Dharamsala - Home of the Dalai Lama – Day 4

Dawn comes early in this part of India and at this time of the year. At five, the sky is already bright and clear. As I got up from bed to get ready for the new day, I could hear the sound of chanting coming from somewhere. I decided to see where the chanting came from.

As I stepped out to the balcony, a cool breeze brushed against my face. Beyond the balcony, the light morning mist added mystique to the surrounding. Across the little valley and behind the mist, I could faintly see monks sitting on the floor praying and chanting outside a monastery. I later learnt that the monastery was one of the places I would be visiting later in the day.

After getting ready and a hearty breakfast, including some Tibetan bread, we set off. It would be a day of sightseeing, exploring and getting to know more about the ‘holy town’ of Himachal Pradesh.

Our first stop was the Norbulinga Institute, located about 14km east of Mcleodganj. The institute was established in 1988. The main aim was to teach and preserve traditional Tibetan art such as woodcarving, statue-making, thangka (Tibetan religious) painting and embroidery. Among the many facilities the institute offers are – Centre for the arts and workshop, the Academy for Tibetan Culture, research centre, art and handicraft shops and museum.

At the garden within the institute ground and below a linen shade propped up by some bamboo poles, we saw a group of people, both young and old, sitting on floor mats. The adults were seen busy chatting away, some with babies tucked comfortably on their laps, while the children were seen happily scampering around. I asked someone what they were there for and was told that they were waiting for food. Accordingly, the institute provides food to those who need it.

As we left the institute, the laughter of the children tailed off in the distance.

Next was the museum of Kangra Art which is located in Lower Dharamsala. Here, one can find the miniature paintings from the Kangra school of art, elaborately embroidered costumes of Kangra people, woodcarvings and tribal jewellery.

On the way back, we passed by the building of Tibetan Government in Exile. Of course we were not allowed in. We then proceeded to Namgyal Monastery. Opposite the monastery is the residence of the Dalai Lama. No photograph was allowed even from the outside of the residence and a guard was seen guarding the place. Within and outside the monastery were rows and rows of padded mats made of cloth. Here, the monks would sit or kneel for their daily prayers and chanting.

Late in the afternoon, we went to Bhagsu where a waterfall is located. We were supposed to walk up to the waterfall but it started to rain. And as Chin was in her sandals, and the path was muddy, stony and uneven, we decided not to take the risk as the highlight of the trip – trekking – has yet to start.

It was then back to more shopping in Mcleodganj.

Dharamsala is sited on a hill. Roads here are therefore generally steep and streets in Mcleodganj are very narrow and steep. Shopping here can be twofold – keep fit while you shop. Shops here are predominantly run by Tibetans though we came across a few run by Nepalese and Indians. ‘Anything Tibetan can be found here’ is not an overstatement.

As Chin and I were the only Chinese around the town at that time, we ‘attracted’ quite a few stares. Some would ask where we are from while others would look at us as if we were aliens. One could see monks in their burgundy robes, with brown sling bags hung over their shoulders, walking about the town; some seemed so aimless that perhaps loiter might be a more appropriate word. Some were seen deep in concentration on their computers, while others were playing chess or some board games in restaurants. Many women here still wear the beautiful and colourful traditional Tibetan costumes.

In the centre of the town stands a chorten (Buddhist religious monument) with two rows of prayer wheels, one row on each side of the chorten. Often, one could see people spinning the wheels (for blessing) clockwise as they passed by the place.

Mcleodganj is a small town and within hours, we had poked our nose into every shop and had left our footprints on every inch (or cm?) of the steep narrow pathways. Fortunately, we managed to keep our wallet 'intact’! It was time to call it a day, but not before we had our dinner. We liked the food at Mcllo Restaurant so much that we decided to pay them another visit. With that, my first visit to Dharamsala – home of the Dalai Lama – came to an end.