After twelve hours of night train from Delhi and some three hours drive we reach the town of Dharamsala and Mcleod Ganj, respectively, the seat of Tibetan government in exile and home to the famous 14th Dalai Lama. In fact, he is the one we came to catch the last minute before his flight to the United States and ... Canada.
Unfortunately for us, we get a few hours too late: the lessons they gave to the temple in the morning are over and it will do more before his departure. "Is There Any Way We Can Meet Him? We're canadian journalists...» « NO. NOT POSSIBLE!» , nous assure la personne qui s'occupe des communications de sa Sainteté. Déception.
Cet homme, prix Nobel de la paix, est connu internationalement pour ses enseignements bouddhistes et son dévouement pour le peuple tibétain qui lui vouent une immense fierté. Cette fierté est encore plus grande pour les quelques 130 000 Tibétains exilés qui vivent en grande partie à Dharamsala, et ailleurs en Inde, mais aussi au Népal et au Bhoutan. Les États-Unis, la Suisse et le Canada sont aussi les terres d'adoption de quelques-uns d'entre eux. Sa Sainteté le Dalaĩ-Lama est donc carrément an icon for his people but also for Westerners, including us, who are his lectures as short performances of rock stars.
So this man who went under the nose. Passed under the nose is the expression to use, because the day after our arrival, His Holiness was released by car from his home before our eyes of eager groupies. Little satisfaction. It will have at least glimpsed ... failing to have an interview! (Laughs Pace yourself for this pun in two sub ...)
But our exploration of the new home of the Tibetans' s fortunately not stop there. At the foot of the Himalayas, this land seems out of time. It has the taste of land there and enjoy the fresh mountain air (especially after having spent several days under the overpowering heat of Delhi.) We choose an accommodation in the mountainside, set back from the city. The owner of this little corner of paradise is a friendly farmer who built an annex to his modest home he turns into cottage for tourists to question its rounded ends meet. As his English is limited to hi, room, and thank you hot water , our conversations are limited, but extremely intense.
We enjoy visiting temples context pouir Buddhists in the region and spend a day in a village developed specifically to accommodate young Tibetans in exile orphans. They live in foster families and attend schools where they can continue to be taught their culture in their language.
We meet the proud general secretary of the village and we're also making friends with some children who practice their English course with us.
The timing is fabulous. But like all good things, yes, there is an end! After an extended stay in the city the Dalai Lama, we leave this happiness to another. Branch Amritsar in the Punjab region, the birthplace of the Sikh religion.
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