CORRESPONDENCE

Trevor H. Braham,
Pre Vert, Les Combes,
CH-1359 Rances,
Switzerland

17th December 2010

Dear Harish,

Although I have not yet read through the rich contents of Himalayan Journal (HJ 66), which arrived last week.

I was interested in the reference in article No.1 concerning the origin of the Himalayan Club (HC) emblem. The outline drawing submitted by C R Cooke to the Club’s committee was approved but not formally adopted, nor generally used. When I took over as Hon Secretary in 1950 and was involved in writing the minutes of committee meetings J B Auden, who was then Vice-President, produced a handsome design drawn by his wife based upon Cooke’s initial draft. It was unanimously approved and officially adopted for use on Club notepaper and Newsletters.

The emblem was first emblazoned on the front page of HJ 22 in 1959-60, and has since retained that position in a more discreet form. The emblem was copied for the first HC tie which was produced by Phelps & Co a leading men’s outfitters in Calcutta.

Kind regards, and best wishes for 2011.

Trevor Braham
PS. I much enjoyed reading Aamir Ali’s contribution.

Col Anil B Goth
Officer Commanding

Army Mountaineering Institute
Siachen Base Camp
C/o HQ 102 Inf Bde
PIN - 908102
C/o 56 APO

Mar 2011

Dear Harish,

Thank you very much for your letter dated 09 Feb 2011.

I had the opportunity to visit Yarma Gompa about which you had prompted me to gain information in one of your letters. 6th March happens to be an Annual Puja Festival day held annually at Yarma Gompa which includes lama dances, a local fair and a community lunch for the visitors coming form the villages of Nubra valley. I took help from the Lamas and Hony. Lt. A. Angchuk, a retired Army JCO and mountaineer who was member of the ill-fated Army Everest Expedition 1985 to gain information on the carvings/pictures on the rocks above the Yarma Gompa.

An area on the rocks to the immediate vicinity of the Yarma Gompa was shown to me which had a likeness of a figure of woman produced by the effects of the natural shades and hues of yellow and brown colour of rocks. The female form so perceived by the local inhabitants is believed to be the form of Yum Tsantika, the concert of Spaleshes Gonboo, the main deity of Yarma Gompa represented in statues and paintings in the Yarma monastery. Another piece of interesting information is regarding an annual pilgrimage of three days and two nights which is conducted by the locals every sixth day of July. The feature includes commencement of the pilgrimage from Nyungsted village along the Nyungsted Lungpa to the base of the Shalma Kangri (6584 m) onto Shosholing Lungpa, some 5-6 kms upstream of Yarma Gompa.

With Warm Regards, Best Wishes
Yours sincerely,

Col Anil B Goth

⇑ Top