Pemako

Wikipedia


PEMA KOE ( PEMA KOD )

1. INTRODUCTION

Pemako literary means "Lotus array" in Tibetan language It is a region located in the southeast cornor of Tibet. Historically a hunting ground for Abors the region became famous specially during the visit of Guru Rinpoche in 8th century.Pemako is consider as the most sacred place in Tibet, blessed with holy virtues. Many popular Lamas visited the place in search of termas which were made hidden during crisis in Tibet,the most renowned lama who was born in Pemako is H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche (1904).

2. GEROGRAPHY

Pemakoe (Pemakoe,Pemakod or Pema ko) is located in the altitude ranging from 2000 to 3500 Meter above sea level,it covers 30,000 km2 of area stretching from south of Kongpo and Powo(Kham)through lower Tsangpo into Arunachal Pradesh (Tuting region), surrounded by high mountains (tallest is Mt.Namcha Barwa 7,782m)with lush vegetation,one can find many species of wild animals in this part of Tibetan Plateau.The region unlike other parts of Tibet receives plenty of rain hence,it is so diverse in nature that you can find subalpine conifer forests in the north to the temperate coniferous forest in the south in low lying area of River Tsangpo gorges. In contemporary Tibet Pemako has become a mere historical name, it has been officially termed as Metok County (after Metok Dzong) or spelled by Chinese as Medog or Mòtuō irrespectively which is under Nyingchi Prefecture, Tibetan Autonomous Region. According to Chinese govt, Metok county covers an area of about 30,000 km2 and has population of 9200 (2001 census) people.Maps of Pemako and Metok Dzong, Maps of Nyintri Prefecture and Minling county

3. ANCIENT HISTORY

Tibet as whole was rule by small princely ruler, sometime called Pon-, Dzongpon and by some monastery. Pemako was no exception. It came under the rule of Powo king who ruled whole area of which defines Pemakoe (Now Metok county and part of Arunachal pradesh (upper siang).During Powo rule pemako people had good relations with the Poba people,they jointly fought against Abors (Adis,mishmis etc.) who regularly disturbed the pilgrimage.Hardly any people lived in Pemako before Tsangla migrants settled in the region,currently Pemakopas makes up the majority of the population. As we always talk about Greater Tibet or Bhoet Chenpo at one time in Tibetan History all area of Drukyul, Dremong yul, Lha-dhak yul and Mon-yul were under the great king of Tibet, half ancestor of Pemako peoples the Tsangla group immigrated internally to the land of hidden valley to escape aggression in their original homeland .When first Tsangla people arrived in Pemako region they found that the land was unused,they settled in the lower yarlung Tsangpo valley,surrounded by Kongpopas in the northwest and Pobas in the northeast and Lopas in the south,Tsangla adopted many customs from them but still retained their original language which they still speak at home. By 1931 Tibetan national government was able to dismantled Powo kingdom and region come under direct rule of central Tibetan Government, Lhasa.Pemako region came into the jurisdiction of Tibetan central Government. Ganden Phodrang (Tibet govt) had its governor stationed in Metok Dzong who look after the territory and established communications between Lhasa and region of Pemako. Hence tax to be paid to Tibet Lhasa govt which was compulsory for all the people living in the region in the form of cash or kind. Region of pemako was divided among different monastery and different aristrocatic family. Some region of Pemako pay tax to Sera monastery in form of grains, chilli, bambo poles for prayers flags (Dharchen), products made of cane, medicinal herbs such as yertsa-goonbu, mushroom and animal skin. Some region of Pemako was under Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche as monastic entilement of nyingma leanage.

4. MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY PEMAKO PEOPLE

Since 1904 the year Kabgye Dudjom Rinpoche was born in Pemako , people from all over Tibet especially from Khams, Golok and Utsang , descended in Pemako and settled near their Lama. Gradually intermarriage between the first settler and second wave settler produce what is today Pemakopa spread around the world. Descendant of Pemakopa are hard working , strong, smart and intelligent people. Descendant of Pemakopa are spread across the Globe in this times. Today Pemakopa have unique cultural identity and dialect that can be compare to any other other region and dialect of Tibet


5. YARLUNG TSANGPO GRAND CANYON

River Tsangpo which originates from Lake Mansarovar in Western Tibet flows through 1500 km eastward when it reaches Mt Namcha Barwa it bends making a U shape turn to penerate into lower Himalayan ranges,thus curving one the deepest Canyon in the world.Its waters drop from 3,000 meter near Pe to about 300 m at the end of the gorge.

6. DEMOGRAPHY

Pemako is surely not an homogeneous society, different ethnic people lived here from many years,people like Pemakopas(Tsangla),Kongpowas,Poba Tibetans and Lopas(Adi,mishis etc.)live here but Pemakopas make up the majority about 65-70% of the total population of 10,000-15,000,remaining are Khampas,kongpowas and Lopas.( According to 2001 census in Metok county (Dzong) there are about 10,000 people ). In exile Pemakopa people spread through the world, but mainly concentrated in Tibetan Settlement of Miao choephelling, Tezu Dhargyeling, Tuting and area, Mechukha, Orissa-Jerang camp, Tibetan Women Centre - Rajpur, Clementown, Delhi area, some in Europe and North America.

7. LANGUAGE

Tsangla or Pemakopa is one of the many dialects of Tibet.Tsangla is widely spoken and understood by many non-tsangla speakers in the area. As a Tibetan, people of Pemako also speak Shuong Ke or official Tibetan national language. Pemakopa people also speak other dialects of Tibet such as khampa, Kongpo and Zayul ke. Today inside Tibet pemakopa people are also well verse in Mandarin. As majority are Pemakopas,Tsangla spoken is well established.if we talk about Tsangla language it's a branch of Tibeto-Burman bodish language which is mutually intelligible with those Tsangla in Eastern Bhutan. The dialect has evolved into a new dialect as intermarriage between the frist wave of settler and second wave of settler that came from kham, golok and ustang after the birth of Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche in Pemako. Contemporary pemakopa dialect is, a distinct, one of many and rich regional dialect of Tibet. Tsangla or Pemakopa dialect doesn't have tones unlike Shoung Ke or Tibetan National language, but Tsangla language in Pemako has high and low sound, which is absence in other Tsangla speaking people of neighboring countries. Pemakopa dialect numerical denomination upto 20 and higher number are counted in Shoung Ke or Tibetan National language. Globally Pemakopa or Tsangla dialect is spoken by about 140,000- 160,000 people.

8. RELIGION

People in Pemako follow Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.Nyingma means old translation in Tibetan.

In Dec 2010 Chinese Govt connected the tunnel through Mount Galung la, which claimed to be connected Pemako to the rest of world throughout the year.

9. IMPORTANT MONASTERY of PEMAKO

Lamaling Monastery in Kongpo headed Dudjom Rinpoche's daughter, Rinchenpong Monastery in Metok.

10. RESPECTED AND IMPORTANT LAMA OF PEMAKO: H.H. The Dudjom Rinpoche of Pemako, Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche , Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, and Dungse Garab Rinpoche, Marpong Rinpoche. Tulku Dawa, Taksham Choegye Lingpa, Gyetrul Jigme Rinpoche. Khenpo Tsering Dorjee Rinpoche of Palyul monastery, Ven. Lopon P. Ogyan Tanzin Rinpoche, Tulku Orgyen Phuntsok and Young Master Yogi Ngakpa Ugyen Yeshi

11. RESPECTED Elder of Pemako: Dzongpon Dawpo, descend of Pemako who was the chieftain of Metok district (dzong) during Powo khanam rules, late Tsopon Ngawang Tsultrim ( He served the people of Pemako in Tibet and in exile as a representative, late Tsopon Norbu wangchuk.