Estêvão Cacella facts for kids

Estêvão Cacella (1585–1630) was a Portuguese Jesuit priest and explorer. He is known for being one of the first Europeans to travel through the country of Bhutan. He also explored parts of the Himalayas and Tibet, where he helped start a Christian mission. Cacella was also the first person to tell Europeans about a legendary place called Shambhala.

Life and Explorations

Estêvão Cacella was born in Aviz, Portugal, in 1585. When he was nineteen, he joined the Jesuits, a group of Catholic priests. In 1614, he sailed to India and worked there for several years in a region called Kerala.

Journey to Bhutan and Tibet

In 1626, Father Cacella and another younger Jesuit priest, Father João Cabral, began an important journey. They traveled from Cochin in India to Bengal. They spent six months in Bengal getting ready for a long trip through Bhutan. This journey eventually led them to Tibet.

Their goal was to start a mission in Shigatse, a town in Tibet. Shigatse was an important place, near the Brahmaputra River. It was also where the Panchen Lama, a very important spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism, lived. The great Tashilhunpo Monastery was also there.

Father Cacella arrived in Shigatse in November 1627. Father Cabral joined him a few months later in January 1628. The Jesuits were welcomed, and they hoped their mission in Shigatse would be very successful. However, the mission only lasted a few years. Father Cacella became very sick and sadly passed away in 1630 in the high Tibetan plateau.

Chagri Monastery in Bhutan, where Father Cacella wrote an important report.

Meeting the Shabdrung and Discovering Shambhala

While they were in Bhutan, Father Cacella and Father Cabral met Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel. He was a very important religious and political leader in Bhutan. After staying in Bhutan for almost eight months, Father Cacella wrote a long letter. He sent it from Chagri Monastery to his superior in Cochin, India. This letter was called A Relação (The Report). It described their travels and what they had learned. This report is the only written record we have from that time about the Shabdrung.

Father Cacella was the first European to enter Bhutan. He was also the first to travel through the Himalayas during winter. He also became the first person to tell Europeans about a mysterious place called Shambhala. Shambhala is a Sanskrit word that means "peace," "tranquility," or "happiness."

According to Tibetan Buddhism, Shambhala is an ideal country. It is believed to be located north or west of the Himalaya Mountains. In the 20th century, the idea of Shambhala inspired a writer named James Hilton. He wrote a famous novel called Lost Horizon, which featured a fictional paradise called Shangri-La.

Cacella's Description of Shambhala

Father Cacella wrote about a kingdom he heard about, which was very famous and large. They called it Xembala (Shambhala). He believed it might be the country Europeans knew as Cathay (China). He also mentioned another kingdom called Sopo (Mongolia).

Cacella noted that the people he met did not use the names "China," "Tartary," or "Tibet." Instead, they called China "Guena," Tartary "Sopo," and Tibet "Bothanta." He was told that the path to the kingdom of Xembala was very difficult. Despite this, he hoped to reach it and learn more. He believed that God had brought them so far, and would help them reach this mysterious kingdom.

See also

In Spanish: Estêvão Cacella para niños