![Yak caravan leaving saldang](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Yak_caravan_leaving_saldang.jpg)
Dolpo ( bo, དོལ་པོ ) is a high-altitude
culturally Tibetan region in the upper part of the
Dolpa District
Dolpa District ( ne, डोल्पा जिल्ला), is a district, located in Karnali Province of Nepal, It is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal and one of ten district of Karnali. The district, with Dunai as its district h ...
of western
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
, bordered in the north by
China.
[.] Part of the region lies in
Shey Phoksundo National Park. The sparse,
agro-pastoral population, known as Dolpo in standard
Tibetan and ''Dhol-wa'' in the local dialect, is connected to the rest of Nepal via
Jufal airport, which can be reached in three days by horse.
[ There are no precise population numbers for the region, with estimates including less than 5,000][ and 18,000][
The Dolpo are generally adherents of Bon, a religion whose origins predate ]Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...
but whose modern form is officially accepted as a fifth school of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
. The remote region has preserved its Tibetan culture in relatively pure form, making it attractive to Westerners. Dolpa was the location for the 1999 Oscar-nominated film ''Himalaya
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
'' and more recently for the German documentary Dolpo Tulku.
In spite of the near inaccessibility of the region and tourism restrictions for the more remote parts, Dolpa is a popular destination for trekking
Backpacking is the outdoor recreation of carrying gear on one's back, while hiking for more than a day. It is often an extended journey, and may involve camping outdoors. In North America tenting is common, where simple shelters and mountain h ...
tourism.
Geography
Dolpo is geologically part of the sedimentary Tibetan-Tethys zone. It is surrounded by Himalayan mountain chains including the Dhaulagiri
Dhaulagiri is the seventh highest mountain in the world at above sea level, and the highest mountain within the borders of a single country (Nepal). It was first climbed on 13 May 1960 by a Swiss-Austrian-Nepali expedition.
Annapurna I () is ...
(). These cloud barriers cause a semi-arid climate, with reported annual precipitations of less than .[
]
The region is historically divided into four valleys: Tsharka ("good growing-place"), Tarap ("auspicious excellent"), Panzang ("abode of monks"), and Nangkhong ("innermost place").[ They constitute four of the seven village development committees (VDCs) that were created in 1975.][ The valleys south of the watershed drain into the ]Bheri River
The Bheri River is a major tributary of the ''Karnali River'' draining the western Dhaulagiri range in western Nepal. It has three important upper tributaries. Sani Bheri River drains southern slopes of this range while Thuli Bheri River drain ...
. The VDCs in this area are (roughly from east to west):
* Chharka (Tsharka Valley)
* Mukot
* Dho (Tarap Valley)
* Phoksundo.
The northern valleys between the watershed and Tibet drain westward by the ''Langu River'', a tributary of the Karnali River Karnali may refer to:
Places in Nepal
* Karnali Bridge, a bridge over the Karnali River in Nepal
* Karnali Highway, a vital transport link in Nepal
* Karnali Province, a federal province in Nepal
* Karnali River, a river in Nepal and India origin ...
via the ''Mugu Karnali''. The VDCs in this area are:
* Tinje (Panzang Valley)
* Saldang (Nangkhong Valley)
* Bhijer.
Dolpo can be roughly divided into four valleys, each of which is represented since 1975 by a village development committee (VDC): Dho (Tarap Valley), Saldang (Nankhong Valley, the most populous[), Tinje (Panzang Valley), and Chharka (Tsharka Valley).][ There are also smaller VDCs at Bhijer, Mukot and Phoksundo.][Discover Dolpa Region - Great Himalayan Trail]
.
Agriculture is possible at heights of (villages of Shimen Panzang Valley and Chharka, respectively) but often requires irrigation.[ Apart from ]barley
Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley p ...
, crops include buckwheat
Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum''), or common buckwheat, is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. The name "buckwheat" is used for several other species, such as ''Fagopy ...
, millet, mustard
Mustard may refer to:
Food and plants
* Mustard (condiment), a paste or sauce made from mustard seeds used as a condiment
* Mustard plant, one of several plants, having seeds that are used for the condiment
** Mustard seed, seeds of the mustard p ...
, wheat
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
, potatoes, radish
The radish (''Raphanus raphanistrum'' subsp. ''sativus'') is an edible root vegetable of the family Brassicaceae that was domesticated in Asia prior to Roman times.
Radishes are grown and consumed throughout the world, being mostly eaten raw ...
es,[ and spinach. Similar to ]transhumance in the Alps
Alpine transhumance is transhumance as practiced in the Alps, that is, a seasonal droving of grazing livestock between the valleys in winter and the high mountain pastures in summer (German ' from the term for "seasonal mountain pasture", '). T ...
, the population migrates between villages and high-lying () summer pastures, in a lifestyle referred to as ''samadrok'' (roughly "farming nomads").[
Dolpo makes up the greatest part of the area of the Dolpa District, but the district's population is concentrated in the lower southern parts, where also most of the VDCs are located.
]
Trade
Local products are not sufficient to guarantee survival. The Dolpo traditionally trade salt from Tibet to the lower parts of Nepal, where they maintain ''netsang'' (literally "nesting place") relationships, first described by Kenneth M. Bauer. According to Bauer, each family in Dolpo has netsang partners in most villages of Dolpo District, a network that facilitates travel as well as trade.[ In return for salt, the netsang provide grain and shelter. The netsang partners trade with each other on preferential terms, based on fictitious family relations that may last for several generations. Recent changes such as the easy availability of salt from other regions and the closed border with Tibet have put the netsang system under pressure.][
]
History
Dolpo appears in historical records since c. 8th century. In the time from the 6th century to the 8th century the Tibetan Yarlung dynasty conquered most Tibetan-speaking territories. This seems to have caused a southward migration towards Dolpo and the peripheral areas along the upper Kali Gandaki River
The Gandaki River, also known as the Narayani and the Gandak, is one of the major rivers in Nepal and a left bank tributary of the Ganges in India. Its total catchment area amounts to , most of it in Nepal. In the Nepal Himalayas, it is not ...
