As said "the life is journey and you travel it". My travel begins with admission to class PP at Chaskhar Primary School located below the firm road extended from Yadi town under Mongar District. It might take one hour journey approximately from Yadi turning point to reach my school with full of turnings and passing through narrow roads. I, still remember our school blocks were located near by a big Chorten that we use to play around with my friends after intervals. The small stretch of football ground served us as our play ground. The football use to roll away to the deep jungles which took us hours to find and locate. The head master's quarter was nearby our Chorten with his family members living in. The daughter of our headmaster was my class mate who used to get topper always. I'm just wandering where would be my childhood friends now working in bhutan or elsewhere or permanently gone from this world leaving me behind? I did not meet even single of them till date. Everything has changed and my memories are thin and like the scripts written on the sand nearby the oceans to be deleted. Our packed lunch were placed on the stones slaves of big Stupa. The ringing of the bells for intervals thrilled us for the fun and game after long hours of teaching in the class.
As soon as the classes were over, we head towards our home on foot for an hours of climb from the road head to my brother, Tandin Wangdi's temporary shed in the village as Section Officer (SO) for Irrigation channels. It was fun to run and rush with our class mates back home. I, really did not feel it as burden in those childhood days. The weekends were the most interesting days where we used to collect pine cones for our firewood and heating up the room from coldness.
Wandering through the jungles gave me most deep attachment towards the Nature. The washing of my dress was another chore for the weekends. In the evening, my brother use to teach me and Tenja (sister to brother's wife) the lessons that we learned in the class. I, still remember Tenja was really poor in studies and used to get beatings from my brother and she left the school studying up to class four only and finally landed up as wife of an army man based in Samdrup Jongkhar now. I, even remember, one man shot an arrow in my spinal cord while I was fetching water from the tank located near the temporary archery ground and I was immediately rushed to the hospital at Yadi for medication by brother on his Yamaha motorbike. It was narrow escape from the hands of lord Yama, the lord of Death. My four years stay at Chaskhar primary school comes to an end when my brother was transferred to Tashiyangtse District. Our temporary home land is no more to abreast but just a dreamland that I wish to visit once before I die and miles to go.
Wandering through the jungles gave me most deep attachment towards the Nature. The washing of my dress was another chore for the weekends. In the evening, my brother use to teach me and Tenja (sister to brother's wife) the lessons that we learned in the class. I, still remember Tenja was really poor in studies and used to get beatings from my brother and she left the school studying up to class four only and finally landed up as wife of an army man based in Samdrup Jongkhar now. I, even remember, one man shot an arrow in my spinal cord while I was fetching water from the tank located near the temporary archery ground and I was immediately rushed to the hospital at Yadi for medication by brother on his Yamaha motorbike. It was narrow escape from the hands of lord Yama, the lord of Death. My four years stay at Chaskhar primary school comes to an end when my brother was transferred to Tashiyangtse District. Our temporary home land is no more to abreast but just a dreamland that I wish to visit once before I die and miles to go.
Having reached and settled at Tashiyangtse for new life in new place with new tastes was memorable and fun going. The grade that I was placed at Tashiyangtse primary school was in class four. Here, I am no longer a day scholar which I used to be at Chaskaher but admitted as a boarder. Not yet matured but no options were left for me to accept the facts of life. Our hostel were dirty and dusty filled with bed bugs and fleas that frequent us for blood. During the weekends I have an opportunity to visit my brother's home for good meals and hot tea. There was sea of change in my mental development when imposed with raising oneself and unguided by any one. Hostel life is one of the toughest life that I ever undergo during my schooling days. Feeling hungry, thirsty but no stuff to eat away as I dreamed. It was necessary to take part in studies, cultural programs, national days, sporting events and evening prayers with folded hands where my mind use to fly away to elsewhere. The most dreadful person was our warden Lop Tshencho from Paro, the dangerous man. Everyone feared of his presence and punch that he will throw on our face. It was really bad experience that one of my friends got many punches from lop Tshencho for his some misdeeds in the night hours.
