INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
Life and Death
in a Remote
Bhutanese
Village
by Joshua Cook
Hiking Route:
Sanga to Panauti or
Panauti to Sanga
For More Details, Please contact:
communityhike.com
Lal Durbar, Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal
+977 1 4444376 /78 / 79
[email protected]
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www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel
It is said that in the 14th century, the deity Aum Jomo helped the Yamarong villagers
of Tibet behead their tyrannical king. They then fled the area, traveling south through
the Himalayas. Aum Jomo warded off malevolent lake spirits and mountain yetis and
guided the villagers through the precipitous terrain, into Bhutan.
Once they reached a high pass, the villagers saw a green valley beneath them awash
with flame. Aum Jomo told the villagers that she had consecrated the area in fire for
them; it was their new home. They built a village in the valley and it became known as
Merak, the “Burning Place.”
The original Yamarong villagers are now called the Brokpa people. Those who made
it to Merak identify themselves as the strongest and the fittest of the original settlers
because they made it over the mountain pass. There are other Brokpa scattered
throughout the region, but those who live in the remote, high altitudes of Merak
are favored by Aum Jomo, they say. Much fortune has been bestowed on them—
the riches of yak, cheese, fine clothing—and they are blessed with good luck and
prosperity.
Photos: Joshua Cook
www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel
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