Tibetans Protest after Tibetan Flag & Dalai Lama’s Portrait Are Torn Down on Chinese National Day Protests took place Saturday, location and condition are currently unknown. Both monks are reportedly about 18 October 1st, in Kardze in eastern Tibet years old. after a large portrait of the Dalai Lama Sourceses: Radio Free Asia and Payul.com and the Tibetan flag were torn down from the three-story building on which they were publicly displayed. The identities of those who put up the flag and the photo remain unclear. Significantly, the date marks the 62nd anniversary of Chinese National Day – the day on which the Communist Party took control of China in 1949. Radio Free Asia reported that the protests arose at about 12:30 pm local time, after the photo and the flag were torn down and thrown into the street. The group, initially made up of laymen, gathered, shouting slogans and reportedly calling for the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet. Around 30 police personnel arrived to make arrests, but were forced to withdraw as the crowd, joined now by monks and laypeople alike, swelled beyond their capacity to control. The final number of protesters The Dalai Lama’s portrait publicly displayed in Kardze, Eastern Tibet. is unknown, with Radio Free Asia reporting numbers in the “dozens” and Tibet.net putting the final count at around 200. According to Beijing-based Tibetan writer and activist, Woeser, leaflets were then distributed on Sunday which urged Tibetans to “fight for your religion, language, and customs.” Woeser posted an image of the leaflet, dated August 25th, on her blog. It states, “We do not enjoy the freedoms enjoyed by human beings. We want freedom of belief. We want freedom of speech, freedom to use our language. We want freedom of movement. We want the freedoms that are enjoyed by others.” The protests come at a tense time for Tibetans. Just last month, two monks from Kirti Monastery in Ngaba County set themselves on fire to protest China’s tight control over This leaflet was circulated on Sunday following the protests. Photos By: Photo/woeser.middlay-way.net Buddhist practices in Tibet. Their
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Lha’s 2011 Cultural Exchange Program a Success Since 2002, Lha has been bringing groups of students from other countries to McLeod Ganj for a Cultural Exchange program. This year 82 students participated from six different academic institutions. Lha’s final group of students for the 2011 Cultural Exchange program bid farewell to McLeod Ganj and their friends in the Tibetan community this week as they headed home to New Orleans. The group was made up of 15 students from Tulane University’s School of Social Work, who were accompanied by one of their professors as well as the School’s Dean. Arriving in Dharamsala on September 5th, the students were each paired with a member of the Tibetan community to be Mutual Learning Partners. Each pair met for three hours every day, with the students helping their partners with their English language skills and learning from them in return about their lives, about Tibetan culture and language, and the exile experience. As one student described her time with her learning partner, “It’s an incredible experience. She has so much to teach!”
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The students stayed at Lha’s Ahimsa Guesthouse, where they were served breakfast and dinner each day. After meeting with their partners in the mornings, the group visited the many institutions in Dharamsala in the afternoons, including the Tibetan Government complex, the Norbulingka Institute, and Lha’s partner NGOs. The students took advantage of the myriad ways to engage the Tibetan community here in McLeod Ganj, with some choosing to take yoga class. Day trips to nearby locations like
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Bir, Tso Pema, and Mandi introduced them to the religious traditions, both Buddhist and Hindu, present in the area. In the evenings the group had many opportunities to reflect on their experiences, and to learn more about the Tibetan political situation through lectures, films, and meetings with community members ranging from former political prisoners to representatives from local NGOs. After nearly a month in India, their trip culminated in a two-day mountain trek to Triund, one of the breathtaking peaks overlooking Dharamsala. The students returned home with new Tibetan friends and a host of new experiences to share. Lha looks forward to many more mutually beneficial exchanges like these, and to future opportunities to introduce people from all over the world to Tibetan culture in the years to come.
