Dal : Chota Manimahesh, Shri Durveshvar Mahadev Temple, and Tibetan Children Village

Dal is a small village situated at a distance of  11 kilometers away from Dharamshala near the village of Tota Rani on McLeod Ganj - Naddi road in district Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. The village got its name from Dal Lake, a small mid-altitude lake, 1,775 meters above sea level.

foot path around Dal lake

Dal lake

Dal lake

     Dal lake is filled with greenish water and is surrounded by deodar trees. The lake is famous for its scenic beauty and pilgrimage center.   On the bank of Dal Lake, Shri Durveshvar Mahadev Temple is located (dedicated to Lord Shiva),  which is considered to be very sacred.

Shri Durveshvar Mahadev Temple, Dal

Nandi statue at Shri Durveshvar Mahadev Temple, Dal

      Shri Durveshvar Mahadev Temple was built by Mr Kalshar Singh Rana of village Gharoh in early 18th century. (Gharoh village is about 8 kilometers from Dharamshala and 19 kilometers from Dal). Dal lake is also known as "Chota (small) Mani Mahesh". Every year during the Hindu month of Badon on Radhastami, the 15th day following the festival of Janmashtami, (on August or September), the fair is held at Dal Lake. Thousands of pilgrims came to take holy dip in Dal lake,   seeking blessings of the Lord Shiva.  It is believed that the people who could not go to holy pilgrimage to the Mani Mahesh lake, they could come here.

       (   Mani Mahesh Lake  is a high altitude lake (elevation 4,080 metres (13,390 ft)) situated close to the Manimahesh Kailash Peak in the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas, in the Bharmour subdivision of Chamba district of the Himachal Pradesh. ) 

Mani Mahesh lake, Chamba (image is downloaded from internet)

Sheetla Mata Temple near Dal lake

                         Tibetan Children's Village (TCV) is just near Dal Lake,. Tibetan Children's Villages  is an integrated community in exile for the care and education of orphans, destitutes and refugee children from Tibet. It is a registered, nonprofit charitable organization with its main facility based at Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh

Tibetan Children Village Gate Dal

TCV Ground......Dal

Index..............

Palpung Sherabling Monastic Seat

Palpung Sherabling Monastic Seat.

The Palpung Sherabling Monastic Seat is located in Bhattu village of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh.About 8 Kilometers from Baijnath town and about 10 kilometers from bir village, "the Paragliding Capital of India". Palpung Sherabling is the seat of the 12th Kenting Tai Situpa in India.

His Holiness the 12th Tai Situ (Pema Tonyo Nyinje)

Pema Tonyo Nyinje , the 12th Tai Situ,  at age six, due to deteriorating conditions under the Chinese occupation of Tibet, he fled Tibet into exile along with the 16th Karmapa and the 6th Mingyur Rinpoche. He travelled first to Bhutan and, after recovering from illness and exhaustion, rejoined the Karmapa at Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim (India). Pema Tonyo Nyinje then received his formal training from the Karmapa, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and many other great teachers. In 1975, at the age of 22 he started to set up his seat in exile, Palpung Sherabling Monastery, in Himachal Pradesh.

Most of the buildings of Palpung Sherabling are located on the ridges of the hills or in forest glades as not to destroy the growth of trees and plants for the future. These buildings were all designed by the 12th Kenting Tai Situpa, and were built in traditional styles but of modern materials.

Stupas at Palpung Sherabling Monastic Seat

View of Dhauladhar mountains from Village Bhattu

soon update

Index...........

Buddhist monks hermitage : a delightful walk between Dharamkot and Naddi

Trek between Naddi and Dharamkot

                                    There is a beautiful trek through a beautiful mixed forest of oak, deodar and rhododendron between Dharmkot village and Naddi village (Upper Dharamshala). It is just about an hour walk with beautiful view of kangra valley and Dhauladhar mountain range. On this trek there is a Buddhist monks hermitage (a place where a religious person lives on their own, away from the rest of society). There are many small huts were monks live and meditate. 

Trek between Naddi and Dharamkot

  

View of  Dhauladhar mountain range

  

Stupa of Geshe Yeshi Topder Rimpoche

Stupa of Geshe Yeshi Topder Rimpoche

         

This enlightenment stupa was built in commemoration of the late master Geshe Yeshi Topder Rimpoche whose kindness is unrepayable. Since his childhood he pursued the study of great canonical treatises at the sera monastic university and completed his learning and contemplation of them. Since 1971 he lived in the mountain hermitage in the hill of Dharamshala under the most kind and compassionate guidance of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and completed his practice meditation to the end.

 master Geshe Yeshi Topder Rimpoche

 He passed on 31,July,1999 but remained steadfast in the whole meditation equipoise for the 12 days. This stupa contains many different blessed pills, including those that were generously offered from the residence of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Built on new moon day of the 3rd month royal Tibetan year, 2nd June 2000.

