From Brahma to Buddha, Spring 2010

From a modest monastery on the side of a hill, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and political leader of the world’s Tibetan Buddhists, holds quiet court in the bustling town of McLeod Ganj. In this town perched on a ridge, tucked inside the folds and valleys of the foothills of the Indian Himalayas, prayer wheels spin in the hands of the faithful while novice red-robed monks in-training dart through the streets. Over the last 50 years, Tibetans have transformed this former British hill station into what is now known as “Little Lhasa.” Dharamsala is home to the Central Tibetan Administration, as well as dozens of monasteries and important cultural organizations such as the Tibetan Library of Works and Archives. With a vibrant mix of people—local Himachali, Kashmiri, and Tibetan—conducting sacred daily rituals, bargaining in open markets and shops, and having lively discussions about Buddhist philosophy, McLeod Ganj is an endlessly fascinating town. It is a place where one can gain a deeper understanding of the political dynamics of historical Tibet. It is also where Tibetan traditions of medicine, astrology, law, religion, language, and the arts are preserved and nurtured. In short, McLeod Ganj is one of the epicenters of Tibetans living in exile in India.