Trip to Om Bah Nye

Om Bah Nye was an unknown place for almost every students of our class but It was a very sacred and a blessed place in Tashiyangtse and according to our escort, Dorji Wangchuk sir, he told us that the site is a must visit place in one’s life being a Buddhist. Despite the place being very consecrated and holy, ohm bah Nye was also very beautiful place a place that can be explored. Such a place was our destination for the class trip. Our objective and sole intention of the trip was to go and visit that revered place and at the same time take photos and to explore. It was a one day trip.

Date and times were confirmed for our class trip and as such on the very early dawn of 12^th October 2014, the media students of second year gathered in the college gate all dressed up neatly and ready for the trip. According our sir and the media secretary, we were supposed to be moving by early six but the trip was delayed as the driver turned out late. Upon the arrival of the driver and his huge truck, we loaded ourselves on it and off we went. We were all very energetic but travelling in the back of the truck was uncomfortable and a bit risky too, as a result we were found to be extra cautious. Girls were all over the truck holding each other and looking worried but as of boys it was the opposite. As we began to sing and shout, we got so deep and lost that we didn't even knew that we had actually reached Tashigang town very fast.

At Tashigang, some of the students had their breakfast while some were found busy snapping photos. By eight thirty we began to move for our unknown destination from Tashigang. It was a very bumpy and tiring journey nevertheless we enjoyed the cool air touching our body and the moving nature that we saw from the back of the truck was a great view to be enjoyed. We couldn't stop ourselves from taking the pictures of it and admiring it.

For me it was for the first time that I was travelling to Tashiyangtse dzongkhag and I personally found everything and every place to be new on the way to our journey's end. By bright mid-day we reach Tsenkharla from where we had to walk for two hours through the forest. The villagers and a friend of Dorji Wangchuk sir from Tsenkharla village received us. We were served with hot teas and fresh cucumbers. The people of Tsenkharla village were very kind and showed their hospitality as they began to serve us with teas, biscuits and alcohol too. Happy and delighted we were as a result we ate and drank everything that they gave us.

Tsenkharla village was beautiful and supportive as we found many people working together and many people also turned up to welcome us. After finishing all the snacks and tea we continued our journey which was still unknown. Everyone carried their bags and foods that they packed, we began to walk.

Om Bah Nye

media students continuing their journey

myself praying for the well being of others

On our way to Om Bah Nye, the path was very narrow and the forest was dense. There were some houses above the path that we were taking but it was quite. We had to cross the rivers and climb many valleys, we began to sweat and felt really tired that some of us even agreed that next time we wouldn't come to Om Bah Nye. We continued and after two hours of very long and restless walk we were blessed with the view of our destination from a bottom hill. A very beautiful temple on the very edge of a high hill surrounded by prayer flags everywhere.  A sigh of relief all over the place and we were boosted with extra strength, we kept on walking.

It was almost 2:30 when we had officially and physically reached at our destination. Upon reaching there we were amazed to see an old lama, hairs all turned gray and with feeble body but he was smiling and looked happy. He received us one after another and that really amazed me, he was old and all by himself on that far-flung sacred place. We visited the temple inside and offered our prayers to the mighty gods. That whole hill that we were on was a holy and blessed place by the great tantric master, the second Buddha Guru Rinpoche. There were lots of Nye and we explored it and took lots of photos. After visiting all those holy Nyes we then gathered for our lunch, we all ate together sharing everything that we had and on our way back we came across a very huge rock where we could actually see one script stating Om. That was sole reason behind the origin of that place’s name. Some believes that there are one hundred and eight Om imprinted on that rock but we could see only one. We were blessed to visit such a place and offered our prayers for the welfare of animals suffering and the humanity. Off we came leaving behind the holy site and the old lama.

It was late and very dark by the time we reached out to our truck, every one of us were real tired and had no energy to talk to each other too. We sat on the back of the truck and all we could see was only stars by then, some slept and some were still singing on our way back to the college. I then closed my eyes and when I opened my eyes we were back at the place from where we had actually started our journey. We were at our college, our home by 10; 30 late night. And thus the one day trip of second year media students came to an end. We laughed, sang, got tired and drained out but at last we overcame. We did it together.