Dalai Lama Temple, Dharamsala

From Amritsar, we took a 9 hour bus even farther northeast to the backpacker’s village of McLeod Ganj, just north of Dharamsala. McLeod Ganj is nestled at the foothills of the Himalayas, and the view of Mount Triund is particularly spectacular. Being near the border of Tibet, many Tibetans reside there and it quietly serves as the permanent home of Tibet’s free leader, the Dalai Lama. On the bus connecting Dharamshala to McLeod Ganj, we met a practicing Buddhist nun donning the signature red and yellow robes. She was returning to this tourist spot as a short retreat from her work at a children’s home near Nagpur in the central part of India, and given our bus’ nighttime arrival offered to assist us in finding our lodging. On the way, we discussed her life as a Buddhist and thoughts on the state of affairs in India, and sensing our curiosity, she offered to guide us through the Dalai Lama’s temple the next day.

These round cylinders are mantras, with thousands of prayers handwritten inside each in Sanskrit and Tibetan letters. Each full clockwise turn of the mantra is said to work the good merit of the prayers. The wheel is an important symbol in Buddhism and elicits the eight fold noble path.

8 Fold Noble Path
1) Right understanding
2) Right thought
3) Right speech
4) Right action
5) Right livelihood
6) Right mindfulness
7) Right concentration
8) Right wisdom

Alisa and Pankoori in McLeod Ganj

Capturing a moment: monks and others washing their clothes in the river, on a hike near McLeod Ganj. Buddhist monks' robes symbolize compassion (red) and wisdom (yellow). "Save Tibet" (partially covered) is written on a rock and is ubiquitous in this part of India.