The attendance at Norling Institute
It was during interaction with monks that i figured out that a visit to Norbulingka Institute would keep the shine. Just a day before The Dalai Lama's 77th birthday, i headed to this destination. With plain porridge from Crepe Pancake, the odds were truly in favour of hitting this destination. It was precisely 11.50 that the bus left Mcleodganj for D'haramsala. From D'sala all i could lay hands to was a private bus which i left in Sidhipur bus stand just 10 minutes before 1pm. Suggestions were not hard to come to secure Norbulingka Institute on foot. All lasting 20 minutes, i was right there at the Norbulingka Institute . The entrance has "Welcome to Norbulingka Institute Preserving Tibetan culture".
As one steps inside spotted is a board sprinkled with pictures of N'ka Creche and Pre School. The different activities are as broadly spelt out as they could be. Further down there is a direction for N'ka temple/museum, N'ka arts/workshops, offices/ AOTC and creche/kindergarten. Most of the directions indicate a right turn and i take a left one with a message etched about Vishave mein shanti rakhein (let peace prevail on earth). From here i again turn right and on to a bridge with enough water gushing down. Few metres away i come across two messages on either side. First is: Stages for developing an able and calming mind. Second is : The wheel of life. Necessarily on 12 links and their conveying power. Prominent among them are
+ a blind woman - ignorance
+ a potter - compositional action
+ a monkey looking out of window - consciousness
+ people in a boat - name and form
+ man and woman embracing - contact
+ a man drinking beer - attachment
As i move further, mind you there are steps to ascend and descend, i come across a mani wheel (this what an insider tells me which is witness to water gushing from top and flowing down). Further up there is a structure that houses paintings and a clear message to remove shoes before one steps in followed with a request to not touch paintings with hands as it would get soiled. This structure has steps segregated on different floors. The doors on most are found to be closed and on the top i can see peaks and surrounding areas. Later this door- shut exercise is explained by a daily opening that happens at 2. The next stop is a doll museum. The entry ticket is rs 5 and there are different displays. Display 12 is on Milarepa (a 11th century yogi who used to meditate in caves). Display 9 has a market scene in Lhasa. (until 1959 the traders took wool to Kalimpong and Calcutta and brought back hats, cloth, sugar and spice. In China they obtained brocades and black tea in exchange for musk). There are other displays on religious costumes and picnics and leisure.
Few walks further i come across the Norling restaurant which i am told is hosting the Norling party and i better look for other option. Lucky enough to get a lift to Sidhipur bus stand. From here i take a bus to D'sala. On the way the man seated next to me speaks on his son based in the national capital and battling a rent battle. With jobs as few as men in the state, his son decided to have a National Capital fate. From power to water, everything comes in a quarter. The gaze shifts to two girls of which the one finds it convenient to take the next berth. Both hail from Jwali.
I get down at D'sala and take a maxi cab in which the revelation that is too revealing is that monsoon vacations are too begin from July middle and till then the students would fail to escape books as a riddle.
Except for the Norling restaurant encounter, the entire beat to Norbulingka and back was as smooth as one could imagine and hope more tourists go to Norbulingka Institute to secure a sweet root.
It was during interaction with monks that i figured out that a visit to Norbulingka Institute would keep the shine. Just a day before The Dalai Lama's 77th birthday, i headed to this destination. With plain porridge from Crepe Pancake, the odds were truly in favour of hitting this destination. It was precisely 11.50 that the bus left Mcleodganj for D'haramsala. From D'sala all i could lay hands to was a private bus which i left in Sidhipur bus stand just 10 minutes before 1pm. Suggestions were not hard to come to secure Norbulingka Institute on foot. All lasting 20 minutes, i was right there at the Norbulingka Institute . The entrance has "Welcome to Norbulingka Institute Preserving Tibetan culture".
As one steps inside spotted is a board sprinkled with pictures of N'ka Creche and Pre School. The different activities are as broadly spelt out as they could be. Further down there is a direction for N'ka temple/museum, N'ka arts/workshops, offices/ AOTC and creche/kindergarten. Most of the directions indicate a right turn and i take a left one with a message etched about Vishave mein shanti rakhein (let peace prevail on earth). From here i again turn right and on to a bridge with enough water gushing down. Few metres away i come across two messages on either side. First is: Stages for developing an able and calming mind. Second is : The wheel of life. Necessarily on 12 links and their conveying power. Prominent among them are
+ a blind woman - ignorance
+ a potter - compositional action
+ a monkey looking out of window - consciousness
+ people in a boat - name and form
+ man and woman embracing - contact
+ a man drinking beer - attachment
As i move further, mind you there are steps to ascend and descend, i come across a mani wheel (this what an insider tells me which is witness to water gushing from top and flowing down). Further up there is a structure that houses paintings and a clear message to remove shoes before one steps in followed with a request to not touch paintings with hands as it would get soiled. This structure has steps segregated on different floors. The doors on most are found to be closed and on the top i can see peaks and surrounding areas. Later this door- shut exercise is explained by a daily opening that happens at 2. The next stop is a doll museum. The entry ticket is rs 5 and there are different displays. Display 12 is on Milarepa (a 11th century yogi who used to meditate in caves). Display 9 has a market scene in Lhasa. (until 1959 the traders took wool to Kalimpong and Calcutta and brought back hats, cloth, sugar and spice. In China they obtained brocades and black tea in exchange for musk). There are other displays on religious costumes and picnics and leisure.
Few walks further i come across the Norling restaurant which i am told is hosting the Norling party and i better look for other option. Lucky enough to get a lift to Sidhipur bus stand. From here i take a bus to D'sala. On the way the man seated next to me speaks on his son based in the national capital and battling a rent battle. With jobs as few as men in the state, his son decided to have a National Capital fate. From power to water, everything comes in a quarter. The gaze shifts to two girls of which the one finds it convenient to take the next berth. Both hail from Jwali.
I get down at D'sala and take a maxi cab in which the revelation that is too revealing is that monsoon vacations are too begin from July middle and till then the students would fail to escape books as a riddle.
Except for the Norling restaurant encounter, the entire beat to Norbulingka and back was as smooth as one could imagine and hope more tourists go to Norbulingka Institute to secure a sweet root.
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