Beyond White and Cold

Photo Courtesy: Internet

What we see white on the mountain tops in the chilly winter days are not merely a snow. Just as a nightingale for John Keats and loving heart for a love birds, sparkling of snow are the best view for the sightseers. Thousands of tourist visit highlands to watch the falling of snow from heaven to the earth in the winter days.          

Likewise, for the group at Ura, snow is more allied to their serious living than their leisure life. It has both its spiritual and secular significance. Thus, some snowfalls are distinguished even more than the Tibetan New Year at Ura. With its pure color and chill sensation, comes the luck and riches for the community – they believe.  

Just like in prophet Isaiah, snow signifies the purity; Ura’s mores cannot deny the fact the snow is the God of Harvest. Happiness in the mind of Uraps finds no bound when they see their village and its environs covered by the thick mantle of snow. Snow brings more hope for the farmers for the reason that the flat terrain crops like wheat, buckwheat and millets are directly associated with the water drops of the melting snow.

Photo Courtesy: Internet

For the spiritual monks high on the mountains, snow is the imagery of good luck. They foresee the days with the sun of happiness for the inhabitants living in his vicinity. The elderly people even rejoice the snowy day with all the yummy foods and vivid cloths. Furmity warmed with local egg is the prominent menu in the feast during the snowy day at Ura.

Beyond spiritual significance, snow also brings an immense excitement for the youths. Like in snowy country of New Zealand and Switzerland, the game of Snow-War is seen everywhere until the snow completely transform its appearance to Cristal runny. Some build snowman while others engage themselves fully in recording the finest scenes before the exquisiteness of snow is lost in the hand of scorching sun.