© picture courtesey lotte gout
Tashi Lhumpo Monastery - Bailakupe
The Tashi Lhunpo monastery in Shigatse, Tibet was one of the largest monastery with around 5,000 monks in residence before the Chinese invasion of 1959. Following harassment from the Chinese authorities, three hundred monks travelled to India following the footpaths of Dalai Lama and re-established the Tashi Lhunpo in rural Bylakuppe in Karnataka.
When "The Monk" invited me to come over for the Mask Dance Festival, I didn't think twice and agreed to be in the monastery today. I am sure he didn't really believe me when I told two weeks before itself that I am blocking this day to ensure that I visit him. Even the back breaking 8 hours by car from Bangalore hasn't killed my spirit.
Very happy that I came.
This place is truly amazing. What struck me first was the peaceful atmosphere and the happy faces. The people moving around and the environment they live in seems to have struck a beautiful balance. Even the star filled sky and the cool breeze seemed to be telling the same story. To see monks reading and reciting scriptures aloud under street lights and walking across the campus memorising their spiritual text was quite surreal, considering the fact that I was in dirty Bangalore this morning!
May be I should come over at the least once in a month for a weekend escapade from Bangalore!
© GP 2007
The Tashi Lhunpo monastery in Shigatse, Tibet was one of the largest monastery with around 5,000 monks in residence before the Chinese invasion of 1959. Following harassment from the Chinese authorities, three hundred monks travelled to India following the footpaths of Dalai Lama and re-established the Tashi Lhunpo in rural Bylakuppe in Karnataka.
When "The Monk" invited me to come over for the Mask Dance Festival, I didn't think twice and agreed to be in the monastery today. I am sure he didn't really believe me when I told two weeks before itself that I am blocking this day to ensure that I visit him. Even the back breaking 8 hours by car from Bangalore hasn't killed my spirit.
Very happy that I came.
This place is truly amazing. What struck me first was the peaceful atmosphere and the happy faces. The people moving around and the environment they live in seems to have struck a beautiful balance. Even the star filled sky and the cool breeze seemed to be telling the same story. To see monks reading and reciting scriptures aloud under street lights and walking across the campus memorising their spiritual text was quite surreal, considering the fact that I was in dirty Bangalore this morning!
May be I should come over at the least once in a month for a weekend escapade from Bangalore!
© GP 2007
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