McLeod Ganj, home away from home for the Tibetans

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I was sitting in Namgyal cafe and watched as the clouds seeped in from the valley. They came in from the lower lands and now they are enveloping the tiny village and dissolving in front of my eyes. I am sipping hot chocolate and listening to the soft music. I just enjoy the moment. I'm loving it. The temperature is cool. It is raining but I know , I can feel that this place is magical.
Mc Leod Ganj is home of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and his government in exile. India was gracious and let the tibetans stay in the lower Himalayas after the Chinese " Freed Tibet" in 1952.

On the main road Tibetans selling their handcrafted goods. They are very polite and not pushy. The jewellery and other items are very original. Indians selling "Free Tibet" T-shirts ( probably made in China) trying to lure you into their shops. The main street is full of Beggars. None of them are Tibetan. The indian beggars profit of the misery of the Tibetans... (at the end of the day, as they say: this is their land, they have their rights too...)
The Tsuglakhang complex is where the main temples are in McLeod Ganj. I enter the gate which sports huge billboards asking for justice to be done. There is a photo of a 6 year old boy in one of the posters. The last picture of the Panchen Lama who has been abducted by the chinese government in 1995 and no one heard of him ever since...
He is the youngest political prisioner in the world.

I walk around the Khora ( the tibetans circumambulate clockwise around their temples and sacred places. This round is called Khora) I watch how these simple smiling people go round and round swirling their prayer wheels and murmuring their mantras. They happily stop and smile to my camera when they see me taking pics of the amazing view. They come to me greeting me with a loud "Tashi Delek", asking if I would take their pictures. When I show them the results they laugh and get on with their prayers. I LOVE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY: )))))
They are so serene. Many people ( mainly old) are sitting around the temple complex in cushions. Some of the people are socializing, some of them are reading textures in tibetan, others are praying and chanting.

After going round and round, an old gentleman asked me to sit down with him. I happily obeyed. He didn't speak english, and I don't speak tibetan, but we have mantained an interesting conversation with sign language. We've had a good laugh : )


An american guy sits nearby and he is making a drawing of the praying monks and the people who surrounds us. Some people asks him to show what he has done and he happily stops whatever he is doing in order to show them his notebook sporting a great smile. In 2 seconds there are more and more curious tibetans around him laughing at the images. My old friend also would like to see the booklet, so I ask the guy ( whos name is James and he works for the Peacecorps in Turkmenistan) to show his art. It is amazing. James is really talented and he is a very nice guy too. He had made my friend so happy with his simple gesture.


I've spent the whole afternoon with my new tibetan friend and James, talking about Turkmenistan, using sign language, smiling a lot and drinking tea.
At sunset I joined the pilgrims when they went around the big khora, which surrounds the whole complex including the home of His Holiness.

If you visit McLeod Ganj, a trip to the Tibetan Museum is a must. In the afternoon we have seen a documentary. H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama smilingly answered the questons of the bold interviewer. His honesty was very moving. He lacked of pompousness and you could tell that he does not take himself too seriously. He is simple and gives simple answers to the questions. Answers anyone could understand. He does not use big words, but the meaning behind the words are great. He tries to paint a simple picture of himself with his simple words, but if you have read his books you know how much knowledge is behind his "simplicity"... He makes us laugh when he tells us about his childhood,remembering all he wanted was just be one of those kids ice skating in front of the Potala Palace...
He narrates, while we watch the images of his visit in Peking.( from the film a very young guy with a great smile shakes Mao's hand.) He told us how happy he was, because he thought that he has conducted very successfull negotiatons with Chairman Mao. He told us how happy he was, how he rejoiced when they have signed the Peace Threaty.
Then his voice grew grave and admits how naive he was.

We were all wiping our tears while watchied the horrors of Tibet, the testimonials of those who has suffered and have seen thousands of people, icluding friends and families dying...