October 2011
Eleven Monks on “Mourning March” Reach Dharamsala by Katie Youtz Marching into McLeod Ganj after a 23 day journey across India, the 11 monks from Ganden Jangtse Monastery who set out on foot from Pune on September 3rd reached the Tsuglagkhang Temple at noon, triumphantly shouting “Victory for Tibet!” and waving Tibetan and Indian flags. Each sat wreathed in khatags and wearing pictures of monks who had recently self-immolated as they spoke to the gathered crowd of the motivations behind their “Mourning March.” As the representative of the group, Lobsang Jampa, related the struggles faced by fellow protesters still in Tibet, he urged the community in exile to take action. “We can’t remain as silent spectators in a free country like India when our brothers and sisters are suffering under Chinese rule,” he said, reiterating statements made to Phayul.com.“We need to do more to show our solidarity with those in Tibet.” Unsure of the best way to show their support and raise awareness for the Tibetan cause with no knowledge
as well as the economic hardships they faced, the monks feel they did the right thing. “People think that you have to be educated – that you have to have high-falutin English, for example, to do big things,” Regional President of the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), Tenzin Tsondue told local media sources in attendance. “These monks are doing what they can. And it’s a reminder Photo By: David Huang a reminder that we are in exile, that China is occupying our country, and of foreign languages or any contacts in that we need to do more.” the media, the monks decided to march The monks were welcomed to north anyway to demonstrate that Dharamsala by representatives of the ordinary people can make a difference, Tibetan Women’s Association, the whatever their circumstances. The group Tibetan Settlement Office, and the TYC, traversed the 1,924 km between Pune and as well as by other local NGOs. They Dharamsala, receiving support and expressed their support for the work encouragement from spectators - some these organizations are doing, and of whom housed and fed them along the volunteered to participate in any future way. One of their biggest challenges, actions taken.The monks began a three Jampa stated, was indeed the language day hunger strike here in McLeod Ganj, barrier that prevented them from easily and invited anyone from the community communicating their cause to the media to join them in showing solidarity with sources they encountered. Despite this, the people still struggling in Tibet.
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Tibet’s Environmental Degradation a Global Issue by Elizabeth Delehant Our environment is in a state of crisis. From the recession of ancient glaciers around the globe to the extinction of countless species, the natural world is being drastically altered by the habits of industrial societies. Because of overconsumption, pollution, industrialization, increased globalization and extensive use of fossil fuels, the planet that sustains us is in peril. The constructs of our respective societies have greatly altered the natural patterns of the planet, while industrialized countries postpone solutions in favor of economic gain. Instead, it should be the responsibility of all humans, especially those in developed countries, to determine the fate of our environment, for in doing so we will determine our own fate. The environmental situation in Tibet is one example of the dire state our world at large is in, and the fate of Tibet could foreshadow the fate of mankind. The Tibetan Plateau is one of the last relatively pristine ecosystems on earth. This elevated plateau has long been maintained by the Tibetan people. But after Chinese occupation, this delicate alpine environment has been increasingly exploited and its resources are dwindling. Nomads have long cared for the high alpine environment of the Tibetan Plateau, yet China’s policies in Tibet have disrupted this symbiotic relationship through forced collectivist resettlement programs and state sanctioned rangeland management. Under China’s Western Development Strategy, “more than 73,700 nomadic Tibetans [have been forcibly resettled] from their ancestral homeland in Kanlho Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture into permanent brick-houses” (http://www.freetibet.org/newsmedia/190808). Nomads no longer have free access to the lands they have utilized for centuries, and are instead confined to specific locales. China argues that its plan will vastly improve the Tibetan condition and combat desertification in nomadic pastures. ”In Amdo province of Tibet, 67,000 hectares of land undergo desertification annually” (DIIR 21). However, the desertification issue was nonexistent before the Chinese invasion of Tibet. ”In extensive areas the ecological collapse of the soil/vegetation complex is imminent or has already happened. This ecological degradation is the result of decades of extensive plant utilization by too many animals over too long of a period of time. The present rangeland degradation problems were brought about by disruption of the traditional nomadic herding system and central government programs intended to increase livestock numbers and production of livestock products” (DIIR 47). China has utilized the land in favor of increased production to the detriment of the health of the natural environment. The environmental degradation that Tibet has endured is not solely due to Chinese policies. Multinational corporations are delving into the high meadows in search of valuable resources – gold, silver, oil, natural gas, copper, iron, and salt to name just a few. The extraction methods for these elements pose a great risk to the integrity of the surrounding ecosystems. Nearby rivers are poisoned with arsenic and mercury while the mountainsides are subject to increased erosion. Mining has not yet been fully explored in Tibet, but
