A hidden utopia : Shangri-La
A legend or reality? Shangri-la has remained a mystery for so long. No one knows if this place exists. Many claim it exists somewhere in Yunan china, some say in the hidden realms of Tibet and many believe it exists somewhere hidden high up in the Himalayas of northern Pakistan Hunza. a British novelist James Hilton wrote a book revolving around the concept of a hidden utopia, the Shangri-la. he introduced the idea of a hidden realm that exists somewhere between the mountains but he never specified where, it was of course a mere book based on his fantasy hoping for a place like Shangri-la to exist, somewhere hope existed. a place where people could escape to find peace. in his vision, Shangri-la was a hidden realm enrooted with Buddhist beliefs where immortal people lived in peace and harmony.
In his state of mind, it was a paradise in heaven undiscovered, so that is what every reader believes. he starts his book with a few British people whose plane gets hijacked, instead of going to Peshawar, it crashes in the mountains of the Himalayas or Tibet. 4 people survive the crash, and the pilot before passing away in the crash tells them to take shelter in Shangri-la. They stumble upon heaven like a place called Shambala or Shangri-la and they come across a Buddhist monastery with monks who help them.
Due to the different origins of this concept, it has many names, two of which are Shambala or Shangri-LA. many believe it is a mythical place that does exist but cannot be seen. it is somewhere in the 3rd dimension that only pure, spiritually enlightened people can reach. there exists a hotel in Skardu named Shangri-LA that is based on the concept of the lost utopia with an actual plane to depict the crashed plane and the structure of the hotel depicts the Buddhist monastery. James never mentioned in his book where Shangri-la is.
according to what James describes, Hunza fits the description the best. Hunza valley is known for its longevity. it remained isolated for the longest time. in the past, there was no contact with the valleys in the Himalayas or any in the north. the world was completely unaware of their existence. for outsiders, it sure was heaven because not many people saw it. the beauty of the north remains unmatched even now, perhaps James imagined Hunza as Shangri-La, Hunza indeed had Buddhist roots and if Shangri-la existed then there must have been a Buddhist monastery somewhere. maybe the baltit fort was the source of his imagination, giving him space to create his fantasy. that gave rise to the mystery of Shangri-la but this belief doesn’t stop here.
Tibet is home to Buddhism, and the monks there believe it exists somewhere high up in the Kunlun mountains, but here’s the twist in the Hindu script Shambhala was originally called Siddhashram or Gyanganj in Sanatan Dharma. Shri Vishuddhanand Paramhamsa is from the lineage of Gyanganj, which is the land of the Siddhas or the mystics. Shambhala or “Sambhala” is a Sanskrit. It is an ancient kingdom. The book “Kalki Purana” is based on Hindu belief and in one of its texts, Shambhala is mentioned.
Text 6
lyam mama pnya laksmih
simhale sambhausyati
brhadrathasya bhupasya
kaumudyam kamaleksana
bharyyayam mama bharyaisa
padma namra jamsyati (In Sanskrit)
My consort, the beloved lotus-eyed Kamala devi, will also appear on the earth, having the name Padma She will be born from the womb of Kaumudi, the wife of Brhadratha, the king of Simhala
this just shows how many different versions of this idea there are out there from Buddhist to Hindu beliefs. it is hard to conclude where actually Shangri-La is or even if it exists. even if we try to dig in, we will find many many versions of it. many tales of Shangri-La. a different version of it exists in every region but one thing for sure is that it is a place that exists with Buddhist beliefs. it is hard to say whether it exists in China, Tibet, or Hunza but it is there. the concept has originated and created a belief in minds of people. the legend or reality of Shangri-La remains a mystery.
Sources: https://youtu.be/-BZHL-g4uDA
lost horizon: a book by James Hilton
Read more about the traditions, culture of Hunza, and poetry stayed tuned with me. to connect with me catch me on Twitter @lostsoup101 or Instagram @_tales_of_thelost. bringing you indigenous stories straight from the mighty mountains of the north! along with my passion for writing, I love taking pictures too.
