Empty original: At the Dalai Lama's house
Dharamsala, north of India, the refuge of Tibetan monks in the foothills of the Himalayas
THIERRY MALINIAK
A trip to Dharamsala begins with confusion. And one hopes to find the world center of Lamaist spirituality. ¿This city in the Indian Himalayas is not famous for being the place of residence of the Dalai Lama? But one has rather the initial sensation of landing in a commercial emporium. In this small town of about 20.000 inhabitants are present in Tibet, Yeah, but in a commercial way: The few streets are a succession of shops and stalls where windmills and prayer flags are sold., thangkas and books of the Dalai Lama, traditional Tibetan clothing.
Stores fight for space with travel agencies, and Dharamsala has been transformed into a great tourist center. Visitors come from all over the world as if on a pilgrimage., attracted by the mystique of lamaism: youths (and less young) with long hair, bearded old men, neohippy style couples. And in a crowded restaurant where there are more foreigners than locals and where the voice of Bob Dylan sounds, one remembers the atmosphere of Kathmandu in the late seventies. This cosmopolitanism is reflected in the street advertising panels, full of advertising for yoga or meditation courses, English or Hindi classes, tibetan cuisine, Thai massage and restaurants recommended by the Lonely Planet guide. They coexist on the walls with more tragic photos: those of the young Tibetans who immolated themselves by fire in different places, even in Delhi, to protest against China's occupation of their homeland: Dharamsala remains the great center of activism of Tibetan nationalism. Although the posters of His Holiness now share the space with those of Bob Marley or Che Guevara.
One would imagine that the capital in exile of the mountainous Roof of the World is in the very heart of the Himalayas. But it is in its foothills. After a trip of more than 400 kilometers from Delhi across the plain, It is almost upon arrival when you suddenly see the gigantic rock wall of the mountain range, crowned by impressive snow-capped peaks. ¡But what a climb! You must first cross the Dharamsala Below, a town without great interest, before climbing, along a winding road, until the 1.800 Dharamsala meters from Above, also called McLeod Ganj, from the name of an ancient English governor of Punjab. From afar, Its buildings clinging to each other in the middle of the steep slope look like a big Lego set..
When wandering through its streets, the first saffron or maroon spots appear on the monks and the first women dressed in the striped apron of the Tibetan women. The headquarters of the Tibetan Government in exile is located in the Gangchen Kyishong neighborhood. At first glance, this mass of administrative buildings disappoints, with its somewhat dilapidated green roofs. The most interesting thing is the library and the manuscript room: and 40% of the total that were written in Tibet are concentrated in the hundreds of thousands of pages stored here, wrapped in yellow and red fabrics. “The fleeing refugees preferred to bring these texts rather than their own belongings”, assures a Tibetan guide.
The monasteries
To soak up the Tibetan atmosphere there are also the monasteries: like Tsuglagkhang, next to the Dalai Lama's residence, with its large statues of religious figures; or Gangchen Kyishong. But it is in another less frequented by visitors, Tsechokling's, where one best goes back to their old memories of the Roof of the World: between the walls decorated with thangkas, religious drawings and sophisticated tormas (small sculptures made with yak butter), a group of monks and novices tirelessly recite some mantras in a deep voice, bowing to the rhythm of the litany, while the gong emphasizes the melopoeia. for a few minutes, the visitor has the feeling of having crossed the Himalayas and being on its northern slope, that of the dreamed homeland.
Nostalgia for lost Tibet is everywhere. Even in the Lingkor, a circular path that goes around the residence of the Dalai Lama and whose name is inspired by the ring road that surrounds Lhasa. The journey, which continues clockwise, It is dotted with small religious monuments, of multicolored inscriptions painted on the rock, of prayer mills that Tibetan pilgrims move as they pass.
To complete a visit to Dharamsala, nothing better than witnessing a teaching, a teaching session from your most illustrious guest: when he's not traveling the world, the Dalai Lama, although he has renounced collective hearings, continues to address his faithful from the monasteries of the region. From many hours before the event, a rushing crowd, where the red spots of the monks stand out, converges towards the event location. Near the monastery (in this case, Sidhbari's) A small fair has been set up with street stalls where monks patiently queue, who receive free food. The temple courtyard is packed: all, Tibetans, indians (few) and foreigners (quite a few), They wait sitting on the ground for the arrival of His Holiness. Until a collective shudder makes those present vibrate: the Dalai Lama appears. It is a moment of intense fervor.
For hours, He speaks with his deep voice and slow pace.. The most modern technology helps: although it is expressed in Tibetan, an English and Hindi translation service via FM radio allows your words to reach everyone, while two large screens broadcast images of the altar from which he speaks. Discourse on harmony in progress, negative emotions and drives, suffering and happiness. More than half a century after leaving the Roof of the World, his aura, no doubt, remains intact among its people.
Dharamshala Guide
Drawl 470 kilometers drive from Delhi.
Kingfisher (www.flykingfisher.com) has direct flights from Delhi to Gaggal Dharamsala-Kangra airport. A return ticket costs around 150 euros.
Swiss (www.swiss.com), Lufthansa (www.lufthansa.com), Air France (www.airfrance.es), Qatar (www.qatarairways.com) and other companies fly with a stopover between Madrid and Delhi. Offers from 532 euros, round trip.
Information: www.dharamsalanet.com
