Bathing Optional

India : Buddhism and Himalaya, Mar. 2007

Continents

Continents

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Our luxury bus from Kolkata to Siliguri. When we noticed that the bus was stopping for more than an hour in order to unload all the goods on top, we got off with the rest of the passengers and caught other buses for the remaining half hour of the trip. Notice the broken window -- thats how careful they were when unloading boxes from the roof.
Mirik, our first Himalayan foothill stop in India.
Sunrise in Mirik.
Monks walking along Miriks lake early in the morning.
The monastery over Mirik.
Temple building.
In a hurry.
Temple murals.
Temple beast.
Door knocker.
Inside the temple.
Buddha.
Serenity.
Lama hat.
Empty prayer robes.
We awoke on Valentines Day in Darjeeling to find that this most famous of Indian hill stations had had its first snowfall in three years.
Golden stupa over snowy Darjeeling.
Snowy temple.
Snowy homes.
Darjeeling views.
Snowy hills.
One of many Buddhist monasteries in Darjeeling.
The oldest of Darjeelings monasteries.
Buddha.
Oh, no!
Oh, no again!
The locals in Darjeeling were loving their first snow in 3 years. The town seemed to take a holiday for the day and those that werent building snowmen were throwing snowballs at us.
Snowy prayer pole.
Another of Darjeelings many gompas.
Views over snowy Darjeeling.
One of the larger monasteries in town.
Five colors are always represented.
We needed one of those...
Even the monks got into snowman building -- this one is in the image of a great monk holding a Buddhist flag.
Happy Valentines Day!
Looking out from inside a monastery temple through the door hangings.
Temple prayer wheel.
Another guardian of the dharma.
Us with some fantastic Tibetan temple paintings.
We couldnt believe what we saw from our hotel balcony the next morning: Snow, clouds, and rain one day and now a perfectly clear sky on this amazing morning!
Views of Mt.Kanchendzonga, at more than 8500 meters, the worlds third highest peak.
Morning Himalaya.
Prayer flags over Darjeeling.
Years and years of prayer flags accumulated on Observatory Hill.
On a clear day, the views from Darjeeling are incredible!
On the road out of Darjeeling, heading for Sikkim!
Before we leave, one last order of momos (dumplings).
Up in the Himalayan foothils, shared jeep is the way to get around.
Views along the road for north to Sikkim.
Clouds over tea plantations.
Tea plantation ladies.
Tea ladies.
Many of the hills in and around Darjeeling have been cultivated into tea plantations.
Out of Sikkim and in Darjeeling for one more day before a night train for Bodh Gaya.
At this public toilet you can buy a glass of urine for only 1 rupee!
One of the saddest sights we saw in Darjeeling were its natural streams and waterfalls flowing with sewage and filled with waste.
Darjeeling homes.
Indias response to the recent train bombings on a train bound for the Pakistani border: a train station message that reminds passengers not to carry explosives onto the trains. Did we get searched on our way on? No.
Bodh Gayas Mahabodhi Temple is an ancient temple built at the place where Siddartha Gautamas spiritual quest ended with enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree more than 2500 years ago.
Grown from a shoot taken from the original tree, todays Bodhi Tree is huge and always has hundreds of pilgrims meditating and praying under it.
One of the most interesting things about Bodh Gaya is that most Buddhist nations have established monasteries and temples here. This one is the Thai temple.
One of the Japanese temples.
The other Japanese temple.
Bhutanese temple.
Vietnamese temple.
Chinese temple.
Burmese temple.
Tibetan monastery.
Nepalese temple.
Another Tibetan monastery with shanty village out front. Bodh Gaya is in the heart of Indias poorest state, Bihar, and it feels like it.
Back at the main temple, Maha Bodhi.
Tiny Buddha image on a pillar at Maha Bodhi.
One of the many mini-stupas that fill the Maha Bodhi Temple compound.
Buddhas footprints.
Monks from all over the world meet at Bodh Gaya every day.
Golden Buddha with garland.
Boddhisatva image.
The main Buddha image inside the Maha Bodhi Temple.
A Buddha in ever nook around the temple base.
Looking up from under the Bodhi Tree.
Flower offerings surround the temple.
Garlands.
Monk by the Bodhi Tree.
Meditating pilgrims.
Monk with Buddha.
Flowers and stupas.
The Maha Bodhi Temple compound is filled with green grass and flowers, rarities in India.
Flower offerings.
This monk was doing a very, very slow walking meditation -- one step every 10 to 15 seconds.
May Peace Prevail on Earth.
Roses.
Garlands over the entry gate to Maha Bodhi Temple.
