VoL Desk, Nov. 13: “Influence of Bonism in Ladakh and Baltistan” as a topic deeply discussed and explored today in a seminar at Central Institute of Buddhist Studies. The seminar was organised by the Himalayan Cultural Heritage Foundation in collaboration with Association of Baltis in Himalayan Ladakh and Territories of Indus.

Padma Shri Awardee Akhone Asgar Ali Basharat, Ven Thupstan Paldan, Ibrahim Sani, Bashir Ahmad Wafa and Abdul Kareem presented their papers in the first session. While Dr Sonam Wangchuk presented the welcome speech and Sadiq Ali Hardassi moderated the session.

Speaking on the occasion, Ibrahim Sani said that the festival “May Phangs” in Baltistan is inherited from the era of Bonism which is still practiced in Baltistan.

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Sadiq Hardassi informed that three books have been published so far on  Bonism which tells that Brug Singhe was the last Bon king of Ladakh. He further said that the peaceful nature of people in Ladakh is also inherited from the lifestyle of Bonism and Kaiser.

Abdul Kareem while sharing his accounts of visit to Pakistan described the Buddhist Antiquities in Pakistan including Takshila. He said that if the Nubra-Khapulung and Kargil-Skardo road is opened the Buddhist would get a chance to visit their sites of religious importance in addition to reunion of divided families.

Sharing his views, a Lama said that earlier Tibet had four indigenous religious identities that are different forms of Buddhism; while the Tibetan Government in exile has officially accepted Bonism as the fifth religious identity originated in Tibet.

He further said that the word Balti is originated from “zbal” and “ti”. Zbal means frog and ti means water which were earlier found in Baltistan in abundance. He suggested to pronounce Zbalti instead of Balti.