Tower Stupa of Kyabje Trijhang Rinpoche

Tower Stupa of Kyabje Trijhang Rinpoche

On this site was cremated in the iron bird Tibetan royal year 2108, sexagenary year 955 and September 12, 1981.  The Moral remains of Kyabje Trijhang Rinpoche, tutor of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet. This landmark in his memory has been envisioned and built by Tranang Labrang and devotees from different parts of the world. Sacred Image of spiritual masters, Buddhas, Meditational Deities and Bodhisatvas from the core of this sacred memorial. These images have been sculpture from especially processed clay made, among others, from relics and ashes from the cremation pyre, pills kneaded from relics and hair and cloth pieces of the past sacred composite pills, Kyedeen-Rilbhu Pill etc. 

Kyabje Trijhang Rinpoche

                                                              This sacred stupa, embodiment of complete process and symbol of Buddhahood and shrine of peace, inspire awakening and development towards liberation and complete enlightenment.

hut of monk

hut of monk

hut of monk

Trek from Naddi village

Index.............

Tushita Meditation Centre

Tushita is a centre for the study and practice of Buddhism from the Tibetan Mahayana tradition.
                    Tushita Meditation Centre is located in Dharamkot village, near Mcleodganj, Upper Dharamshala. The centre offers Introduction to Buddhism Courses and intermediate level courses for those who have already taken one of these introduction courses besides conducting Group Practice Retreats for practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism.

In the Tushita Meditation Centre there are Stupa of Thubten Yeshe and Stupa of Geshe Rabten.


Lama Thubten Yeshe    

Lama Thubten Yeshe   

Lama Thuben Yeshe was born in Tolung, near Lhasa, Tibet, in 1935. At the age of eight, he became a monk in Sera monastery and began to study the main Buddhist philosophical texts. Fleeing the Chinese invasion in 1959, Lama Yeshe  came into India and spent 7 years in the Lama Refugee Camp at Buxaduar (West Bengal, India), where he continued his studies and started to teach. Here he met his main disciple Thubten Zopa Rinpoche. They began to teach an ever increasing number of westerners and later settled at Kopan in Nepal, which became the seat of a meditation centre for westerners and also monastery for Sherpa and Tibetan monks. In 1972 Lama Yeshe  bought property in Dharamkot village, Upper Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh and called it "Tushita", the Joyous Land.

Lama Thuben Yeshe with Thubten Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Thubten Yeshe passed away in Los Angeles, USA, at the age of 49. His body was cremated at Vajrapani Institute in California and his ashes were distributed among his student. A Stupa was built here at Tushita Meditation Centre to enshrined his relics. Everybody who met Lama Yeshe was touched by his great love and warmth. His life was totally dedicated to the service of others and his concern for all beings manifested in the giving of teachings, offering both spiritual and practical advice to his students and initiating many projects benefiting the wider society and all sentient being.

Stupa of Lama Yeshe

Lama Geshe Rabten
                              Great scholar, debater and meditation master. One of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche's main spiritual teacher. Born in Tibet, he escaped to India in 1759 spent many years in solitary retreat and later became assistant to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. On His Holiness request, he began teaching Dharma to westerners from 1974 until he passed away.

Lama Geshe Rabten

"Buddhism is neither the strange tradition of some foreign lands, nor a method for flee from one's responsibilities, nor a collection of dry words in book and libraries. Buddhism is solely to be understood as a means to overcome mental suffering and to accomplish ones own and others wellbeing" Geshe Rabten

Stupa of Geshe Rabten (1920-1986)

See also:  Buddhist Monks Hermitage, near Dharamkot |


Index.......

Magical Losel Doll Museum

Losel Doll Museum

Losel Doll Museum, the world’s largest collection of Losel Dolls, is in the Norbulingka institute. The Museum houses a collection of over 150 dolls dressed in traditional costumes from various regions of Tibet. The costumes, meticulously researched, and made from the same materials as the originals would have been, show the richness and diversity of life on the Tibetan Plateau.They are displayed in stunning dioramas depicting traditional life. 

Map of Tibet in the Museum

The Losel Doll project was started in 1983 as a way of preserving the tradition of Tibetan costumes.
The Losel Dolls were created by a group of artist monks from Drepung Loseling Monastery as a project to support their monastery.

Cham Dance

Cham Dance. Cham is a tantric ritual dance performed by monks on special occasions, a tradition which spread throughout Tibet at the beginning of 11th century. Wearing brocade costumes over their robe, the monks put on masks representing the forceful aspects of deities or creature in their entourage. In slow graceful steps, the reenact the visions and dreams of realized lamas. 

The Cham dance depicted here was performed all over Tibet on 29th of the 12th month of Tibetan calendar - The penultimate day of the year. A deer chops up a dough figure which represents all the evils of the past year, ridding the coming year of obstacles and allowing positive influence.

Horse boat ferried

Horse boat ferried. This horse boat ferried  people, loads and animals across Tibet's rivers and lakes. The passengers are dressed in a variety of costumes of central Tibet. The woman on left is from western Tibet.

Index.........