Buddha with cobra hood in a pond at the temple.
Older monk.
Prayer beads.
Praying under the Bodhi Tree.
Under the Bodhi Tree.
This lady looks to have been meditating and chanting here for several years.
Tibetan Buddha.
Wonderful murals cover the walls inside the Thai temple.
Thai temple Buddha -- very Thai.
Buddha resisting the temptations of Mara, a final test right before reaching enlightenment.
Japanese Buddha.
Wild boar by toxic (?) waters in Bodh Gaya ditch.
Japanese Buddha.
Chanting monk in Bhutanese temple.
Bhutanese Buddha.
That Bhutanese Buddha looks so good that we had to get a closer look.
Garbage fills a roadside ditch in Bodh Gaya.
Monks on their way home at the end of the day.
Vietnamese temple dragon.
Us at sundown.
Local kids in the outskirts of Bodh Gaya.
This boy says that he hates his chore of collecting greens for the family water buffalo daily.
Local huts.
Tibetan monastery at sunset.
An early morning visit to the Burmese temple hoping to get some Burmese vibes (we love that country!).
The glowing Buddha inside the Sri Lankan temple.
Buddha painting inside one of the many Tibetan monasteries.
Ashe blocked by a water buffalo!
Railway platform vendor.
Ashe on the train from Gaya to Varanasi.
Near Varanasi is Sarnath, a historic Buddhist city built at the Deer Park where Buddha preached his first sermon following his enlightenment.
A monk rounds the great stupa at Sarnath.
Buddha giving his Sermon at the Deer Park.
A sampling from Buddhas own Bodhi Tree was used to grow this great tree at Sarnath.
Ashe under the Bodhi Tree.
The great temple built at the spot where Buddha preached his first sermon.
A wonderful Tibetan monastery at Sarnath.
Temple gate.
Moon in the sky.
Temple statue.
Tibetan Buddha.
We were happy to find a Burmese temple at Sarnath too!
Haridwar is built around the spot where the Ganges leaves the mountains and enters the plains. Very auspicious.
Bathers in Haridwar.
Lots of bathers.
Haridwar streets.
Ganges bather. Watch the current.
The great temple at Rishikesh, the world capital of yoga.
Rishikesh temple.
Us on the swinging bridge at Rishikesh.
Rishikesh, built on the banks of the Ganges.
Sunset in Rishikesh.
Sunset through Shiva trident.
Bells.
Shiva phallus.
Playing the drums at one of the MANY ashrams.
Sunset.
We woke up the next day in Rishikesh to see this. Kids covered in colorful powders with water guns filled with dyed water could only mean that its time for the Holi festival in India.
The locals were quick to cover us in color and we found out that the cows cant escape the Holi colors either.
Us with some of that Holi color.
Everyone gets into the festivities.
We saw scooter after scooter pass with colorful riders.
Lots of men also use Holi as an excuse to get profusely drunk as this crazy guy had.
Colorful guy putting some more color on Ashes face whether she wanted it or not.
Another colorful motorcycle guy.
Sunrise at the tomb of an important Sikh deserter in Dehra Dun.
Mausoleum ornamentation.
Lady at the tomb.
We made a quick visit to Indias honeymoon capital, Mussoorie and were surprised to find this group of eligible bachelors playing in the pool under the famous local waterfall.
We were quick to escape the party atmosphere of the main falls and found a quiet spot upstream.
The falls.
Maciej along the trail.
Shimla, in the Himalayan foothills a few hundred kilometers north of Delhi, is the most famous of Indias hill stations. During the British Raj the entire government would move to Shimla from Delhi.
Shimla still retains a very British feel.
We arrived in Shimla just in time for sunset over one of its big resort hotels.
Mountain sunset.
From up high in Shimla, the smog line of the plains could be seen much too clearly.
Sunrise skies over the Himalaya as seen from Shimla.
Monkey figures flank the entrance to Shimlas Hindu temple on a hill.
Inside the temple, the monkey god Hanuman himself.
I once learned the names of these three deities but theyre gone now...
Multi-headed deity.
Besides having interesting statues, the Hindu temple on the hill over Shimla offers fantastic views!
A sadhu playing a simple trumpet in the main square.
Then he switched to a flute...
More British-era buildings along Shimlas main road.
Town Hall.
Another tudor building in Shimla.
Tower.
Tourist vehicle.
Ready to pounce.
Ashe in the garden under the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies.
A former British castle over Shimla.
Red headed fowl.
Lucky for us, it was stuffed.
Views from anywhere in Shimla are great!
Baby monkey on Shimla rooftop.
