The power of flowers in war
Hindustan Times Chandigarh|December 29, 2024
Tashi Namgyal, 58, the Brokpa tribal from the Indus Valley village of Garkhun and an unsung war hero who detected Pakistan Army intrusions in the Batalik sector of Kargil in August 1997 and on May 2, 1999, passed away on December 19.
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The enduring image that flashed in the obituaries was of Namgyal's cultural uniqueness: sporting an enchanting ensemble of flowers on his "tepi" (headdress) above a rich-maroon tunic.

The pride and naturalness with which Brokpa men wear floral headdresses makes it a rare community where masculine values do not smirk at these supposedly feminine graces.

Brokpas don tepis not just on festive occasions but while working in fields, as a routine, and in war.

They worship nature and nurture a fanatical attachment to purity, whether it be mountains, streams, trees, flowers or ibexes, which are worshipped as the "livestock of the mountain spirits".

This story is from the December 29, 2024 edition of Hindustan Times Chandigarh.

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This story is from the December 29, 2024 edition of Hindustan Times Chandigarh.

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