Hello India! Part 5 - Birthday greetings to the Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama arrives for his 77th birthday celebrations- and I was there to hear him address those gathered in the temple. Special times.

A view from the rooftop of my guesthouse in Mcleod Ganj

Those who have died or been seriously injured by self-immoliation for their cause

The Temple prepares for the birthday of His Holiness

The Elephant God, Ganesh

Outside the temple in Baghsu

Enjoying a rest on a walk up from Dharamcot

The clouds as they are about to engulf these horses

Although most people refer to Dharamsala as the home of the Dalai Lama, it's McLeod Ganj (1000 metres higher up the valley and about a further ten kilometres in distance) which is the spiritual centre of exiled Tibetan Buddhism. A tiny settlement perched on a ridge of the Himalayan foothills (named after the British Governor who founded it in 1848) it has become a tourist Mecca for both Indian tourists, drawn by the stunning scenery and Tibetan culture, and Westerners in search of the above and for many, some sort of spiritual enlightenment. There is a Vipassana meditation centre and other less austere places to do medidation here and an Iyengar yoga retreat, alongside a huge number of other Buddhist related courses and concerns. The town itself is really too small to cope with its influx of visitors and the narrow streets are often paralysed by traffic with the flow of locals and visitors trying to squeeze between the cars, and, of course, the ever present cows. When I was there it was very wet as the monsoon was in full flow (it is the second wettest place in India too) so the cobbled streets were often flooded, muddy and full of overflowing potholes. Combined with the sound of constant honking of horns ( an Indian obsession) led me to leave after a couple of days for the quieter atmosphere of Dharamcot, a couple of kilometres further up the valley.

Tibet was invaded by China in 1959 and the then Tibetan government fled and based themselves here. Over 50 years later they still remain. 

I was fortunate enough to be in the area on July 6th, the date of the Dalai Lama's birthday. I got up early to be at the temple a couple of hours before the celebrations were due to begin. The atmosphere was on of excitement and anticipation. His Holiness is a greatly revered and well loved individual the world over so seeing him and hearing him speak in his spiritual home was always going to be special. He arrived with his entourage, just before 9am, and after a couple of other speeches by political leaders, we got to hear the man himself. Despite him speaking in Tibetan, you could not help being captivated listening to him deliver his address. He didn't talk for long then dismissed himself before the traditional singing and dancing began, citing that for him he could not celebrate whilst people in his homeland continue to die for the cause of Tibetan independence. I've included a photograph of a poster showing the number of self immolations over the last couple of years. 

We were served chai and traditional sweets as people began to disperse. Outside there was a carnival atmosphere with stalls serving food and traditional Tibetan goods alongside campaigners with petitions to raise awareness of the Tibetan cause. 

My remaining days were spent in Dharamcot, an oasis of calm compared to McLeod Ganj. I found a wonderful place to stay - a big, clean room with an ensuite, hot water and a roomy balcony with amazing views (see photos) all for 250 rupees (about £2.50). I loved spending the first couple of hours of the day reading in the early morning sunshine before heading off for a healthy breakfast of muesli, curd and honey washed down with lemon and ginger. The weather invariably turned by mid to late morning so reading and relaxing were the main diversions. I did manage a trek one day and the views it afforded were some of the best as you can see from the photos included. People spend months in this part of India- doing yoga, meditation and Buddhism courses- and its easy to see why. 

Leaving Dharamcot was a wrench as I felt so relaxed and rejuvenated. But I have places I still wish to visit as time starts to catch up with me.

Next stop: Rishikesh