I needed some fresh air and walked around the tibetans most sacred Khora on the hillside. Indian beggars were building their tents, sending their loud children to nag and beg. The women were cooking and making chapatis...
I suddenly felt the anger arise. This poor people can't even be left alone in exile. I was angry.The whole scene reminded me of the TAR. In Tibet, the chinese are also making a hefty profit of the misery of the tibetans. Altho I must admit they do it in a much larger scale.....

My anger changed in an instant, when I saw an 80 year old tibetan woman with a plastic bag full of coins. She was going around the Khora, giving a coin to every single beggar. She gave money to the noisy kids, to elderly people and lazy men.... all the same...
She told me, that she is thankful for her much suffered race is allowed to live life in peace. Even if they soil their most sacred worship place...( there are no public bathrooms in India. ok. I refraise that one: India is a huge public bathroom) She used to be a teacher and she speaks excellent English. She told me that Buddha teached to love and to have compassion. That is what the Dalai Lama tells them to do too.. To be in peace with the world. She told me that she was not angry at the chinese, because they don't know what they were doing. I told her that in China the average villagers (that is 80 % of the population) have no idea, that there is such a thing, as Tibet problem. When they heard that I was going to Tibet, every one of them told me that they wanted to go too, because they heard that it was a beautiful and exotic part of China...

The scene of this old teacher giving to those, who had less in her opinion, reminds me of the Grandma, who I have seen in Barkhor in Lhasa. She must have come from far away to pray in Jokhang temple. She was tired and sat down on the pavement. A chinese soldier came straight away, and shouted at her to stand up and kicked her. The grandma stood up, with all her dignity and smiled at the soldier and blessed him from her heart... this simple act of goodwill made me understand how undeveloped we are in our developed countries.
We have a lot to learn from this simple, but great people who has lost everything but their good heart and goodwill...
I have been wondering around India for 5 months and got in touch with spirituality. I have visited many Ashrams talked to countless gurus and disciples or renunciates. However, His Holiness is the first leader I ever seen, who was able to transmit his teachings to his people. The tibetans are the first people I met ( and I hope they wont be the last) who are practicing what they preach, they do it willingly from their heart and happily under horrible conditions. This is truly remarcable.
Tashi Delek!

