Tamga tash

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One of the boulders from Tamga Tasch

Tamga Tasch ( German : stamp stone or sign stone ) is the name of a group of boulders with Buddhist inscriptions in the Tamga valley near the mountain lake Issykköl in eastern Kyrgyzstan .

location

Tamga Tash is located in the valley of the Tamga River south of Issyk Kul. About three kilometers to the north, the river flows into the Issyk Kul at the place of the same name Tamga . There are numerous boulders in the Tamga Valley, but only three of the largest stones with visible inscriptions are grouped under the name Tamga Tasch. These three stones are spread out on the bank of the Tamga River, two boulders on the western bank and one boulder on the eastern bank of the river.

The place is difficult to reach due to the poor infrastructure in the region, especially since there are hardly any bridges over the Tamga. Local guides offer hikes and horse riding trips to Tamga Tasch from Tamga.

description

The three stones of Tamga Tash all have inscriptions in Sanskrit and Tibetan script . The mantra Om mani padme hum (" Om , jewel in the lotus"), which is considered to be the oldest mantra of Tibetan Buddhism , can be read on two of the three stones . The inscriptions on the two stones differ in their design, however, as the characters protrude from the surface through a bas-relief on one stone and are carved into the surface as a sunk relief on the other stone . The third stone is dedicated to the sacred syllable Om and shows various representations of the syllable.

In the vicinity of the stones there are numerous small votive offerings made by pilgrims at the place. In addition, the surrounding trees are partially decorated with Buddhist prayer flags .

Largest expansion of the Tibetan monarchy towards the end of the 8th century

history

There is different information about the age of the drawing stones from Tamga Tasch. However, it is considered likely that they date from the 8th or 9th century when the Tibetan monarchy reached its greatest extent and was able to expand its influence to the area of ​​what is now Kyrgyzstan. With the influence of the Tibetans , there was also an increased spread of Tibetan Buddhism in the controlled areas, the spread of which in the region was largely stopped by the Islamic expansion .

In the local population, the origin of the stones is partly attributed to the Kyrgyz national hero Manas . Accordingly, Manas split one of the stones and listed his heroic deeds with the characters on the surface of the stone. Because of this legend, Tamga Tash is also revered as a symbol of the power of the hero Manas.

meaning

Tamga Tasch is still important today as a Buddhist pilgrimage site . Especially in the summer months, the place is regularly visited by larger groups of visitors and used for meditation or for making votive offerings. In addition to its spiritual significance, Tamga Tash also has historical significance as a relic of Buddhism in Central Asia .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Tamga Tash Stone - Historical place. Retrieved July 21, 2020 (English).
  2. ↑ Laurence Mitchell: Kyrgyzstan . 4th edition. Bradt travel guides, London, ISBN 978-1-78477-626-8 , pp. 206 .
  3. ↑ Om Mani Peme Hung - Oh you jewel in the lotus flower. Retrieved July 21, 2020 .
  4. ↑ a b Stephan Flechtner, Dagmar Schreiber: Travel Guide Kyrgyzstan To the peaks of Tien-Schan and Pamir . 6., update Edition, revised edition. Trescher Verlag GmbH, Berlin, ISBN 978-3-89794-483-1 , p. 231 .
  5. ↑ Alexander Berzin: History of Buddhism in West Turkestan. In: Study Buddhism. Retrieved July 21, 2020 .
  6. ↑ Tour to kyrgyzstan Tamga. In: Globus landing. Retrieved July 21, 2020 (English).
  7. ↑ Tamga gorge. Revelations inscribed on the stones. Retrieved July 21, 2020 (English).
  8. ↑ Philipp Schorch, Martin Saxer, Marlen Elders (Eds.): Exploring materiality and connectivity in anthropology and beyond . UCL Press, London, ISBN 978-1-78735-750-1 , pp. 253 f .

Coordinates: 42 ° 6 ′ 48.8 ″  N , 77 ° 31 ′ 16.4 ″  E