​PURELAND             TRAVELS

the hidden valley of Pemako

A very difficult but pricelessly rewarding trip

In one of the stamens of the flower of the world is Pemako in the shape of Vajra Yogini lying down.

Outer, inner and secret levels correspond to the levels of the mind. In the secret chakra of Vajra Yogini there are flowers coming in winter also. If people die here, they do not take karmic rebirth; they go to the Pure Lands. I do not tell lies. It is like that. Keep it in mind.

Guru Rinpoche from the Guidebook to Pemako

Pemako is the supreme hidden land, says Guru Rinpoche. Predicting the dark times when the elements will be so imbalanced that it affects meditaters, he concealed 108 valleys in the Himalayas as terma or hidden treasure with guidebooks to be revealed at precisely the right time.

Pemako straddles south-east Tibet and extends into the most north-easterly corner of

India. The word itself means 'lotus display' and is said to be the actual body of Vajra Yogini.

From head to navel she is in Tibet; from the navel downwards she lives in India.

For nearly 2000 years, the notion of an earthly paradise or Shangri La hidden among the peaks of Asia has captivated the human imagination. Western explorers combed the region in search of this hidden land of bliss and nectar described in ancient Buddhist texts as the Pemako or the Lotus land.

According to Buddhist tradition Pemako is one of the 16 earthly paradises, a promised land free of worry, the ultimate hidden haven. The place is where, it is prophesied that the seed of humanity will thrive at the end of the world in famine and calamities.

In the beginning of the 20th century, many Khampas from Tibet made the long, arduous trek to Pemako in quest of succor and refuge. They are one of the major inhabitants of the region, along The Adis, Mishmis who were the original inhabitants here. The region is a melting pot of different tribal cultures, where all the tribes exist in complete harmony among themselves and the nature. Walking through pemako one can see Adi, Memba, khampa and Mishmi villages with their distinctive culture, faith and lifestyle.

The Pemako is consecrated to the female divinity of Dorje Phagmo and its sacred geography is mapped to the body of this sleeping Goddess. Her head is the Kangri Kangpo, her two breasts is Namche Barwa and Gyala Peri respectively. The lower part of her body lies in Yangsang or the innermost pemako, which is the upper Siang region of Arunachal Pradesh. In the confluence of Siang (Tsangpo) and Yangsang is the sacred triangle Kila Yangzom the vulva of Goddess Dorje Phagmo. This the supreme of sacred lands is now open to the world to discover and marvel.

Every year pilgrims traverse the area on Kora (circumambulation). Covering the sacred Devakota, the gathering place of Dakinis, The holy Titapori mountain, Pemashree and Riu Tala (Eko Dumbing for Adis).

Recommended Time to Visit 23 Days

March & September​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Photos: Jorgen Novik,Text : N. Levine   Web Layout : Jorgen Novik