Bhikku

Bhikku is among the few remaining Himalayan ice satyrs, an ancient species inhabiting the edge of the Tibetan plateau beneath the snowy peaks of the eight-thousanders. Rarely glimpsed and never found below 6,000 meters, our knowledge of them derives mostly from legends and sporadic encounters.

To survive the harsh conditions, they likely evolved adaptations such as a slow metabolism and a preference for sheltered microhabitats. Their diet presumably comprises high-altitude mosses and snow fleas, with a hypothesis suggesting that a compound in the blood of snow fleas, akin to antifreeze, helps their survival in freezing temperatures. In one encounter, a Nepalese sherpa stumbled upon one sitting in a small cavity, perched atop a stone. As he went closer, it moved surprisingly swiftly and vanished, leaving behind a Dzi stone. In Tibetan cultures, these stones are believed to possess positive spiritual properties, their origins shrouded in mystery.

A lot of stories are told about Bhikku in Nepalese Hindu culture; some see them as an avatar of Bhramari or Vasudhara. In the myths, they are depicted as arbiters of balance, holding the delicate scales of life and death. Legend has it that when encountering Bhikku, one’s life balance is judged. A harmonious life promises prosperity for the days ahead. It’s said that earthquakes that befall Nepal stem from encounters with unbalanced souls deep within the mountains.