Part 3 - The SWEET Story at the Dalai Lama Temple on Tibetan New Year - 14th Feb 2010

Welcome back....When I reached the first floor...I saw huge stacks of bread with a flag on top.....Some kinda monster faces made of sugar....Beautifully made horse Scenes......

The Monster Faces Made of Sugar.....

A closer look at the Faces

They Look Scary .....

Beautiful Horse Scenes 

Its all made of sugar (have a closer look.)This Board like structure was part of their offering as well as decorations....Tourists flocked at the temple were clicking every corner of the temple...It was truly something which i had not imagined nor expected....

There are many things kept as offerings to the god just outside the temple and to my surprise there was a beer bottle,Royal Challenge Bottle along with chocolates,fruits etc......

There were long tables on which all the offerings were placed for display........

The Temple Finally...It was closed when we had come the earlier day....

People offered white colored shawl..It was called the KALI temple...KALI was  a framed, criss crossed pieces of coloured cloth.... 

The KALI

 

Something more scary at the temple..... In the image below..The head of the bull has skull like creature....Have a look...

Some more sweet idols inside the Kali Temple....

I will be back with more insight....Time for a BREAK...........C U SOOON.............

Inside Story at the Dalai Lama Temple on Tibetan New Year - 14th Feb 2010

Around a month Back...I was at the Dalai Lama Temple at Mcleodgang..It was 14th Feb 2010...The continued story about the Tibetan New Year...The temple was completely lit at 10 in the morning...Huge crowd was flowing in the temple to pray and see the yearly celebration at the temple.
Inside are statues of various figures including Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha, and Avalokitesvara, the Buddha of Compassion and Green Tara 
The Dalai Lama addresses and blesses the people at the temple, which happened early morning that day which I missed :(
For those of you not familiar with the Dalai Lama, he is the rightful spiritual and political leader of Tibet, an area now encompassed within China. China invaded this peaceful Buddhist Kingdom at the ‘roof of the world’ in the early 1950’s, feeling that they were helping a poor nation in need by giving them infrastructure and reuniting the Tibetan and Chinese cultures, when in reality, they massacred thousands of Tibetans and nearly destroyed their way of life with the “Cultural Revolution” where hundreds of monasteries were destroyed, monks were killed and forced to kill each other at gunpoint and forbidden to practice their religion, and the Dalai Lama, in 1959, was forced to flee to India on foot over the Himalayas, in fear of his life and the lives of his people. Since then, thousands have followed him, trying to rebuild their lives and retain their fleeting culture, but many have died trying to make the journey. Each pilgrim that reaches McLeod Ganj is personally greeted and welcomed by the Dalai Lama himself. In 1989, the Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in trying to free his country in a peaceful manner
NOTE: THE DALAI LAMA STAYS JUST BEHIND THE TEMPLE..TEMPLE IS ALSO CALLED AS THE "HOME OF DALAI LAMA".BUT, MOST OF THE TIME LAMA IS TRAVELLING.THUS CHECK WITH THE LOCALS YOU MIGHT JUST BE LUCKY TO SEE AND MEET HIM....

There are number of lights lit in closed,cupboard like structures made of wood and glass spread across the entire temple.Similar to one showed in the below image.Fire Lights are not let loose anywhere in the temple.

 

DECORATIONS.....

The entire temple had buntings across..As I walked around,I saw flags on the first floor.I inquired with one of the local and she shared that theres an auspicious KALI temple at the top.I waited in the queue awaiting to see whats different that Tibetans do and have in store for me..the wait was blissful..

When I reached up,I saw poles on three sides of temple with flags on them..I wondered why have they put so many flags and here's the answer to it...I had seen lot of flags across houses on my way to temple.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_flag/  Please visit this site to read more ...

Locals dressed in traditional Shuba (More info an this is mentioned in my earlier post.) The youth wore western as well...Tibetans are very welcoming and enthusiastic...The lady in Green was super fun..She posed the moment she saw me clicking them :) She was Sweet :)

Well there's more to come..I take your leave now to come back with small happiness's that's a joy to me...My journey with you will continue.............................  

Tibetan New Year at Tsuglagkhang Temple , the Dalai Lama's temple Mcleodgang..14th Feb 2010...

Tibetan New Year at Tsuglagkhang Temple , the Dalai Lama's temple Mcleodgang..14th Feb 2010...

It was a super experience to be on streets on Tibetan New Year...Not many shops were open & huge Crowd going towards the temple dressed in traditional Tibetan SHUBA Dress..

Their costume is not elaborate. It normally consists only of a shuba, a long capacious robe with wide, elongated sleeves which hang almost to the ground. This is caught up at the waist by a woolen girdle, so that its skirts reach only to the knees and its upper folds form an enormous circular pocket round its wearer's chest.

 The Tibetans hardly ever do their shubas up over their chests. The right shoulder and arm are almost always left free, and when they are on the march or at work the whole top part of the robe is allowed to slip down so that it is supported only by the belt. This leaves them naked above the waist and clad in a very odd-looking sort of skirt below it. They hardly feel the cold at all and in the depth of winter, heedless of frost or snow or wind, they trudge imperturbably along with their bosoms bared to the icy blast. Their feet, too, are bare inside their great high boots.

Tsuglagkhang Temple , the Dalai Lama's temple, Mcleodgang Celebrations for New Year..
Infact before I entered the temple, saw many people celebrating.There were monks just outside the temple to receive offerings..

The Temple is decorated once a year and there was a long queue to see something on the first floor..Well I wondered what would be so special  and waited for an hour to reach the temple, but the wait indeed was blissful...
Temple was beautifully lit by light and decorated by flags and bunting all around..
Will be back with inside stories..Its gonna be very SWEET ........... :)