The largest wok weve ever seen!
We waited 3 hours while this pile of rocks across the mountain road from Shimla to Kullu was cleared.
The beautiful Kullu Valley terminates at resorty Manali, Indias adventure sports capital.
Not far from new Manali is Old Manali which very clearly shows what life in the valley was like before the tourists came.
Beautiful Himalayan peaks rise over Manali.
Typical Kullu Valley home in Old Manali.
Another great old home.
Firewood.
Sacks of ?
Entrance.
Mountains over Manali.
The locals in the Kullu Valley have a very distinct style.
Weaving is big business in the Kullu Valley.
Threads.
Mountain valley.
Himalaya.
A weaving machine stands outside most homes in Old Manali.
Early morning chores.
Sifting grain.
Temple built in the traditional mountain style -- all stones and wood.
Temple deity (Durga?) with necklance of severed heads. A wrathful god?
The local men also have a unique style, their hats.
Village lady.
Older lady.
Heavy apron.
Village home and mountains.
Rooftop shrine.
Local lady.
On our bus into the valley a busfull of these ladies entertained us with drums, singing, and dancing right on the bus!
It was SO nice to be surrounded by trees and nature.
One of several Buddhist monasteries in Manali.
Golden Buddha.
If you have a moment, read this.
Temple roof.
Incense burners.
Temple teapot.
Temple mural.
Temple Buddhas.
If you read comic books, youll know why we call him the Comic Book Buddha.
Over Manali is a fantastic old Hindu temple built in a very local style!
Temple beams, all wood.
Ibex skulls adorn the forest temple.
Temple bells over the sculpted entrance.
Temple drums.
Great carvings cover the front of the wooden temple.
More temple carvings.
Local lady with a huge, white bunny.
Yak.
The local style.
At only 25 cents per ride, I couldnt resist.
The village of Vaishist over Manali is famous for its few ancient temples and hotsprings.
We know what she does on weekends.
Temple carving.
Temple face.
Mountains over Vaishist.
Man at temple.
Sadhu.
Love these Himalayan Hindu temples!
Temple and mountains.
Hanuman!
Guru.
One of the wooden temples in Vaishist surrounds a natural hotspring said to be the spot where an angry god punctured the earth in protection of a sage being abducted by a royal family. The water was so hot it hurt just to dip our feet in it!
Man wearing the local style of hat.
Intense.
Great home!
The mountain views from Vaishist were amazing!
The old, wooden palace still stands over Naggar and offers great valley and mountain views from its porches.
Naggar Palace is built around a great courtyard.
At less than $10 per night, a stay at Naggar Palace, which is now a hotel, is definitely worth the price.
Inside one of the Palace courtyards, a temple in the mountain style.
The village of Naggar was once the capital of the entire Kullu Valley as its position allows one to see up and down the length of the entire valley.
Silver sun over the temple in Naggar.
We got one last look at the mountains around Naggar before a storm that would last a week rolled in.
The village of Naggar reminded us a lot of the villages in rural China -- great memories!
Stilt home on a steep mountain slope.
Us in Naggar.
Misty mountains.
Rain and fog.
The village of Manikaran deep in the Parvati Valley has grown around the boiling hotsprings along its river.
Villagers crowd around the hotspring pools and shelters in the town square.
Manikarans main temple.
Everyone in Manikaran is happy all the time. While everyone else in India struggles under a cold shower, they have hot water, 24 hours a day!
Local man by the steaming spring.
A couple Sikh and one Hindu temple surround the main, bubbling and steaming hotsprings in town.
A hot, hot pool under the Sikh gurdwara.
Nandi the bull with necklace of oranges watches over the sacred source of Manikarans hot waters.
Cobra over the local Shiva phallus.
Krishna and Parvati?
Temple bell over one of the two boiling sources of hot water at the Hindu temple in Manikaran.
Jagged Himalayan peaks over Manikaran.
Dozens of wooden bridges like this one cross the river from village to village on either side of the Parvati Valley.
Gurdwara dome.
Ashe in the fields around Manikaran.
View over slate rock rooftops from our room in Manikaran.
Mountains over Manikaran.
On our final evening in Manikaran we witnessed the least enthusiastic festival weve ever seen. A few men carried this idol around the main square while a few others played drums and half a dozen looked on.
Festival drummers looking like theyd rather be anywhere but there.
Ashe over the river.
Rewalsar Lake, a sacred Tibetan lake is the place from which Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, set off to spread Buddhism into Tibet in the 8th century.
One of three large monasteries established on the banks of Rewalsar Lake.
Monkey and monastery.
Matching umbrella.
