I heard about a free guided meditation session at Tushita near Dharamkot so I decided to check it out. I set off at 8.30am to make it in time for 9.30am. Tushita is a tranquil meditation center situated in the forested hillsides. From the moment you step through the small gate you must maintain silence.... Continue Reading →
Marking 60 years since the Dalia Lama entered India the 'Thank You India 2018' special event was celebrated in Dharamsala. When his holiness was just 15 he was forced out of his home country - Tibet, in order to survive. From the age of five he was deemed to be the Dalia Larma and was... Continue Reading →
Dharamsala is a quaint town in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains. It is home to many Tibetan refugees who have fled from their country. It is also where his Holiness the Dalai Lama lives. Getting there the bus stops first at southern Dharamsala which is not the exact location of the tourist attractions. My... Continue Reading →
We began the day with another hearty breakfast and then drove around Chandigarh to explore. Like any city it is fairly congested with lots of traffic. Particularly as it is the school holidays. Chandigarh is built in a grid like manner. It has numbered sections and blocks much like in American cities. We visited the... Continue Reading →
My friend's neighbors in the small village of Ropar heard that I was in town and so invited me in to meet them. They were very keen to provide me with drinks and food but my family were cooking me breakfast. At last I accepted a sweet cold coffee. It was very tasty. Being white... Continue Reading →
Setting off bright and early we headed for The Golden Temple in Amritsar. Otherwise known as the Sikh headquarters. It was around a three hour drive. The roads in Punjab seem much cleaner and smoother than in other parts of India. We stopped off for a delicious typical breakfast - aloo prantha. The motorway restaurant... Continue Reading →
Waking up in Ropar was peaceful. Children were playing in the street and birds chirping outside. There was a quiet rumble of traffic and a few horns sounding in the distance. It is a festival for girls at the moment and so children were walking down the street being given food. I stood on the... Continue Reading →
The next stop is my best friend's family home in Ropar, Punjab. I met her in 2015 in America. We hit it off from day one. Being roommates she taught me all about the Indian culture and sparked my curiosity to travel around her mother country. From Rishikesh to get to her family I took... Continue Reading →
The day started with our routine 7am yoga class on the hostel rooftop overlooking the magical Ghanges river. Shortly after we walked for an hour to an abandoned ashram. It is were the famous Beatles visited in 1968. They stayed there for six weeks and gained inspiration for their popular album Abbey Road. The founder... Continue Reading →
