 |
 |
India - Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj.
Wet, rain, fog, rain, more fog, more rain - literally peeing it down...
...oh, and the home of the Tibetan Government in Exile.
The Dalai Lama set up home here after finally fleeing Tibet in 1959. It's a matter of debate whether or not this site was assigned to them by the Indian Government or was selected by the Dalai Lama, because it reminded him of Tibet. As Tibet is high altitude desert with only a little rain and Dharamsala is one of the wettest places on earth, I know which I believe...
...former a British hill station, this is now a magnet for Tibet refugees (including the Tibetan Children's Village project, basically giving the kids an education beyond Chinese control - external link http://tcv.org.in/), tourists and also hippies seeking the remote chance of an audience with the Dalai Lama.
Bear in mind that a few local Indians may not be too happy with the strong Tibetan presence in the area and if you hear a few complaints, don't be surprised. I had a long chat with owner of the Hotel in Dharamsala, who said that the Tibetans didn't really need that much help due to all of the foreign donations they received. She complained that the Tibetans were far better off than the local Indians and besides, there was no reason for them to stay there, as she claimed the Chinese were no longer harming the Tibetans back in Tibet.
Somebody else intervened before we finished the conversation; however, the chat I also had with the sponsorship secretary at the Tibetan Children's Village suggested otherwise. For example, children who come to the TCV are sometimes forced to return to when the Chinese threaten their parents back in Tibet. The rest of my views I make clear in 'A True Story' - this hotelier, a nice woman though she was, clearly does not know everything that still goes on in Chinese-ruled Tibet to this day.
 |
|
Back of Tsuglagkhang Right, lets get the downside out of the way first. A few hours exploring by yourself and it's amazing what you find. The photos don't show the true beauty of this collection of stupas and prayer flags (as always in Dharamsala, it was foggy or raining). There's a plaque somewhere here that says this is in support of a Buddhist prayer for world peace - given the proximity of nuclear neighbours India and Pakistan (and the very serious Kashmir issue), plus the incomprehensible United States foreign policy, I hope it's not falling on deaf ears. Did I forget to say it was raining? |
 |
|
Monks debating Tibetan Buddhism is not all about chanting and praying to gain merit for the next life. These monks are debating - it's all theological stuff relating to Buddhism and as I can't speak Tibetan, I'm not exactly in a position to say exactly what they're saying. Then again, a sudden flash of enlightenment might help (oops, wrong sect, that's a Zen Buddhist thing). |
 |
Monks Debating, Dharamsala (MP3 format, will open in separate window or player - close when finished) |
|
In the below, three of my favourite Dharamsala pictures. The monk in the middle looks in the sulks and I'd hate to know what got him in that mood. Jokes aside, it has to be the saddest picture I've ever taken - a lonely monk in a foreign land and probably not able to go home is one interpretation you could go for. That kind of sadness must be one that goes right through the Tibetan people's hearts and souls. The woman in the traditional Tibetan dress says the same thing to me too and Dharamsala, although a refuge, cannot really be regarded as home - it is India and not Tibet. Alternatively, he's just in a bit of a strop... As for the two fellas with the flowers, make up your own answers. It's stopped raining, now it's just foggy. |
 |
 |
|
Tsuglagkhang
Here we see the monks doing the praying and chanting bit, hoping to build up merit and move towards enlightenment and release from the continual cycle of life and death into Nirvana. By the way, this bit is laid on for the tourists and the main prayer stuff is actually going on in an upstairs room. The fog's gone, but it's raining outside again. |
 |
|
Monks Time Off at Bhagsu Even monks have time off and after a hard days prayer, there's nothing like a nice relaxing swim in the local hot baths. These baths are located near a local Hindu temple and just a little way on, a waterfall. There's also some very dodgy cafes up the hill on one side of Bhagsu seemingly selling more than the normal food and drink - obviously get supplies of that pointy smoking plant from Manali. The hippies and backpackers probably need it to forget the rain. |
 |
|
Macaque Monkeys
To be found just about everywhere, these creatures have gained pest status in many places as well as being revered in Hinduism and Buddhism. To me, they were a nuisance at Swayambhunath in Kathmandu (just seemed to have a knack of getting in the way), but as with the Vervet monkeys in Africa, trust them to do a cutesy pose and banish all the bad things I said about them in one fell swoop. That said, as the main part of this troop of Monkeys was out in the middle of the main road, Indian White Van man won't have a hard job turning them into part of the road surface. |
|
|
|