Butter lamps.
McLeod Ganj, in the Himalayan foothills over the town of Dharamsala, and looking down on the vast and green Kangra Valley, is the home of the Dalai Lama and his Tibetan Government in Exile.
Views over McLeod Ganj which is nothing more than dozens of hotels and guesthouses, restaurants, Buddhist shops, and a handful of monasteries.
We arrived for a beautiful sunset over the Kangra Valley.
Us at sunset in McLeod Ganj.
Mountain views at sunset.
Sunset mountains.
Sunset mountains over McLeod Ganj.
Dusk.
Its hard to find restaurant in town that doesnt have a shrine for the Dalai Lama.
Momos! These Tibetan dumplings can be found anywhere Tibetan refugees have settled in northern India.
How can you tell that Im Polish at heart? I had to order spinach dumplings and sour curd in order to feel like I was eating perogies and sour cream!
Save Tibet!
The day after we arrived was the day during which the Karmapa, the second most holy of Tibetan monks, made his weekly public audience. We were blessed by him and enjoyed stellar mountain views over his monastery in the valley.
Mountain peak over McLeod Ganj.
Shivaite sadhu.
Home of the Dalai Lama, McLeod Ganj is always full of monks. More than half the people we pass in the streets are in robes.
Older monk on town bench.
Buddhist bags for sale along Temple Road.
Monks.
Colorful details of the prayer wheel building in the center of town.
Buddha image inside the Dalai Lamas temple in McLeod Ganj.
Easily recognized by his eyebrows and moustache, Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism, is found in most Tibetan temples.
The multi-headed goddess of compassion of which the Dalai Lama is an incarnation.
Did we mention that she has multiple arms, too?
Tibetan lady lighting prayer lamps.
Butter lamps.
Tibetan lady.
Stupa spires.
A path lined with thousands of prayer flags loops around the Dalai Lamas forest residence.
Monk.
Small villages dot the steep hillsides in the Kangra Valley around McLeod Ganj.
The Tibetan flag, illegal in Tibet itself, flies proudly above the buildings of the Tibetan Government in Exile in McLeod Ganj.
The Dalai Lamas new home could not be located in a more beautiful location!
Prayer flags and mountains.
Mountain views.
Tibetan ladies spinning a large prayer wheel.
Monk making a daily clockwise walk around the Dalai Lamas residence.
Hillside monastery below McLeod Ganj.
Our first perfectly clear day in a week or more and what a view!
Fantastic!
Somehow, these colors and those white peaks are a perfect combination.
Cold springs rush out of the rocks in the village of Bhagsu, near McLeod Ganj.
The Bhagsu River.
Monks lie out and do laundry in the Bhagsu River on a beautiful afternoon.
Ashe rests in a stone shelter along the trail to Bhagsu Falls.
Bhagsu Falls.
Us at the Falls.
The Ne-Chung Monastery, home of the Tibetan oracle.
Monastery building.
Beautiful!
Tibetan ladies at the monastery.
Prayer beads.
A day out with her grandmother.
Jewelry made of semi-precious stones.
Us with the mountains over McLeod Ganj.
Another day ends with a wonderful sunset in McLeod Ganj.
Us at sunset.
The town of Dalhousie, one of the best British hill stations weve visited in Indias north.
View from and over the roof of our wonderful hotel in Dalhousie, The Crags.
Ashe on the patio at The Crags Hotel.
Old Dalhousie may be a bit dilapidated, but it still looks very European.
Typical Dalhousie home.
One of two British churches in Dalhousie.
All these people came out of nowhere (in seconds!) to check out the damage from a VERY minor fender bender. Those who have spent time in India will understand how amusing that is.
Monkey family.
Dalhousie homes.
Old town block.
Dalhousie man.
Old town buildings are all brick and wood.
India is overflowing with old-school barber shops like this one.
A produce market right out of Europe.
Entryway.
The thing we love most about Dalhousie is that the hills around it are completely forested.
Dalhousie building and temple.
One mans waste is anothers treasure.
Scavenger monkeys at work.
Maciej trying, but failing, to be as cool as this guy.
We LOVE those monkeys!
Morning views over the Panjir Range from Dalhousie.
A short hike from Dalhousie are Punjpulla Falls.
On our way up to the Falls Maciej finally acknowledged that its time to introduce his sandals to the garbage bin.
Checking out one of the cascades.
Terraces in Dalhousie.
Beautiful flowering trees in the forests around Dalhousie.
More terraces.
Many Tibetan refugees live in Dalhousie and since they dont yet have a temple, they have painted images like this one on the cliffs in town.
