by
Arjun Sawhney

A sleepy Himachali town. China, a super-power with territorial aspirations. Spiritual seekers from all over the world. Three disparate forces and entities combine to create an unusual place in a turbulent time. A unique spot in the mountains. This is the modern phenomenon of Dharamshala; a mountain town situated 4780 feet over sea level, in the district of Kangra in the state of Himachal Pradesh.

Dharamshala, a combination of two Sanskrit words- dharma (faith) and shala (home) can quite literally be translated as ‘the home of religion’. A stroke of destiny or divine intervention perhaps, has made Dharamshala a crucial crucible of Buddhist faith and culture. The town is the sanctuary of Tibet’s highest spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama and the seat of its government in exile. The presence of the Dalai Lama has raised the profile of this town from being a rather non-descript Himalayan village into a site of great spiritual significance, known world over, and a symbol of fervent, yet nonviolent political activism. This is where the Sangha (community of seekers) of Tibetan refugees took shelter after the invasion of Tibet by the People’s Republic of China in 1951, bringing with them ancient knowledge of Buddhism in the form of teachers, scriptures, institutions and practitioners.

In 1949, the People’s Republic of China launched the invasion of Tibet, a spiritual nation state of monks and nomads, in an attempt to consolidate its territorial agenda and to replace what the Communist Party saw as old superstitious faiths, with Communist credos. In 1960, a mass exodus from Tibet took place. Some 80,000 Tibetans fled the mother country with their beloved spiritual leader into India under a ‘Government in Exile’ status and were granted asylum in Dharamshala by the then Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru. Today, the number of Tibetan émigrés stands closer to 1,20,000.

Dharamshala today is not simply a refuge for the politically dispossessed; it is also a retreat for itinerant spirits who come here from different parts of the world in search of the ‘truth’, knowledge, and that most intriguing concept of the Buddhist faith - ‘Nirvana’. It is a space where individuals may seek spiritual guidance, and perhaps find an alternative to the modern world’s materialistic worldview and acquisitive pace. The existence of the two cultures of Hindu mysticism and Buddhist spiritual practice, perhaps provide answers to deep-rooted questions of faith in a higher power and our place in the world.

The over-whelming variety of people in Dharamshala makes for a cultural feast; the smallness of the town creates a vivid and palpable multiplicity. Signs announcing ‘Kosher Food’ stand next to stalls selling momos and thupkas, windows displaying croissants and German bread sit beside restaurants that have tandoori chicken, paranthas, pizzas and pastas on their menus. The bustling streets are abuzz with different tongues and the air is filled with tunes from popular Bollywood music, Tibetan rock and Israeli trance, overlaid with the chiming of temple bells and the deep humming of Tibetan mantras.

Dharamshala above all else has the omnipresent spirit of acceptance and tolerance. It’s promise as a place of sanctuary; ‘a safe haven‘ has completely merged with the character of the place and its people. It is a spirit of inclusiveness that translates into the generosity of space.

Tibetans monks work tirelessly at the preservation and promulgation of their culture, pass age-old Buddhist wisdom down generations. For, if the culture were to fade away or become irrelevant, what would political freedom safeguard? Would not the attainment of it be rendered meaningless? Most, if not all, of these ‘institutions-in-exile’- schools, centers for arts and performing arts, establishments that teach Tibetan medicines, the Tibetan children’s village and other such organizations are run by Tibetan monks. They function as powerful and effective tools that help retain a collective identity and act as means of psychological support other than just a means of cultural preservation.

But will this acceptance and homogeneity last indefinitely? History books are filled with examples of peaceful co-dwellers turning on each other in the blink of an eye. To the younger, second generation Tibetans, Dharamshala is home. To the indigenous Himachalis the Tibetan diaspora might still seem like usurpers who have overshadowed Himachali culture, though they must surely realize the recognition and economic benefits the presence of the Tibetans has brought to their town. As second generation Tibetans grow older and more settled, one might consider that tensions could flair over who has more right to the land and it’s plenty.

A settlement with China that will restore Tibet to its people becomes more and more unlikely as the years progress. For second generation Tibetans, Tibet as a homeland is not even a memory; it is an abstraction of a nation. Who do they identify with? Their older relatives, with their tales of persecution and lost sovereignty, their spiritual leaders, who many feel have done an injustice to Tibet by refraining from a militant stand against China? Or is it India, with its twin obsessions of Bollywood and cricket, or is it even the endless influx of Dharma bums promising dollars and doorways to a sympathetic west. Even with the best of intentions, who really represents disenfranchised Tibetan youth and their future today?

Some are of the opinion that the well-intentioned Western attention, aid and influence may have contributed to a sense of malaise and complacency amongst Tibetans today. Perhaps the way of life within the priesthood is not being seen as a spiritual calling but rather as a refuge. It has always been a tradition to have at least one member of each family to join the religious establishment, but this practice may well be operating in a lacuna, where it is the only clear direction to stay true to a culture in limbo. The bald truth remains that 1,20,000 Tibetans have been displaced from their homeland; refugees in a world that seems all to eager to lend an ear but disinclined to exert political pressure. Tibetans who fled Chinese occupation, many of who have grown old on foreign soil, doubt that they will see their homeland again.

Tibetan cultural identity has suffered irrevocably by the events of the past, but there is a new and vibrant present that is changing how the world sees Tibetans. Tibetan culture, until 1951, secluded in a kingdom of clouds, has now met with and married with other cultures in an unprecedented movement that is dynamic and vibrant, perhaps filled with opportunity and information. While we mourn the loss of a pristine and unique land, Tibetan people scattered across the globe, have allowed us a glimpse into their culture and their worldview, where religion is not a call to arms but an empathy and compassion towards all living beings. Dharamshala is a very special place, where three cultures meet to create an entity that is more than each alone.

The body of work titled ‘A Spot in The Mountains’ attempts to document this rich and poignant cultural phenomenon, with empathy, clarity and truth. This is a deeply personal and significant view, looking in from the outside, into a space that is a testament to the generosity, strength and vividness of the human spirit.