A glimpse of Dalai Lama's world

It was quite late by usual hill standards – around 9PM in the night. I walked downhill with a torch in hand, towards the main mall road from my homestay, perched up on the quiet Dharamkot Road. There was a nip in the air, stars shining bright and the moon peeping from behind the handsome tall pines. A fairytale was in the making. Only, I had to rush before the restaurants closed for the night.

This was July 2017 but the smell of the hills is still afresh, the glimpses of the mighty Dhauladhar, vivid.

View be like

This was my first solo trip & my first attempt at volunteer travel. Destination Mcleodganj, Himachal Pradesh.

I had planned it well and way in advance -

• Shortlisted the NGO
• Filled an online application
• Booked flights to Kangra Airport once my teaching schedule was locked
• Booked my homestay
• Read up as much as possible

There I was on July 1^st at Mcleodganj for my week long stay and volunteering as an English teacher at LHA Charitable Trust.

The organization works for the Tibetan community in Dharamshala & Mcleodganj providing language classes, computer training and also running a fair price shop of goods made by the Tibetan people.

LHA Charitable Trust, Dharamshala

I had volunteered to take the spoken English classes for a week. I was hoping to teach Tibetan kids but to my surprise, majority of the people were grow up monks. Some were there as they needed help with the translation of Dalai Lama’s teachings at the temple. Some were there to learn the language better so that they could read more of Dalai Lama’s books and a few were there who wanted to learn English for a better livelihood.

The experience was nothing close to what I had in mind when I landed in the hill town. I was expecting classroom sessions. I had even prepared my topics and flow of discussion for Day 1. But like life surprises you every time you over plan, so did LHA.

The sessions were in a classroom for sure but they were interactive. I’d say I learnt as much as I taught. My job was to give words to the thoughts of the many eager Tibetan monks I met over the course of the week.

They had queries from culture to religion to travel to food… the conversations were endless. Even after the classes got over, I would walk to the temple complex with the monks for the evening prayer.

Of hills and long walks

While I was there, it happened to be Dalai Lama's birthday as well - 6th of July. The city literally transformed on that day - cafes were servicing coffee and muffins, the temple was busy celebrating with local Tibetan dancers. There was a lot of love in the air. Dharamshala overall has this nice, warm feel about it and that's mostly because of the Tibetan community settled there. These monks in the distinct red robe are ever smiling and always up for a conversation. 

The Dalai Lama Temple & Monastery in Mcleodganj is like nothing else I’ve ever seen before. That place transports you to a different world. You feel like a tiny spec in the whole wide world and suddenly what you think & feel becomes redundant. It’s a humbling feeling. One must be there to know. Can’t say much as words will definitely not do justice.

While I was at Mcleodganj, I did make best use of my time and saw a few places and visited many cafes. Here’s my 7 must-see and why –

1.       St. John in the Wilderness Church – Because a non-Christian works there as the care taker and one long conversation with him will prove to you why religion is so overrated. Plus it’s a burst of wild green – much to my liking. Spend a quiet afternoon there on the wall overlooking the jungle. I bet you’ll miss the silence once you’re back in city.

Into the wild

2.       Tushita Meditation Centre – because it’s tucked away in a hidden corner at the Dharamkot junction. As you keep walking amidst the pines following a board that says Tushita, you’ll suddenly stumble onto a huge monastery like building that came from nowhere. That moment of awe is worth whatever it takes to trudge up hill. Also, don’t walk back once you are done. Sneak in and find the narrow hill trail that goes down to Mcleod. You’ll have monkeys for company. Don’t be scared. I’d like to believe I wasn’t.

Tushita Meditation Centre

3.       Norbulingka Institute & Monastery – Straight out of a book, completely alienated from how we know life. Take in the burst of colors as much as you can. Don’t forget we all have to come back to the grey world. 

A leap of faith

4.       Dharamshala Tea Gardens – Take a 5 minute detour on the drive to the Kangra Airport and you’ll find yourself engulfed in sprawling tea gardens. Hold a hand that you trust and take that long walk. It will do you a world of good. The early check in at the airport can wait.  

Let's walk?

5.       CommonGround Café – I loved the yellow lights, the books & the location that saves you from the crowded Chowk and most of all Sayan Munshi – saw him there twice during my stay. He’s graduated from his Jhankaar Beats days and how. He looked so hot that it wasn’t funny. He had his toddler in company which made him even more desirable. I am absolutely not star struck but you didn’t see him that evening. So I’m afraid you’d never know what I’m talking about!

6.       Morgan’s Café - Because if you’ve walked uphill to Dharamkot from Mcleodganj you deserve the iced coffee or chilled beer. Add a thin crust pizza to your treat, if you must. And ask for the pretty girl who has a nose piercing done. Not much of a talker, but trick her into a conversation if you can. You’ll remember what she said months after you’ve left that place.

7.       Illiterati – Because fairy tales are written out of quiet hill cafes like this. Take a book, order the Chicken Schnitzel, get a table with the view and just be. Very seldom in life, will you wish that time would just stand still and the moment would never cease to exist.

Coffee and a story?

That was the trip and now I’m back with a bag full of memories… quite literally.

Two months since I was there and it still feels like yesterday. Solo trips are recommended. At least once in a while because you end up doing a lot of things which you probably didn’t even know you liked.
I plan to do my next volunteer solo travel in winter.  Offering a helping hand somewhere while you’re exploring a new place is a great way to travel. That’s what I thought until I went the LHA. Getting to know people and having a fresh perspective is a great way to see a new place – that’s what I’d say now. Who’s helping who? God knows.

I got my inspiration for this trip here. Never stop looking for yours.

Keep travelling. Keep exploring. Keep finding yourself.

Of faraway lands and quiet homestays