Chamba, the tiny capital and access town to the wonderful Chamba Valley.
White peaks seen from Chamba lure visitors deeper into the Chamba Valley.
Chamba is full of 1000 + year old temples like this one.
Temple idol.
Temple carvings.
Pillar points the way to Chambas main temple complex.
Small shrines like these sit hidden amongst the tight, brick alleys that make up Chamba.
Ashe on her way up to one of the hilltop temples over Chamba.
Amazing mountain views from the hill temple.
Temple garuda?
Temple Nandi.
Valley views from the hill temple.
Temple bells, lots of them!
The hill temple is covered in wonderful carvings.
Temple carving.
Angel?
A gift.
Bloody.
Sacred (old) tree wrapped in string and surrounded by offerings.
A morning offering of incense.
Mountain homes near Chamba.
View over just a few of Chambas temples.
Protective cobra.
Ganja is a local favorite.
Row of temples at Chambas main temple complex.
Temples, lined up.
One of the older temples in town.
Ashe during one of our many landslide crossings (on foot while the next jeep waited on the other side) during our jeep trip to Bharmour, deep in the Chamba Valley.
Temples on Bharmours main square look out to the mountains all around.
Evening temple visit.
The sun rises behind mountains to open an amazing day in Bharmour.
Morning mountains.
Early morning in Bharmour.
Sunrise mountains.
More sunrise peaks.
Temple silhouette at sunrise.
View over Bharmour village, the ancient capital of the Chamba Valley. Its not hard to see why we loved it there!
Local man in Bharmour.
Mountain homes in Bharmour.
Terrace fields and homes.
Stunning!
Ashe soaking it in!
Walking the ancient lanes of Bharmour.
Kids.
Colorful Bharmour home.
Men in the great main square.
Temple roof of on of the dozens of temples and small shrines that fill the main square in the village.
The giant main temple in town.
Temple idol.
Wow!
Local girl.
Happy kids played in the main square all day long.
Local man.
Girls in the square.
Local mom.
Another of the 1000 year old temples. Wow!
Temple trident.
Shrine.
Mountains everywhere!
Man in the square.
Child in the square.
View over Bharmours old homes and temples.
The landslides in the valley didnt just take rock and soil down with them.
Typical Chamba Valley -- amazing!
Loving the views during our walk in the hills.
Wonderful!
Mountain home.
Village child.
Very cute!
One of the hill village near Bharmour.
Flowers.
Ashe on one of the trails connecting villages in the hills over Bharmour.
Another very cute local girl!
Oh, no, thali again??! Weve had a variation of this meal no less than 500 times while in India.
The amazing ancient, wooden doorway to the oldest temple in town.
Temple carvings.
Wow!
Mountain home with views!
Colorful home.
Puppy!
Village girls.
Love those wooden homes with shale rooftops.
Village lady.
The kids in the village up the hill from Bharmour literally rushed us when they saw us approaching.
Views over another nearby village.
Enjoying the mountain villages and views VERY much.
Ashe in the Himalaya.
Temple flags.
Amazing!
Wooden shutters.
The official retirement of my Indian made and Indian worn out sandals.
Amritsar, capital of northern Punjab state, is home to the Golden Temple, head temple of the Sikh faith. No, this IS NOT the Golden Temple. This is the Hindu Durgiana Temple which just HAPPENS to be designed to look almost exactly like the Golden Temple. Imagine that.
Silver temple doors.
Silver idols.
Praying Hanuman!
Very cute young boy at the Durgiana Temple.
Marble statue.
The golden Durgiana Temple.
Temple ceiling.
Maciej with two temple visitors who insisted that he get a photo with them.
Old town charm.
The real Golden Temple (the Hindu version is a poor replica)!
Ladies walking the marble promenade surrounding the temple pond.
We joined hundreds of Sunday visitors to the Golden Temple.
Do NOT take my photo!
Sikh pilgrims take a holy dip in the temple pond before visiting the temple across the bridge.
Golden Temple clock tower.
It truly is golden.
These boys were shortly reprimanded by the Sikh guards on patrol by the waters edge.
Finishing the holy dip.
Prayer by the temple.
Beautiful!
Another holy dipper.
Golden domes.
Why is it called the Golden Temple?
Young Sikh boy.
Relaxing visitors in the temple gardens.
A silver sword, one of the symbols of a Sikh male.
Grandpa and grandson (we hope).
It took a long, long time for us to walk the bridge with hundreds of others and finally enter the Golden Temple itself.
Sunset at the Temple.
Family at the temple.
Maciej with a very earnest Sikh man who guided us around and wanted very badly for us to join him for tea.

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