Monday, August 17, 2009

Apple on cheeks and cherry on trees

What makes Dharamshala a place worth going to is not its scenic beauty but the people. The first thing i noticed, was the residents (often) one-dimensional existence. They literally eat, drink, talk peace and Tibet. Spend few hours there and you start believing in their cause.One should not shop there (unless you have loads of extra money to waste, deliberately paying Rs 500 for something which actually costs Rs 90)..But what could be done is a trek to the waterfalls..the falls itself is not extra-ordinarily beautiful. But the walk throught the hills to reach the falls...with little crevaces shaped like huts, the odd-palm reader sleeping on the way, and the ever present throng of youngsters..makes your day.Since, we were invited by the government-in-exile, we could go to most of the places which is still off bounds. But the musueum, Medical centre is open to all.The most amazing thing there was perhaps the Refugee Centre where Ama Adhe resides. She is perhaps older than my grandmother (and looks an awful lot like her too) and had escaped from Tibetan prison and now is the source of inspiration to many in this land away from home. Every month hundreds of people stumble up the rickety steps to the building and find a place to stay and people to care about.The Tibetan Children's Village (TCV) is a sight. If anyone likes kids...(of any shape, size, colour, temperament)..they would love this place. Tiny munchkins keep running around the huge school yard, the not so tiny girls look up admiringly at the senior boys, while the soon-to-be adults go around dancing to their hip-hop numbers. Its "phoren" land in the middle of the most peaceful place. And when the kids take your hand and take you inside their room, you suddenly wish they would not let go.Of course, the whole atmosphere is great..cool..breezy..everything nice. Going to Dharamsala..even if one never got to see even the robe of the Dalai Lama..is something worth your time..

5 comments:

  1. Cnt experience it by reading on a laptop screen. bt it sounds like a place to be. Calm ,quiet serene(xcept the dancing kids part).
    Wud love to go there someday.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Awww!Lovely post! Refreshed my memory! Want to go to Dharamshala again & be a part of IIMC too!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hmm.. It's benefitted ya. Quoting share prices fer da stuff you work at. Nicely written. Need ta work on da spellings and punctuations though. Use sum grammar n spell checker thing. Da force be wit u.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Appreciates and likes. But, Spell Check, Shohini!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think Dharamsala is one place which touched my heart and i totally agree with u that ppl there "eat,live, drink Tibet"..A mystic place surrounded by hills..The serenity admist the Dharamsala will make you ponder about the madness and the chaos of the places we live in..
    Among the best things that has happened in IIMC-- Dharamsala trip is the best..:)

    ReplyDelete