Johar Valley: A Gateway to the Lost City of Shangri-La and Its Unexplained Wonders

 ## After the discovery of the unexplained world of Johar Valley in Kumaon or the Lost City of Shangri-La.

Of course, Shangri-La – a term that one might encounter once in a while in a story or at best an international hotel company. Have you ever wondered where that name came from or what it really means? The search for the meaning of the name ‘Shangri-La’ on Google will reveal to you that it is a name for an earthly paradise reputed to be even more beautiful than heaven.

## Shangri-La: Mythical Paradise or Reality?

Back in 1933, James Hilton’s book “Lost Horizon” was the first to tell the public all about Shangri-La in detail. From this book, Shangri-La is portrayed as a magical, magical world in which people could live up to the ages of two thousand. Thus, Zhemev’s depiction could not have been purely figmental; the Tibetan mythological texts that give an account of the Shangri-La are also similar.

The name –Shan means ‘divine animal’ in the Tibetan language and the second word –La means ‘dwelling’. In the story telling of the Tibetans, Shangri-La was legendary as the home of the prosperous Song dynasty situated in western Tibet where Mount Kailash and the lake Mansarovar are situated.

## The Search for Shangri-La: Reality or Fiction?

It is several decades since people developed the first interest in Shangri-La. For the last 300 years the Tibetans, exploring for such a country, or European traveler seeking such a place, have not discovered it. Because some people think that Shangri-La is actually in Tibet still other people are equally convinced that it can be in the Vyasa, Chaudas, and Johar valleys in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. These places hold a deep connection to the Tibet Autonomous Region’s traditional religious and cultural heritage.

Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand has the Johar Valley where there is a village called Shangri and the neighboring village is known as ‘La’. Interestingly, the area through which the path to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar passes through. This mystery of these valleys is well depicted in the book authored by Surendra Singh Panthi.

## Johar Valley: The Land of Courage and Bravery

The location includes; The valley of Johar in Kumaon possesses certain aspects that are quite exceptional . It was during the capture of the capital of Kumaon that the Gorkhas had planned to capture Johar Valley as well. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of the region of Johar that has always been famous for the populations working, fighting and bravely standing against the intruder Gorkhas, for ten years fought the invaders. Women and children of the area also rose to defend themselves against the intruders.

## The Johar Matriarchal System

In the past, the region was more famous as the ‘Golden Lineage Matriarchal State,’ and women hold power in the state. Contrary to the seemingly oppressed illiterate women dubbed ‘Hindu’, the women of Johar engaged in trade, farming and even going to war. That matriarchal system was only seen in the Central Himalayas and is narrated in Markandeya Purana by Vyasa.

This matriarchal state has been well described and documented in the book written by the noted historian Dr Yashwant Singh Katak – The Archaeology of Central Himalayas . What one discovers is that, apart from the natural resources, Johar Valley is culturally and historically a very endowed region.

Illiterates who prefer to listen to oral folklore until today have Such stories as the existence of Shangri La and the valour of the Johar Valley. It is still an open question whether Shangri-La is an exclusively geographical myth belong to a political paradigm or a genuine world in the physically existing world. But the antiquity of Johar Valley, is enough to attract one to this part of the world which stands for courage, valor and tradition.