India: Dharamsala and Tibetan Buddhism

Cows and prayer flags along the meditation path.

Bowls of mush.

My first morning in Dharamsala, I woke up to the chanting of Tibetan Buddhist monks (plus a monkey outside near our balcony). It was surreal, but amazing. We could hear it floating across the way from the complex. Dharamsala is home to the Tibetan government in exile and its head, the 14th Dalai Lama.

Tsuglagkhang Complex is the temple complex, which includes the temple, Dalai Lama's residence and more. We showed up just in time for a lunch of some kind of sticky rice with dried fruits. Monks carried around large buckets of the stuff and used a huge spoon to slop some into each monk's bowl. Visitors could also have some in smaller disposable containers. I asked for a small portion, and even then could barely finish it. While it didn't taste bad, it wasn't my favorite dish.

Om Mane Padme Hum.

We walked through the Tibet Museum there to get a better understanding of the history and the culture. And we went through the temple, where pilgrims had left gifts of food and money. I couldn't help but laugh inside at seeing a stack of store-bought cookies (small boxes of Oreos, etc.) stacked in front of the statues in the solemn and serious temple.

A pilgrim's walk surrounds the temple complex, so we walked around that. It's a winding path on the edge of the hill. All along it were Buddhist prayer flags and stacks of stones (done as an act of prayer and wish of good fortune). There were also tons of rocks with carvings or paintings of the Om mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum. Not surprisingly, we ran into quite a few cows on this narrow path as well.

Hand-trimming rugs after they're weaved.

We also encountered lots of prayer wheels in the main temple and another one along the path. Prayer wheels contain a prayer (often the Om mantra) written as many as thousands of times. So, one turn of the prayer wheel is equivalent to saying the prayer that many times.

We also stopped at the Tibetan co-op, where we saw women hand-making beautiful area rugs.

Candlelight procession.

While we were in Dharamsala, a Tibetan monk died in an act of self-immolation as an act of protest against the treatment of Tibetans in Tibet. There was a candlelight procession through the streets of Mcleod Ganj.

That night we went to a "discoteque" in Mcleod Ganj. It was a Thursday night, and it was not hopping. But it was pretty entertaining. They had a dance floor (though no one was dancing) and music that was mostly American and included Bob Dylan. We had a couple Carlsberg and Kingfisher beers, though India really isn't known for its beer for a reason.

Monks sit in the outdoor area at the temple complex.