Ülök a Namgyal Cafe-ban és a forró csokimat szürcsölgetem. A nyitott ablakon at bamulom ahogy a szurke vaskos felhok elem tolulnak a volgy iranyabol es eltakarjak a kilatasom egy par percre, majd a hegyvonulat tetejet elerve semmive foszlanak. halk kellemes zene szol alig hallhatoan tolti be a teret. elvezem a pillanatot. elered az eso, de valahogy ez hozza tartozik a hangulat teljessegehez.Tudom, erzem, hogy ez a hely jelentos, varazslatos es kulonleges.
Mc Leod Ganj a 14. Dalai Lama es kormanyanak otthona. India joszivvel megengedte hogy az 1952ben a kinaiak altal felszabaditott Tibet lakosai letelepedjenek a Himalaya labainal annak ellenere hogy evvel a ket gigantikus orszag kozt a kapcsolat megromlott nem kis mertekben.
a Fo utcan Tibetiek aruljak a kezmuves portekaikat. erdekes, eredeti ekszerek, salak es textiliak kozt valogathatunk. A boltokbol indiaiak koszontenek es probaljak rankeroszakolni a Free Tibet feliratu polokat ( valoszinuleg Made In China)
Az ut szelen jobbrol ballrol koldusok Egytol egyig indiai...kihasznaljak a tibetiek nyomorat es profitalnak a turizmusbol. elvegre ez a fold legalabb annyira az ovek is, mint a Tibetieke...
a Tsuglakhang komplexum, hol a fobb kolostor es templomok talalhatok magaba foglalja Oszentsege hazat is. Ez a tibetiek fobb vallasi kozpontja.
bemegye a kapun melyre hatalmas poszterek vannak kiaggatva a tibetiek emberi jogaiert. az egyik poszterrol egy 6 eves kisfiu komoly arcocskaja tekint ram. O a Panchen Lama, kit 1995 ota fogva tart a kinai kormany. akkor volt 6 eves az aprocska vallasi vezeto.
o a vilag legfiatalabb politikai foglya es senki nem tud rola semmit 13 eve... Setalok a Khoran ( a tibetiek korbejarnak az ora jarasanak megfelelo iranyban a legszentebb helyeken, illetve a templomaik, kolostoraik korul imakerekeiket forgatva es mantraikat mormolva. e kort Khoranak nevezik.)Boldogan megallnak es es mosolyognak ram amikor latjak hogy a tajat fotozom. csodaszep a kilatas es kerik fotozzam le oket. Amikor megmutatom nekik a kesz fotot, elvigyorodnak boldogan, gyermekmodra, es Hangos Tashi Delek! el elkoszonve, mosolyogva folytatjak az imat tovabb, rojak a koroket. sokan -tobbnyire idosebbek ulnek a templom elott leteritett pledeken, uloparnakon. tibeti nyelven olvassak a Buddha tanitasait, beszelgetnek, imadkoznak , kantalnak.
A sokadik korom utan, egy idos apo maga melle hiv es mutatja uljek le melle. szivesen eleget teszek kerdesenek es mivel en nem tudok Tibetiul o pedig angolul nem beszel , heves mutogatasbe kezdunk, s igy kommunikalunk : ) Tobbnyire nevetunk nagyokat azon amikor felreertjuk egymas gesztusait : )))))
egy amerikai fiu telepszik mellenk, vazlatfuzeteben orokiti meg a korulottunk imadkozo szerzeteseket. Par kivancsi megkeri mutassa meg a rajzait, s o boldogan eleget tesz a keresnek. par percen belul mar kisebb csodulet van James korul, ki Turkmenisztanban tanit angolt az egyik legelismertebb amerikai jotekonysagi alapitvany kereten belul. az en nagyapom is nyujtogatja a nyakat, igy elkerem a fiutol a vazlatfuzetet egy pillanatra. James nemcsk hogy tehetseges, de kedves is es nagyon boldoga tette az en idos baratomat. a delutan hatralevo reszet egyutt toltjuk el, nagyot vigyorogva a Tibeti apommal teat szurcsolgetve, Turkmenisztanrol es a Peace Corps rol beszelhgetve : ))))
Napnyugta elott korbejarom a khorat a templom komplexum korul mely magaba foglalja a Dalai Lama rezidenciajat is.
Ha meglatogatod McLeod Ganj-ot, kihagyhatatlan a Tibeti Muzeum megtekintese, mely bepillantast nyujt Tibet tortenelmebe.
Delutan egy dokumentum filme mutatnak itt be. Oszentsege viccesen valaszolgat a riporter kerdeseire.Megmosolyogtat bennunket. az oszintesege varatlanul er minket es jokat vigyorgunk amikor meseli hogy kissrac koraban vagyakozva bamulta a Potala Palota elott korcsolyazo gyerekeket, mikozben neki komoly, poros konyveket kellett tanulmanyoznia. Nem hasznal nagy szavakat, de az egyszeru szavaknak komoly a mondanivaloja. Egyszeruen, mindenki szamara konnyen erthetoen valaszol a neki feltett kerdesekre.
