Timber to Tibet

Bhotkhola is one of the 20 beyul, which is what Tibetans call the sites of paradise in the Himalaya. The local people and the monks believe Bhotkhola was tucked away among the mountains by the gods so that it would not be disturbed. That is why, they say, it should be preserved and protected from human defilement. Yet, the people have turned to destroying trees that take a hundred and fifty years to mature. Caravans bearing timber to Tibet and bringing back foodstuff to Nepal is a common sight all over Bhotkhola. This film deals with the pro-conservationist tradition and people’s compulsion to cut down the priceless Himalayan forest which will not regenerate once it is gone.