A very special part of the trip for me was always to visit this beautifully spiritual town.
Often referred to as “”Little Lhasa,” the beautiful town of McLeodganj, a suburb of Dharamsala, lies at the foothills of the Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh state of India. Nestled among the Dhaluadhars mountains this small town is well known world wide for its scenic beautyand spirituality.
During British rule, McLeod Ganj was a place where wives and daughters of British officers and government officials spent hot Indian summers as the climate is very similar to the UK.
In 1959 after the Chinese invasion to Tibet, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatsho fled from Tibet to India and was offered the former hill station, now known as McLeod Ganj, as a place of residence of the Tibetan exile government.
With the Dalai Lama came thousands of Tibetan refugees, who gradually settled in McLeod Ganj. During the last three decades, The Tibetans have built many religious, educational and cultural institutions in and around McLeod Ganj, which has helped in preservation of their culture. This has been a keen area of interest for the people around the world and as a result they flock at Dharamsala at various times.
We arrived after a long, sometimes scary drive - the roads are narrow and winding, climbing ever higher but the breath taking scenary makes it all worth while......
We couldn't wait to get out into the town. The Tibetan culture is immediately obvious. The atmosphere totally different to the other places we've visited. No hassling from street traders - the Tibetans are a quiet, humble race - eager to please and so very gentle. The Buddhist Monks wander frequently through the streets, most of them clutching their mobile phones as well as their Prayer Beads. We stumbled across a Temple in the main street - I couldn't wait to explore....
The photos don't show how enormous the Buddha statue was - 12ft or more I should think....
As we enjoyed the friendly ambiance in the town we came across a group of people giving out candles in preparation for a pilgrimage to the Temple in remembrance of Phuntsog, a young Tibetan monk who immolated himself in Amdo province in Tibet in protest to Chinese oppression. We joined the group, trying desperately to keep our candles alight in the breeze, chanting as we went on our way to the Temple - it was very moving.....
....and so to bed. Tomorrow is a very special day - visiting the Temple, monastary and museum. The Dalai Lama is in residence and having a much needed rest so I'm unlikely to see him but to be so close to him feels incredibly moving - I feel blessed.
It's much colder here and high on tomorrow's shopping list are socks, scarves and warm wraps...feeling peaceful - Namaste x
Often referred to as “”Little Lhasa,” the beautiful town of McLeodganj, a suburb of Dharamsala, lies at the foothills of the Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh state of India. Nestled among the Dhaluadhars mountains this small town is well known world wide for its scenic beautyand spirituality.
During British rule, McLeod Ganj was a place where wives and daughters of British officers and government officials spent hot Indian summers as the climate is very similar to the UK.
In 1959 after the Chinese invasion to Tibet, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatsho fled from Tibet to India and was offered the former hill station, now known as McLeod Ganj, as a place of residence of the Tibetan exile government.
With the Dalai Lama came thousands of Tibetan refugees, who gradually settled in McLeod Ganj. During the last three decades, The Tibetans have built many religious, educational and cultural institutions in and around McLeod Ganj, which has helped in preservation of their culture. This has been a keen area of interest for the people around the world and as a result they flock at Dharamsala at various times.
We arrived after a long, sometimes scary drive - the roads are narrow and winding, climbing ever higher but the breath taking scenary makes it all worth while......
We couldn't wait to get out into the town. The Tibetan culture is immediately obvious. The atmosphere totally different to the other places we've visited. No hassling from street traders - the Tibetans are a quiet, humble race - eager to please and so very gentle. The Buddhist Monks wander frequently through the streets, most of them clutching their mobile phones as well as their Prayer Beads. We stumbled across a Temple in the main street - I couldn't wait to explore....
As we enjoyed the friendly ambiance in the town we came across a group of people giving out candles in preparation for a pilgrimage to the Temple in remembrance of Phuntsog, a young Tibetan monk who immolated himself in Amdo province in Tibet in protest to Chinese oppression. We joined the group, trying desperately to keep our candles alight in the breeze, chanting as we went on our way to the Temple - it was very moving.....
....and so to bed. Tomorrow is a very special day - visiting the Temple, monastary and museum. The Dalai Lama is in residence and having a much needed rest so I'm unlikely to see him but to be so close to him feels incredibly moving - I feel blessed.
It's much colder here and high on tomorrow's shopping list are socks, scarves and warm wraps...feeling peaceful - Namaste x
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