The Gau Box

The Gau Box

This article relates to The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny

In Kiran Desai's novel The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, Sonia has a talisman, inherited from her grandfather, that she takes with her wherever she goes for protection and inspiration. She's told it's a gau box from Tibet, "fashioned from tarnished, battered silver that was carved intricately with curly clouds swirling to dragons. It could be worn about the neck as a heavy pendant, or attached to a belt, or carried in a mountain pack over the high Himalayan passes where travelers would need a supernatural guide through the wilderness."

Gau boxes (also called a ghao or gao) are small, portable containers that have become integral to Tibetan Buddhism. Their use dates back to the 7th century, when Buddhism was first introduced to Tibet. Originally made of leather or cloth, they were created to store medicinal herbs and important objects, but by the 16th century they'd become a sort of portable shrine made of metal such as silver, gold or brass, and were intricately carved by artisans. They were a tool for meditation, prayer, and protection, and also a symbol of faith worn as a continual reminder of a person's spiritual journey. Each gau was blessed by a lama to consecrate it and give it protective properties.

Gau boxes remain an important part of Tibetan Buddhism today, and they come in many sizes, shapes, and designs, each of which has a unique meaning or purpose. The smallest size, miniature gau boxes, are about an inch in diameter and are designed to be worn around the neck on a chain. They contain personal items of blessing or protection. The largest ones are usually part of a shrine and contain larger relics, such as small statues, and aren't generally considered easily portable. Most gau boxes have a lid—either hinged or one that fits tightly over the lower portion—which has a window set in it through which one might view the box's contents. They're commonly decorated with one or more of the eight auspicious symbols of Buddhism:

• The Precious Parasol, which gives protection from all evil.
• The White Conch Shell, which signifies Buddha's teachings spreading in all directions, like the sound made when a conch shell is blown.
• The Two Golden Fish, representing salvation from the ocean of earthly life and suffering.
• The Knot of Eternity, which represents the intertwining of wisdom and compassion.
• The Vase of Great Treasures, a traditional symbol of good fortune.
• The Victory Banner, which signifies the triumph of knowledge over ignorance.
• The Lotus Flower, one of the most significant symbols in Buddhism, which represents enlightenment and mental purity.
• The Eight Spoked Wheel, also known as the Wheel of Dharma, which symbolizes the path to enlightenment.

Gau boxes may contain just about anything, but some of the most common items include mantras, sacred relics (like bone fragments or ashes of revered figures), mandalas, and images of deities. In The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, Sonia's gau box contains one such deity—Badal Baba, the Hermit of the Clouds—painted by her grandfather. It's thought that the images impart the qualities associated with the deity to the wearer—for example, a picture of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, might imbue one with wisdom. Gau boxes are highly valued and are often considered an important family heirloom, passed down through generations; they're also considered a symbol of Tibetan identity and a vital way of preserving the culture.

Image of gau box courtesy of the Canterbury Museum, CC BY-NC.

Filed under Places, Cultures & Identities

This article relates to The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny. It first ran in the September 24, 2025 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.