I recently went to India, and while my travels were limited to mostly Delhi and Dharamsala, I certainly had the time of my life visiting various places in these two regions. This particular blog is an attempt to squeeze in some of my favorite experiences, plus photos, to try and capture the energy I received while in India.
New Delhi: Drumming with the Noida Drum Circle at The Great India Place – New Delhi
This was one of the most wholesome experiences, especially for me as a foreigner, to join and perform for the street audience in New Delhi as part of the drum circle. This collective of individuals meets periodically to do free street performances in India and is a national treasure, having performed all over the world. A big shoutout to Vaibhav Chaturvedi and Fash Damiola.
Dinner at Desi Vibes Hotel – A Traditional Rural India Culinary Setting in the City
My next step was my first true exploration of amazing Indian food at the multi-award-winning Desi Vibes Hotel in New Delhi. Here, I had the experience of enjoying some scrumptious authentic Indian delicacies. Big shoutout to Atul Shrivastava and his amazing family and Fash Damiola.
Stay at the Novotel New Delhi Aerocity
My stay at Novotel was an amazing experience. The hotel had incredible world-class facilities, nice views, spacious rooms, and amazing food. In the hotel, I had my absolute favorite guy, who was the bartender on the lower floor, Mr. Gaurav. He prepared some of the best lemon ginger honey cocktails for me during my stay.
250 Meters of Happiness New Delhi
This was a very inspirational visit for me. The 250 Meters of Happiness is a project led by HumanQind under the leadership of Ruchi Varma, an amazing architect who worked with children from 9 years old to design a crosswalk around three of the biggest schools to make it safer and easier for school-going children to access school and avoid traffic-related accidents. Our guides for the project were school children who were so articulate and caring, and they really inspired me. A big shoutout to Ruchi Varma.
Accommodation at Hotel Yewang House and Norbu Hotel Dharamsala
Later in my visit, I traveled up the mountains to Dharamsala, which is located in the Kangra Valley, in the shadow of the Dhauladhar mountains. The part of the town that I stayed at was McLeod Ganj. Here, I was hosted by one incredible human at the Yewang House, a hotel with supreme views, amazing humans with amazing stories. What a delight it was to stay here.
I had a lot of lovely conversations at the Norbu Hotel with a group of friends from all over the world united under the Dalai Lama Fellows. The Norbu House owner is such an impressive Tibetan who has gone on to develop such an amazing business led by compassion. I truly enjoyed my stay here.
The Kora Walk
I remember the day I went on the Kora Walk to the Dalai Lama Library; I had one surreal experience with a local. The Kora Walk is a beautifully covered walk across a holy path filled with prayer wheels. The name “Kora” comes from the Tibetan word meaning to circumambulate or to revolve around something. Buddhist devotees walk around a holy site as an act of pilgrimage and meditative practice. In Mcleodganj, “The Kora” refers to the pathway that encircles the Dalai Lama’s temple. The circuit, which begins at the bottom of the switchbacks of temple road and continues around to Temple Square in front of the main gates to the complex, offers a quiet, shady, and relaxing respite from the hustle and bustle of the crowded streets of Mcleodganj. On this path, I met a stranger who noticed my shoes didn’t have shoelaces and, in his kindness, offered me shoelaces that I refused on the first approach, but he insisted that he was giving out of the kindness of his heart. When I accepted the gift and became quick friends with this local shoemaker, it really made my day and reminded me of the kindness in humanity. This stranger-turned-friend was Santosh of Dharamsala.
The Dalai Lama Library
This was a place of wisdom and continuous inspiration. The library documented the full life of the Dalai Lama, his books, accomplishments, and work over the years. It was also a place where over my stay in Dharamsala, we would gather to distill wisdom and learn from each other.
Mcleod Square Temple
This was one of my first experiences and exposures to the religious practice grounds for the monks. Mcleodganj is the Mcleod Square Temple, also known as the Kalachakra Temple. Sandwiched between Jogiwara Road and Temple Road in the center of Mcleodganj, this compact temple is much more ornate than anything in the Dalai Lama’s complex, sporting gold-leafed trim, delicately carved reliefs, and vividly painted murals. This was also my first experience hearing the Tibetan horns in action. The Tibetan horn or dungchen is a long trumpet or horn used in Tibetan Buddhist and Mongolian Buddhist ceremonies. It is the most widely used instrument in Tibetan Buddhist culture. It is often played in pairs or multiples, and the sound is compared to the singing of elephants.
