Did you know that a 500-year-old Buddhist mummy exists in India?
Whenever we encounter the word 'mummy', our minds immediately run to the ones found in Egypt. You would picture a well-preserved dark-coloured body wrapped in layers and layers of white bandage-like strips of cloth, isn’t it? But you probably didn’t know that Indians also have their own mummy.
Housed in Himachal Pradesh in a village named Giu, in the Spiti valley, the 550-year-old mummy of Sangha Tenzin has become a famous tourist attraction. Born in the 14th century in Giu, Tenzin was known to excel in every field of study. He also mastered the local language of Giu, i.e., Bhoti. Later, he decided to give up his life's pleasures and follow Buddhism. He became a monk (lama) and spent years in a cave performing deep meditation. According to folklore, Tenzin sacrificed himself so that the villagers could survive and started the process of self-mummification when he was still alive! Here are some unknown facts about him.
Sangha Tenzin’s mummy was found in 1975
As centuries passed, people gradually forgot about the lama and his cave. However, the earthquake of 1975 caused immense destruction in the Spiti Valley including the lama's stupas. The Indian soldiers were constructing a road in and around Giu at that time. They discovered one of the broken stupas. A worker's equipment hit a skull while digging the roads, but people mistook it for that of a dead calf. But when they began pulling out the skull, they found the mummified body of none other than Sangha Tenzin. An investigation by the Indian Government confirmed that the mummy was 550 years old. In addition, the people of Giu also consulted their local Buddhist spiritual leader to ensure that the mummy was of Sangha Tenzin.
He saved Giu from scorpions
It is believed that the lama sacrificed his life to save the town from a scorpion attack. Back in the 14th century, Giu was a happy village. However, there was a devastating scorpion infestation. No one could understand how to get rid of the scorpions. Eventually, the villagers decided to consult Sangha Tenzin. The lama was ready to help. For the next few years, Tenzin spent his life engaged in a tantric process and sacred mantra chanting. He slowly deprived himself of food. Thus, his spirit gradually left the body. It is also believed that when the soul left the lama's body, a rainbow was visible, and the scorpion problem was solved.
Legend has it that Sangha Tenzin was able to break out of the birth and death cycle. He learnt to take control of any power.
Miracles of the mummy
There were some miraculous things observed in the lama's mummy. It was in a seated position with intact skin, lips open, and teeth visible. The hair and nails continued to grow! The locals of Giu requested the Indian and Tibetan border police for the custody of the lama's mummy. A request was also made to build a temple in Sangha Tenzin's honour. Finally, in 2004, the Indo-Tibetan border police excavated the tomb and removed the mummy. A box-shaped monastery was built at Giu and the mummy was placed inside a thin glass box.
How does a Buddhist mummy differ from Egyptian ones?
Now that you know about the lama's story, you must be wondering how it differed from the Egyptian mummies. Well, the mummification process of Buddhist monks is slightly different. They call it self-mummification or 'Sokushinbutsu'. Usually, the monks first start cutting down fat from their diet when preparing their bodies for preservation. After that, they only consume roots, herbs, and nuts. By undergoing slow starvation, they sacrifice their life. So, when they die, their body does not contain any fat. As a result, their organs are shrunken, and the body does not decompose. Therefore, the natural form of their body is preserved, as was seen when lama Tenzin’s mummy was discovered.