(Lo and Serib). In 842, Tibet fell apart, and Dolpa fell under the kingdom of Purang. Purang and Dolpa became temporarily part of the kingdom of Guge in the 10th century, but soon became separate again when King sKyid lde Nyi ma mgon divided Guge among his three sons.
During the reign of the Ya-rtse king A-sog-lde around 1253 both Dolpo and Serib were lost to the ruler of Gungthang, mGon po lde. The latter then reunited both the Dolpo and Serib and classified them among three provinces of mNga' ris. It is also known from historical documents that Mongolian troops reached Dolpo to conquer this province when they conquered many parts of Tibet and finally handed over the power to the ruler of the Sakya
The ''Sakya'' (, 'pale earth') school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug. It is one of the Red Hat Orders along with the Nyingma and Kagyu.
Origins
Virūpa, 16th century. It depic ...
period.
In the 14th century Dolpo fell under its eastern neighbor the Kingdom of Lo
Upper Mustang (formerly Kingdom of Lo) is an upper part (Northern area) of Mustang District, which is located in Nepal. The ''Upper Mustang'' was a restricted kingdom until 1992 which makes it one of the most preserved regions in the world, with ...
, which controlled the trans-Himalayan trade route through the Kali Gandaki Gorge
The Kali Gandaki Gorge or Andha Galchi is the gorge of the Kali Gandaki (or Gandaki River) in the Himalayas in Nepal. By some sources, it may be one of the deepest gorges in the world.
The upper part of the gorge is also called Thak Khola after ...
. The Dolpo had to pay tax and travel to Lo Monthang to provide manual labor.[
For some time between the 15th century (1440?) and the 16th century, Dolpo was temporarily independent and ruled by a king from the Ra nag dynasty.
In 1769, the ]Gorkha
The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with endonym Gorkhali ), are soldiers native to the Indian Subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of Northeast India.
The Gurkha units are composed of Nepalis and Indian Gorkhas and are recruit ...
s conquered Kathmandu
, pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia
, coordinates =
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, subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...
and established the Kingdom of Nepal
The Kingdom of Nepal ( ne, नेपाल अधिराज्य), also known as the Gorkha Empire ( ne, गोरखा अधिराज्य) or Asal Hindustan ( ne, असल हिन्दुस्तान)(), was a Hindu king ...
, which would soon reach more or less the country's modern extent. In 1789, Nepal swallowed the Lo kingdom and with it Dolpo. The kingdom's attempt to wrest nominal suzerainty over Tibet from China ended in a massive Chinese intervention that left Nepal paying tribute to China.
The region in film
The 1999 French-Nepalese movie Himalaya
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
, which gives insight into the local customs, was the first Nepalese film to be nominated for an Oscar award and also a huge success in Nepal itself, drawing the country's attention to the region. Kenneth M. Bauer notes that the film's authenticity was in large part artificial, as dialogues mixed the standard Tibetan of the professional actors with the villagers' local dialects and all external influences in the region (such as clothes, Maoists and tourists) were hidden. He also describes the impact which the film had on the region as an employer.[
The 2009 documentary Dolpo Tulku accompanies Sherap Sangpo (born 1981 in the Tarap Valley) on his journey from India back to his home region and his first steps as a Buddhist spiritual leader of the Dolpa. At the age of ten, he had pilgrimaged to India and after meeting the ]Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current D ...
had decided to become a monk. In Ka-Nying Monastery in Kathmandu
, pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country
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, subdivision_type1 = Province
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he was soon recognized as the reincarnation of Lama Nyinchung and sent to Namdroling Monastery
The Namdroling Nyingmapa Monastery (or Thegchog Namdrol Shedrub Dargye Ling)(བོད་ཡིག ཐེག་མཆོག་རྣམ་གྲོལ་བཤད་སྒྲུབ་དར་རྒྱས་གླིང་།) ( Wylie: ''theg ...
in Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
. After 16 years in southern India his education was finished, and in 2008 he returned to his home region to take over the responsibilities of his predecessor as a Buddhist spiritual leader of the Dolpa and in particular the monasteries in Dho-Tarap, Namgung and Saldang.
Notable people
* Orgyan Chokyi, hermitess
*Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen
Dölpopa Shérap Gyeltsen () (1292–1361), known simply as Dölpopa, was a Tibetan Buddhist master. Known as "The Buddha from Dölpo," a region in modern Nepal, he was the principal exponent of the shentong teachings, and an influential memb ...
Notes
Bibliography
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External links
People of Dolpo
– a photo blog on the people of Dolpo.
From Rara lake to Phoksumdo: A trek through Dolpo.
Upper Dolpa: High Passes to Magic Places
– travelogue by Carsten Nebel (2008), with link to a gallery.
Upper Dolpo Trek
* – includes several high-quality short videos showing various aspects of Dolpa's culture and landscape.
Himalayan Dolpa Healing Project
Dolpa Society
– Nepal-based organization for the preservation and development of Dolpa.
* {{YouTube, id = 8cdiPr_uh-E, title = Dolpo Tulku Return to the Himalayas – film trailer with impressive views of landscape and religious ceremonies.
Geography of Karnali Province
Dolpa District
Regions of Nepal