Dharamsala, India

Summary: As the drive to Dharamsala was short (~30 km), we made a few stops along the way, first at a Hindu temple where families go to celebrate important life events (first haircut) and then at the Buddhist “Disneyland” of Norbulinka (for the chance to buy highly overpriced art made at the adjoining school). Arriving in Dharamsala just after noon, we headed to visit the site of the Tibetan government in exile and the Tibetan library. We enjoyed lunch at hilltop hotel as the clouds rolled in so we were not able to see the surrounding mountains. In the afternoon, we went on our own to see the Temple of the Dalai Lama. He was away to give a talk in Germany. I think that, as a result, the whole town was a little on the quiet side. It was quite pretty and very touristy but it seemed like there was something missing. I suspect that crowds lining up to see the Dalai Lama would have livened the place up. As our schedule tomorrow will be determined as we go, Dan held the farewell cocktail party and dinner a day early. As usual, we each received a rather funny award and we were then presented with beautiful angora rabbit blankets that Dan picked up in Manali.

Drive: We left the relaxing tranquility of the Taragarh Palace early in the morning to assure that we would arrive in Dharamsala with plenty of time to explore the town.

The Hindu temple stop was interesting but I think that we were all getting a little “templed-out” by that point. Fortunately we were able to enter the small altar directly without having to wander through the massive crowd control maze they have in place to use when the crowd is larger. Extended families often travel great distances to mark important life events (such as a child’s first haircut) at the temple.

The Norbulinka Institute of Tibetan Culture was a bit of a disappointment. The beautifully manicured grounds had the overly slick feeling of a Disneyland-type tourist experience. The crafts that were manufactured by the students were for sale in the gift shop (at prices that I thought were extremely high when compared with other Buddhist art shools that I have visited.)

Dharamsala: Dharamsala was the old summer seat of the British Raj before a massive earthquake in the early 1900’s caused them to relocate to Shimla. Interestingly, the 2 towns have a similar very similar look of a mountain village surrounded by lush greenery.

We were able to see the seat of the Tibetan government in exile and visit a library housing thousands of Buddhist documents. We also visited the temple where the Dalai Lama holds teaching sessions.

Toto Description: This morning we make the journey to Dharamsala, the official residence of the Dalai Lama and seat of the Tibetan Government in exile. We first visit the institute of Tibetan Arts and Handicrafts at Norbulinka, set amid Japanese-influenced gardens with shady paths, wooden bridges across small streams and tiny waterfalls.
Upon arrival in Dharamsala, we visit the center of Tibetan Medicine and Astrology, and the Tibetan Government Secretariat. The rest of the afternoon you are free to explore the Tibetan Markets. This evening we celebrate our final evening in the Himachal Pradesh region with a dinner at the Mc Lo Restaurant, serving an array of food choices and some strong Beers and Fruity Himachal Wines. Overnight in Dharamsala.