Meeting the Dalai Lama in His Residence
While I will dedicate a whole blog post to this experience, this was certainly one of the anchoring activities of my tour in Dharamsala. I couldn’t be more impressed by the wisdom, humanity, and the picture of monks in action taking care of all the guests and also fitted with some of the latest technology.
Tibet Museum – Dharamsala
The Tibet Museum’s mission is to document, preserve, research, exhibit, and educate the public on all matters related to Tibetan history and culture. The museum did an excellent job of showcasing all the history of the amazing people of Tibet. I was filled with a lot of emotion but also a lot of hope on learning the history, the oppression, the resistance, the pride, and the hope of Tibetan people.
Tibet Institute of Performing Arts- “The Muscular Men”
Together with my friends from the Dalai Lama Fellowship, we visited and had the honor of experiencing a 2-hour performance by the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts. Together with my friends, we decoded the dances, had our own interpretations, and engaged actively with the most beautiful and handsome performers you’ll ever see with the most vibrant cultural and traditional attire. Throughout the performance, the word that was going through my head was hope and pride in culture, which is something the Tibetans have managed to do so well. We were also blessed with “Muscular Men,” which was a term we derived from the performers of the day.
Dance and Shopping on the Streets of Mcleodganj
Myself, Serene Sign, and Addi Mavengere went on street shopping in the streets of Mcleodganj. We were constantly super impressed at the craftsmanship and quality of the local products and services, and we got ourselves a wide array of products from scarves to bags to wallets, etc. What was also interesting about this walk was the fact that we brought our full selves to the walk, some more than others. Serene, who was our quasi-local translator because she could get the language, also occasionally had bursts of joy from interactions with locals leading to dances and micro-performances with the locals. We danced our way in and out of the streets of Mcleodganj, and that was a core memory!
Tibetan Children’s Village Tour
Without a shadow of a doubt, this was the highlight of my trip. The love, friendship, and hope that I experienced here were palpable. You could feel it, you could see it, you could taste it. Tibetan Children’s Villages or TCV is an integrated community in exile for the care and education of orphans, destitutes, and refugee children from Tibet. When we visited the children, it was nighttime, and we had the opportunity to interact with them, sing with them, and learn from them. The biggest core memories here were from our song and me leading the boys to join in bass singing “open our hearts,” and later on, the amount of hugs and thank-yous I received and gave out on this day after our session was simply heart-melting.
Dolma Ling Nunnery
Dolma Ling Nunnery, located near Dharamsala, northern India, is home to over 230 Tibetan Buddhist nuns and was founded by the Tibetan Nuns Project. The nuns undergo an 18-year curriculum with a 4-year exam period; now that takes some real commitment. I was so amazed at the happy, simple, and committed lives that the nuns live on the nunnery, and I also took one of my favorite photos here.
Norbulingka Institute
Norbulingka Institute, founded in 1995 by Kelsang and Kim Yeshi at Sidhpur, near Dharamshala, India, is dedicated to the preservation of Tibetan culture in its literary and artistic forms. The place had beautiful grounds, serene atmosphere, and they have various workshops for Tibetan art and craft. Especially liked the Thangka painting studio – the commitment to craft and uplifting local Tibetan people is amazing. It also had a huge temple and was an amazing place to learn more about the Tibetan cultures.
One8 Commune and Holi Celebrations in New Delhi Aerocity
Before concluding my trip, this was my last core experience in India. One8 Commune was first opened in Aerocity, Delhi, which is Virat Kohli’s hometown. For those who do not know who Virat Kohli is, he is the Cristiano or Messi of India. Virat Kohli is an Indian international cricketer and the former captain of the Indian national cricket team. The food at his hotel was incredible.
I also celebrated in the Holi festival in India, which was truly an incredible experience. A local explained to me that simply put, Holi was the holiday that celebrated the triumph of good over evil. It’s celebrated by a vibrant display of colors and pomp. What an amazing precedence to a festival.
STEPHEN OGWENO 