For a trip that was three months in the planning and just four days in the executing, my visit to Dharamsala certainly left a lot of impressions on my mind. And now I know the reason why.
I had promised myself this at the beginning of 2017, not knowing that the quote is credited to the Dalai Lama. What a lovely coincidence then, that my first stop should be the city which is known for the presence of the Dalai Lama himself!
As Wordsworth put it so beautifully, the memories of that stay will flash upon my inward eye as oft upon my couch I lie…which is the bliss of solitude.
Here are just a few more of the memories that I would like to rewind, pause and play; some pensive or peaceful, others just joyful.
At a church aptly named St. John’s in the Wilderness, we came across several graves and tombstones with worn-off lettering. We wandered around trying to read the dates, names and inscriptions. They were mostly of Britishers who had died during the Great War or their stay here. This particular one caught my eye, mainly because of the way the inscription was written; not on a headstone but all around the tombstone itself.
-IN MEMORY OF ELIZABETH ANNE, BORN 12th FEB 1822, DOUGLAS ISLE OF MAN, AND
-WHO DIED AT DHARAMSALA
– THE 19th FEB 1871; THE GENTLE AND BELOVED WIFE OF ANDREW KNOX BLACKALL.
She must have been only 49 years old when she passed away a few days after her birthday. And it made me think of a lady who had journeyed to a distant land to be with her husband and died so far away from home.
“My peace I give unto you.” The monastery that we visited, set against the cool green mountains, seemed to tell us this. It was a fairly large, sprawling structure, surrounded by other buildings that served as classes and rooms for the resident monks. When we arrived, we could hear the chanting of childish voices. Obviously, a class was in progress! The temple itself was beautifully decorated and Quiet. We wandered around, soaking up the silence which was broken by the twittering of birds. When we emerged, class had been let off and we could see the young monks making a dash for the wide open spaces. Children are the same, whether they’re clad in school uniforms or monks’ robes. Break time is like jail-break time!
In the kaleidoscope of my memories, the blue-green of the mountains stands out, which is hardly surprising. There are so many others, the trinkets in the stalls outside the Dalai Lama temple, the cosy cafes offering Tibetan cuisine, along with continental fare and soft, fresh, home-made cakes in different flavours- we had peanut butter, chocolate chip and carrot- all of them were lip-smackingly delicious. There were varieties of mo-mos being sold at every nook and corner. We sampled Israeli cuisine (disappointing), wood-oven baked thin crust pizzas (very tasty), butter tea (too buttery) and of course, thupka.
We walked long distances without getting tired: the air was fresh and the view was fantastic; banishing all fatigue (I’m getting alliterative here!). We left with gloomy hearts – the ride back to the airport was much quieter than the drive from there.
But there’s always the hope of another visit to this place and more travels to new places. The journey has just begun.
butterfliesonmymindblog 