Name: Chungla
(Alias: No)
Gender: Female
Interview Age: 83
Date of Birth: 1934
Birthplace: Dhonga - Sakya, Utsang, Tibet
Year Left Tibet: 1960
Profession: Farming
Monk/Nun: No
Political Prisoner: No
Interview No.: 7U
Date: 2017-04-05
Language: Tibetan
Location: Sakya Tibetan Settlement, Puruwala, Himachal Pradesh, India
Categories: Culture and History
Keywords: clothing/weaving, customs/traditions, farm life, marriage practices, Utsang, wealthy/upper class
Summary:
Chungla was born in 1934 in Dhonga near Sakya in Utsang Province. She had a large family and her father was the leader of the 100 families in the village. She was given away in marriage at the age of 18 to a man she had never met in a nearby village. Chungla was given new sets of clothing and she describes the headdresses the bride would receive from both her family and the groom's family.
Chungla's in-laws grew peas, barley and mustard. She explains the process of extracting oil from the mustard seeds, which was used for both cooking and skincare. Despite being a wealthy family, there were no servants and the family members did all of the farm work themselves. They also wove and dyed their own cloth for making clothing.
Chungla's husband's family feared being captured by the Chinese. Only half of them managed to flee while the other half never made it out of Tibet.
Interview Team:
- Marcella Adamski (Interviewer)
- Tenzin Yangchen (Interpreter)
- Tenzin Choenyi (Videographer)
