Lavish Welcome of British Mission in Tibet

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 19, 23 January 1937, Page 3

Lavish Welcome of British Mission in Tibet

CALCUTTA, Dec. 20. Even more thrilling than the previous one is the latest account of life in Tibet and the reception accorded to the British Mission now visiting Lhasa. Gold idols, exquisite paintings, dancing girls and lavish luncheons are described in the narrative. When the British party visited the Potala, the headquarters of the Tibetan Government, it wandered for hours round halls and shrins filled with gilded idols, or figures of ancient Dalai Lamas, or still more ancient Kings of Tibet. A visit to the topmost roof of the Potala showed the gold-leaf covered pagoda-like roofs of all the mausoleums of pastDalai Lamas. Finally the mission saw the Dalai Lama’s recently completed tomb and shrine. This is the most striking thing in the Potala. In many previous shrines they had sceu masses of heavy gold butted lamps and jewel encrusted images, but this place must contain a fortune in solid gold and fabulous sums in jewels, for the shrine consists of a “chorten” (shrine) 40ft of 50ft high, the whole oi it is covered not merely with gold leaf, but with solid sheets of gold, in which are embedded precious stones, turquoise predominating. In front there were rows of gold lamps aand china vases, anad one vessel entirely covered with pearls. Hung all round were rich silk brocades and other subsidiary jewelled images.