Shutters

INDIA | Friday, 14 June 2013 | Views [807] | View Smaller Image

My next destination were something one can't miss when in Dharamshala, the Tibetan monasteries. This was my 2nd day of the journey. The Buddhist religion is known for their simple living and peaceful nature which in turn has made many people around the world follow it. The monasteries are an art in itself, the vibrancy and the peace one can experience here is divine. I took this shot at the Gyoto monastery, one of the lesser visited monastery situated about 10 km from the main town of Dharamshala. I reached here about 1 hour prior to the afternoon prayers and got real good time to shoot the beauty of the monastery. Just before the main prayer, one of the monks came in to offer his prayers. The timing got precise for me and this one turned out to be one of the best shot of my trip.

Tags: dharamshala, travel, nomad, buddhism, monastery, monk, prayer

I reached Dharamshala on the morning of 23rd May. Known for its crafty works and travel enthusiasts, I got a perfect welcome from the town with colors, designs, bikers and trekkers all around. While going to my hotel on day 1, I came across this scene where a classic Royal Enfield was parked in front of a wall with the famous traditional drapes with prints of Hindu Gods put up for sale. One can see a lot of bullets around which has been a favorite for a lot of bikers here in India. The contrast in terms of the nature and color was something that attracted me to get this photographed and I knew straight away that I was going to have a great time here :)

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It was in 1959 when HH Dalai Lama initiated his quest to free Tibet from the clutches of Chinese government. This led to the migration of many Buddhists to India. The Indian government provided them with Dharamshala as a place to settle and flourish. On coming back from Gyoto monastery, I decided to take a late walk to Dharamkot, another small section of the Dharamshala province. This shot was taken en-route to Dharamkot which is about 14 km from Dharamshala. The route from McLeod upwards gets a bit scary as there are very less homes and shops with all the tall tress blanketing the road with very little light creeping in. The sentiments of the message on the shutter of the shop says it all, the Tibetans although have settled and made a living here, haven't forgotten the cause that they had left for.

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Shutters

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