egy dokumentum film szakasz ala narralja a vasznon lathato kepkockakat. a filmen egy mosolygos fiatal Dalai Lama fog kezet Mao val arcan boldog mosoly. Oszentsege elmeseli milyen boldog volt amikor alairtak a bekeszerzodest. oszinten orult a targyalas sikereinek. Itt egy pillanatra elhallgat , majd csendesen hozzateszi, milyen buta es naiv volt hogy elhitte Mao igeretet.
a kovetkezo kepkockak Mao seregeit mutatjak, amint bevonulnak Tibetbe es "Felszabaditjak" azt. szem szarazon nem marad mikozben hallgatjuk a tanuvallomasokat latjuk a kinai katonak horror akcioit.
Egy kis friss levegore van szuksegem, igy vegigsetalok a Tsuglakhang komplex koruli khoran. Indiai koldusok huzzak fel a satraikat , kuldik a hangos gyerekeiket koldulni. az asszonyok sutik a chapatit es foznek...
hirtelen nagyon megharagszom az indiaiakra, kik kihasznaljak ennek a szerencsetlen nepnek a nyomorusagat. Kinaban ugyanez megy, persze joval nagyobb mertekben.
A haragom elszall amint megpillantok egy idos nenit , kezeben apropenzzel teli zacskoval. A 80 ev koruli asszony minden egyes koldusnak, gyerekeknek, felnotteknek egyarant, ad egy rupiat. amint latja hogy ertetlenul bamulom, odajon es tokeletes angolsaggal beszedbe elegyedik velem. elmondja hogy boldog es halas amiert nem kell testkozelbol latnia tobb szenvedest. Annak ellenere hogy jogaik ugyan ebben az orszagban sincsenek, sanyargatott nepe legalabb bekeben tud megelni, megha ez avval is jar hogy a koldusok oda piszkitanak a szent khora melle.( Indiaban nem elterjedt a kozwc fogalma. ott mindenki oda vegzi a dolgat ahol epp rajon...) az idos asszony elmeseli hogy o tanar volt, de mar rossz a szeme. Elmondja hogy a Buddha szeretetet tanitott, es a Dalai Lama is azt keri hogy legyenek konyoruletesek, mert sem az indiai koldusok sem a kinaiak em tudjak mit csinalnak. elmeselem neki hogy kinaban a legtobb ember akinek elmeseltem hogy megyek Tibetbe, csillogo szemmel mondta hogy o is szeretne menni. a kinai kozember ugy tudja hogy Tibet egy exotikus kinai tartomany, es erdekli oket Tibet kulturaja.
a nene jolelkusege eszembe juttat egy masik jelenetet, mely Lhasaban jatszodott le. egy oreg nenike a Jokhang templom koruli Khoran megallt megpihenni es leult a foldre. pillanatokon belul ott termett egy kinai katona es elkezdett uvolteni az idos asszonnyal. A neni nem kelt fel eleg gyorsan, igy a katona meg bele is rugott. odamentem hogy segitsek neki. a nene rammosolygott, majd miutan folalltunk a kinai katonahoz frodult es megaldotta azt. tiszta szivebol. nem haragudott. mosolygott.... ez az egyszeru tett emlekeztetett ra hogy mennyire fejletlenek vagyunk ezekhez az egyszeru emberekhez kepest a mi fejlett orszagainkban...
rengeteget tanulhatnank ettol a neptol ki, minden jogatol megfosztva is kepes szeretetet adni, meg azoknak is akik kihasznaljak oket.
Mar 5 honapja Indiaban vagyok es rengeteg alkalmam volt ra hogy megismerkedhessek gurukkal, azok tanitvanyaival es tanaikkal. A Dalai Lama az elso vallasi vezeto kinek nepe nemcsak hogy vizet iszik, de azt is predikal. Remelem atvesszuk ennek a hatalmas szivu nepnek a jo peldajat...
Tashi Delek!

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Comments

[bhushan batra]

Simply flabbergasting
Katalin you have amazing guts. I salute your passion for travel. You have been travelling religiously. I must say one day you shall travel (conquer) the world. Keep it up. My best wishes.bhushan b. India :-)

[bhushan batra]

Simply flabbergasting
Katalin you have amazing guts. I salute your passion for travel. You have been travelling religiously. I must say one day you shall travel (conquer) the world. Keep it up. My best wishes.bhushan b. India :-)