We felt inclined to go down on our knees like the pilgrims and touch the ground with our foreheads.”īecause of their uncertain status Harrer and Aufschnaiter, despite the pleasant welcome they received, were always worried that they would sent back to India and internment. ”We turned a corner and saw, gleaming in the distance, the golden roofs of the Potala, the winter residence of the Dalai Lama and the most famous landmark of Lhasa. January 15th, 1946 they finally reach their destination. When the proverbial traveling salesman comes to town she takes the opportunity to escape. The problem, of course, is always choice, and she wasn’t a willing participant to marry the three brothers. Most cultures still do or once did allow men, usually wealthy men to collect wives, but this is the first time I’ve heard of a culture that allows a wife to collect three husbands. The couple were fleeing her husbands to start a new life. She dutifully married three brothers and took care of their household until a handsome young stranger appeared. A young woman fleeing her THREE husbands. Princess Coocoola, wife of the governor of Tibet is one of the many beautiful Tibetan women. Their ultimate goal is to reach Lhasa, but there are public officials, miles of red tape, and many hazards to be faced before they reach that destination. Lucky for them, by nature, Tibetans are kind. The other two men, after experiencing the hardship of travel with improper clothing, inadequate food supplies, and a nagging doubt about what life will be like once they do reach Tibet, decide to go back. In 1944 after several failed attempts to escape, finally Harrer, Peter Aufschnaiter, and two others are successful. They were picked up by the British and interned in a detention camp. Harrer was in India with a four man team scouting the viability of climbing the Diamir Face of the Nanga Parbat when war broke out in 1939. Harrer renounced any association he had with the SS stated that he was too young to be making those decisions. Standing on his right is Heinrich Harrer. The one with the cheesy moustache is Adolph Hitler. His life could have very easily spiraled toward an early death on the battlefield or he could have been compromised in the many atrocities perpetrated by the SS during the war.Īs it turned out, the only day he wore his SS uniform was the day he got married. After the ascent he and the rest of the team had a photo op with Adolf Hitler. He had also joined the SS with the rank of sergeant. Harrer had been a member of the Nazi party for just two months. They reached the summit on July 24th,1938. Heinrich Harrer was part of a four man team who were the first to successfully scale the North face of the Eiger. I closed my eyes and hearkened to the murmured prayers and the solemn music and sweet incense rising to the evening sky.” Whether it is Lhasa or Rome-all are united by one wish: to find God and to serve Him. We kept saying to ourselves, ‘It is only a child.’ A child, indeed, but the heart of the concentrated faith of thousands, the essence of their prayers, longings, hopes. Deeply moved we hid ourselves behind the women as if to protect ourselves from being drawn into the magic circle of his power. The women stiffened in a deep obeisance and hardly dared to breathe.
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