My friend Thinley Wangdi from Lichen village was another memorable guy who used to do lot of mischievous activities in the school dragging me even in his ugly jobs. The best friend ever I had was Mr. Tempa Dorji who hails from Kangpara and working as a teacher in Tashiyantse. My life in Tashi Yangtse were spent mostly fishing in the Kholong Chu river banks where once I was caught by the Forest Ranger and took away all of my catches and warned me not to repeat in the future. Collecting firewood for the oven was another tedious job that I get from bother and In-sister.
I, even visited Risum Goenpa and Dechen Phodrang monastery located far away from my school with In-law sister and her friends. It was really charming and memorable pilgrimage that I ever made at my youthful days without knowing much of the essence and values. The long hours of journey through the thick jungles gave me deep sense of peace and happiness. Brushing through the pilgrimage sites at Dechen Phoradang was most enchanting experiences. I, faintly remember that Decchen Phodrang was blessed by Guru Rinopche with many holy places. May be due to my past karmic connection I could visit such a holy places during my youthful days as a fun but really not as spiritual journey. I, did not remember what I really wished in these holy places for my future directions.
The most memorable days of my youthful life at Tashiyangtse were Chorten Kora festivals that provided us platform for fun and amusement that prolongs whole night. Thousands of people will gather for the annual festival from different districts. Even the people from Tawang, Arnuchal Pradesh, India will attend this festival. It was believed that a Dakini from Tawang was inserted alive as the Nangten (Inner relic) to this Chorten to subdue the demonic forces of that place and for the stability of Chorten. . It could be true that this chorten's foundation was laid on the lake by one great Master with his magical power. The proof that I saw was that, during the summer, we can see the water gushing up from foundation of the Chorten and becomes marshy land posing risk to the visitors and Chorten's foundation itself. During this festival, many people use to do business for short term gain. But many visitors have hidden agendas that I really could not understand and left as mystery to solve one day.
This is how my primary schooling days comes to an end at Tashiyantse as part of my journey without much imprints left behind. The memories and the fun that I had during my youthful days were just sacred relic curved on sands being washed away by the waves of ocean. Such is our life; nothing remained same forever but change is a dynamic process that keeps us moving ahead not knowing where I am actually travelling to.
written by: Mindu Wangdi
I, even visited Risum Goenpa and Dechen Phodrang monastery located far away from my school with In-law sister and her friends. It was really charming and memorable pilgrimage that I ever made at my youthful days without knowing much of the essence and values. The long hours of journey through the thick jungles gave me deep sense of peace and happiness. Brushing through the pilgrimage sites at Dechen Phoradang was most enchanting experiences. I, faintly remember that Decchen Phodrang was blessed by Guru Rinopche with many holy places. May be due to my past karmic connection I could visit such a holy places during my youthful days as a fun but really not as spiritual journey. I, did not remember what I really wished in these holy places for my future directions.
The most memorable days of my youthful life at Tashiyangtse were Chorten Kora festivals that provided us platform for fun and amusement that prolongs whole night. Thousands of people will gather for the annual festival from different districts. Even the people from Tawang, Arnuchal Pradesh, India will attend this festival. It was believed that a Dakini from Tawang was inserted alive as the Nangten (Inner relic) to this Chorten to subdue the demonic forces of that place and for the stability of Chorten. . It could be true that this chorten's foundation was laid on the lake by one great Master with his magical power. The proof that I saw was that, during the summer, we can see the water gushing up from foundation of the Chorten and becomes marshy land posing risk to the visitors and Chorten's foundation itself. During this festival, many people use to do business for short term gain. But many visitors have hidden agendas that I really could not understand and left as mystery to solve one day.
This is how my primary schooling days comes to an end at Tashiyantse as part of my journey without much imprints left behind. The memories and the fun that I had during my youthful days were just sacred relic curved on sands being washed away by the waves of ocean. Such is our life; nothing remained same forever but change is a dynamic process that keeps us moving ahead not knowing where I am actually travelling to.
written by: Mindu Wangdi
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