many other Tibetans, had come to India and settled here in the 1940s.

Echoing his father, Sonam said: "I have been making these shoes for the past 25 years and will go on doing so, as I wish to preserve the dying art which is part of our culture."

Folktales hosted by Crosby-Lundin

Furniture and furnishings Kachalinta

"Living in the Homeland," Japanese Tibetophile's visit to Kham, 1997.

Marriage, plural: Dinesh Wagle's article for Nepal News [See item 2.]

Norbulingka Losel Dolls: See esp. "regional costumes" in left menu.

Tibetan Herbal Healing Amjee Keyzom Bhutti Phunkyil, former chief physician at the Tibetan Medical & Astrological Institute in Darjeeling, now in Boston.

Tibetan Liberation theatre, art, humor, comics by John Brzostoski.

Tibetan medicine

Tibetan Music

Tibetlink.com Listen to popular music. See movies, etc.

Chaksampa, The Tibetan Dance & Opera Co. mp3

Tibetan singing bowls Frank Perry investigates

Tenzing Tsewang, Australia

Tsering Wangmo, San Francisco, USA, "fusion" accompaniment.

Tibetan Food

Tibetan recipes

recettes, vocabulaire et chansons tibetains [French]

Portraits by Phil Borges

Pyramids 5,000 years old

Stone Discs of the mysterious race called Dropa or Dzhopa, landed 1014 CE?

Tibetan Studies virtual library, M. Ciolek

Yoga or trul kor

Images

*Art* many sites on Tibetan Buddhist links page

Alleephotography.com Alfred & Lee Hutt, People and Places in and around Lhasa

ANU links (Ohio State U.) tens of items + Kaladarshan

Asianart Albuquerque exhibit

Jumur: south and east Tibet in Aug. 2003

La Musee Guimet, renovated Himalayan museum, in French at Planet a Paris.

Nyingma images incl. Rahula, Red Tara, Red Chenresi

Padmasambhava . org tangkas with explanation & variations

Tangkas U. of Virginia Exhibit Nov.1997-March 1998

creating tangkas Dharmapala School in Nepal

thog chags amulets

tsakli or tsogli: about image cards or miniatures

Tibet Albums historic photographs to 1950, Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford U. et al.

Tibet Online

Tibetan Art Denmark, contemporary images

Tibetan Issues

Tibet Vision Project: cataract surgeon donates skill
Bernard Cloutier's 1996 travelogue: a materialist's view of Tibet
- scroll down to read his description of prostrations

World Tibet News Network

Brief History

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