Ok so, yesterday afternoon we went back to Geden Choling for a medicine buddha puja, this is a ceremony where prayers are said for the sick and ill in the neighbourhood. The local Tibetans make donations on behalf of their ill relatives and then the name of the relative is read out as part of the ceremony.
We couldn't really take pictures of this (obviously) but if you can imagine a hall filled with about 165 nuns in red robes chanting, clashing cymbals, ringing handbells, above them a wall of intricate thangka paintings of various buddhists figures/lama/deities and at the back of the hall (where the stage would be) a throne to the Dalai Lama and a large framed picture of His Holiness....surrounded by xmas tree lights!
This ceremony went on for over 2 hours which was quite long and quite cold as the door of the prayer hall leads out into the open, luckily a nun came round with an enormous teapot a couple of times to offer butter/milky tea. Quite an experience!
Other stuff: FINALLY got a good nights sleep for the first time since leaving the UK, the amazing curry we had last night probably helped too, but i woke at 8am feeling more myself (AT LAST!). The monkeys were out in force this morning, a gang of about 7 came down the wall near my window ledge and lept across to the next guesthouse before the neighbourhood dogs chased them off, i guess the weather is pushing them more into town as they were never this close last time i was here. Oh yes, i saw a mongoose last night too out the 'back yard.'
Anyhow, Im typing this entry on a VERY rainy afternoon. According to the locals we could have rain until Sunday :-( either way today we've been over to see Phillipa, the wife of Jeremy Russell, our guide on the last trip. They live out in the Kangra valley in a beautiful cottage called very appropriately 'Paradise'. After a very tasty lunch of homemade soup, salad and jacket pots, Phillipa showed us around a number of charity projects she is involved in (a reading centre for children and a small medical centre) in the local Indian community (thats when she's not out also being a tourguide!). Either way, both very positive projects and both certainly make a difference!
And finally: Indian TV is bizarre! Last night i decided to turn on the TV for the first time since arriving and found 116 channels of bollywood, discovery channel (twice), Dalai Lama TV, a Chinese comedy that wasnt remotely funny, the Sunderland match, fake Tibetan TV (produced by China and very much propaganda - Chinese pretending to be Tibetans to convince us of what a lovely unspoilt place it is!)...and my favourite, the large bearded yogi channel. This had nothing to do with bears or pic-a-nic baskets but seemed to be a bloke with a beard doing extreme belly dancing to a crowd of thousands... while spiritual matters loudly and lewdly...only in India.
Bye for now.
