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Almost all of the Himalayas had been mapped by the time the Great Game - in which the British and Russian empires fought for control of Central and Southern Asia - reached its zenith in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Only Tibet remained unknown and unexplored, zealously guarded and closed off to everyone.

Britain sent a number of spies into this forbidden land, disguised as pilgrims and wanderers, outfitted with secret survey equipment and tasked with collecting topographical knowledge, and information about the culture and customs of Tibet. Among them was Kinthup, a tailor who went as a monk's companion to confirm that the Tsangpo and the Brahmaputra were the same river. Sarat Chandra Das, a schoolmaster, was also sent on a clandestine mission, and came back with extensive data and a trove of ancient manuscripts and documents.

Bells of Shangri-La brings to vivid life the journeys and adventures of Kinthup, Sarat Chandra Das and others, including Eric Bailey, an officer who was part of the British invasion of Tibet in 1903. Weaving biography with history, and the memories of his own treks through the region, Parimal Bhattacharya writes in the great tradition of Peter Hopkirk and Peter Matthiessen to create a sparkling, unprecedented work of non-fiction.

 
 

Review

'Bells of Shangri-La is a tribute to the intrepid and determined scholars, explorers, diplomats and spies who put Tibet on the world's map ... In recounting the adventures of Sarat Chandra Das and Kinthup in Tibet, Bhattacharya is following in the tradition of Kim, Rudyard Kipling's classic novel on the Great Game ... This is a welcome new contribution to the rich literature of this heroic age.' - Thubten Samphel, Hindustan Times

'[The] perfect book to spend a hot summer afternoon ensconced in your home with a cup of tea reading about Tibet, espionage and the faraway cold hills.' - The Freepress Journal

'Parimal Bhattacharya tells a riveting tale of two men exploring Tibet of the bygone era ... The narrative of Bells of Shangri-La twists and turns like the paths of Darjeeling with undercurrents of regret and violence returning again and again to the stories of Kinthup and Das.' - Outlook Traveller

'Bhattacharya's lively imagination has such a strong presence in the book that one would not want to call it a work of non-fiction. The book is therefore a desirable combination of history, memoir and travel-writing. The author has the gift of narrative, which compels one to compare it to a detective fiction. But most importantly the book captivates.' - Marg

About the Author

PARIMAL BHATTACHARYA, a bilingual writer and translator, is an associate professor of English in the West Bengal Education Service. He is the author of No Path in Darjeeling Is Straight, Bells of Shangri-La and Field Notes from a Waterborne Land. Nahumer Gram O Onyanyo Museum, published in 2021, is his most recent work in Bangla.

9789356290204
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Bells Of Shangri-la Scholars, Spies, Invaders In Tibet

Bells Of Shangri-la Scholars, Spies, Invaders In Tibet

ISBN: 9789356290204
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Details
  • ISBN: 9789356290204
  • Author: Parimal Bhattacharya
  • Publisher: Harper Collins
  • Pages: 252
  • Format: Paperback
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Book Description

Almost all of the Himalayas had been mapped by the time the Great Game - in which the British and Russian empires fought for control of Central and Southern Asia - reached its zenith in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Only Tibet remained unknown and unexplored, zealously guarded and closed off to everyone.

Britain sent a number of spies into this forbidden land, disguised as pilgrims and wanderers, outfitted with secret survey equipment and tasked with collecting topographical knowledge, and information about the culture and customs of Tibet. Among them was Kinthup, a tailor who went as a monk's companion to confirm that the Tsangpo and the Brahmaputra were the same river. Sarat Chandra Das, a schoolmaster, was also sent on a clandestine mission, and came back with extensive data and a trove of ancient manuscripts and documents.

Bells of Shangri-La brings to vivid life the journeys and adventures of Kinthup, Sarat Chandra Das and others, including Eric Bailey, an officer who was part of the British invasion of Tibet in 1903. Weaving biography with history, and the memories of his own treks through the region, Parimal Bhattacharya writes in the great tradition of Peter Hopkirk and Peter Matthiessen to create a sparkling, unprecedented work of non-fiction.

 
 

Review

'Bells of Shangri-La is a tribute to the intrepid and determined scholars, explorers, diplomats and spies who put Tibet on the world's map ... In recounting the adventures of Sarat Chandra Das and Kinthup in Tibet, Bhattacharya is following in the tradition of Kim, Rudyard Kipling's classic novel on the Great Game ... This is a welcome new contribution to the rich literature of this heroic age.' - Thubten Samphel, Hindustan Times

'[The] perfect book to spend a hot summer afternoon ensconced in your home with a cup of tea reading about Tibet, espionage and the faraway cold hills.' - The Freepress Journal

'Parimal Bhattacharya tells a riveting tale of two men exploring Tibet of the bygone era ... The narrative of Bells of Shangri-La twists and turns like the paths of Darjeeling with undercurrents of regret and violence returning again and again to the stories of Kinthup and Das.' - Outlook Traveller

'Bhattacharya's lively imagination has such a strong presence in the book that one would not want to call it a work of non-fiction. The book is therefore a desirable combination of history, memoir and travel-writing. The author has the gift of narrative, which compels one to compare it to a detective fiction. But most importantly the book captivates.' - Marg

About the Author

PARIMAL BHATTACHARYA, a bilingual writer and translator, is an associate professor of English in the West Bengal Education Service. He is the author of No Path in Darjeeling Is Straight, Bells of Shangri-La and Field Notes from a Waterborne Land. Nahumer Gram O Onyanyo Museum, published in 2021, is his most recent work in Bangla.

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