its rich mineral deposits may bring it under threat of further exploitation. There is massive global interest in the wealth Tibet offers, and “resources are transported to distant Chinese markets by large, state-owned enterprises, sometimes in partnership with transnational corporations and organizations such as the World Bank” (DIIR 151). In addition to the exploitation of mountains and streams, China is heavily and unsustainably harvesting the forests of Tibet. “Recently a few thousand Tibetans from India went to their native places in Tibet. When they returned, they all told the same story. They said about 40 or 50 years ago there were huge forests in their native areas. Now all these richly forested mountains have become bald like a monk’s head” (HH Dalai Lama
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October 2011
To Burma with Love The Burmese folk gathered at the bus station, festooned with khatas presented by TWA and SFT, basking in handshakes, hugs, tears and wide smiles from friends, and I felt in my heart that something very special had happened in these last few days. This was the third annual visit by Burmese refugees from Delhi to Dharamsala. Arrival day had been very welcoming. The visitors toured the Library, entered the Tibetan Parliament in session (to welcoming, supportive words and a round of applause of solidarity for Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma), met MP’s, the LTWA Translation Class, journalists and activists, Heads of Government Departments, and finally with the Kalon Tripa. At least four of the visitors were expolitical prisoners, ‘Freedom Fighters’ with extraordinary human rights stories, some known internationally. Among them were activists, students, teachers, NGO workers, advocates at Burma Centre Delhi, a thoughtful visionary monk, and articulate, intelligent Dr Alana, a NagaIndian companion. All were from different ethnic groups and religious beliefs. Many here seemed to know who the visitors were, and there was a lot of curiosity, and a strong feeling of welcome, which they all felt. Even when we all filed into His Holiness’ area, for an unexpected audience, there were many people in the Temple sending encouraging smiles.Waiting in his garden for His Holiness to arrive was a heady experience for everyone, and there was lots of joking and rather deep discussion about Burma, the conditions there, recent events, and 2200 political prisoners. Special guide Tenzin Tsundue gave lots of savvy advice from experience, especially advising everyone to ‘laugh at’ their enemy, and ignore the guns, even when standing beside them, ‘as Tibetans have learned to do’! Somehow I think Aung San Suu Kyi would have been delighted! Despite the intensity of the previous hours at the special Religious Conference, His Holiness welcomed everyone with comforting, supportive and uplifting words about Burma and Aung San Suu Kyi, spoken with gravity into our eyes. We all floated away, and tried to remember what he had actually said. ‘We are all one... Contact Magazine
we are all freedom fighters... non-violence... self-confidence...be committed...approach must be realistic...we have just started... following a non-violent approach...it will not be easy.’ Later, visiting NGO’s, much was taught and lessons were learned from experience passed on. There were secret and not so secret tears, the support was tangible, and sharing of Tibetan strength and ideas and advice very useful. After rest, chats, and chai in the street, perched on the steps of the Peace Cafe, everyone headed off to the film screening. The film was a recent report of the history, conditions and situation of the tortured ethnic Karen, by an Australian journalist at Mae Sot. Landmines and jungle warfare add to the people’s pain, and it was lovely to hear Dr Cynthia Maung’s softly spoken words at her essential support clinic in Thailand. Hardened rebels cried. Burmese people just want peace! Many in the audience were engaged and deeply moved, and came up afterwards to ask how they could assist, or just to connect. Some came to the dinner. Slowly the stories came out. At Norbulingka the next day, everyone was in awe of the cultural
beauty the Tibetans have preserved, created, and showcased there with the help of the world. Burma’s richness has been severely plundered, and the people are now the poorest in SE Asia. We discussed the hated Chinese dams in Burma, and water, beside the flowing sounds in the gardens. The Gyuto monks turned it on for us after our tour behind His Eminence, the Karmapa’s house, garden and the silent meditation houses, with a beautiful monastery lunch. Ven monk U Agga commented that it was like a dream, this beautiful monastery with the mountains behind it. The Burmese girls served him food, and we saw again a cultural difference: the group had never seen classes before with monks and laypeople studying together, like in the Library. Temple sounds rang out, and everyone quietly ascended and peeked in, at the formal rows of chanting monks. The importance of education in Tibetan life clearly touched everyone, whether at TCV school, monasteries, and even just sitting in dreamed-of classrooms. Education and health in Burma is very poor, as billions of dollars are funnelled off to overseas banks from gem sales, oil gas and other resources sold to neighbours, and national and private assets are seized and sold. There
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October 2011
is a great deal of suffering. After a free afternoon, our tired friends spoke quietly and openly about what they had discovered, learned, and experienced. I felt a real wrench when they left, as always feeling their pain and softness, and the extraordinary national hardship, often out of most people’s minds due to the ‘secret’ nature of their oppression. I was so glad they had come. Overall, it was clear that the extraordinary achievements made by the Tibetans over 50 years since the terrible early days has been inspiring and supportive and uplifting to the visitors. Touched, their beautiful smiles came out, like sun after rain. Tibetan strength and generosity (and most of all experience) has been helpful.
Many people collaborated to achieve and organise this visit: A Tibetan-Burmese Friendship fundraising night in Sydney, Jigdal and dedicated friends from SFT, Tenzin Tsundue, (‘They don’t need water, they are activists!’) TWA, Gu Chu Sum and TYC... It was all worth the effort. His Holiness, the Parliament, Tibet, Australia, and many kind people, standing together, were saying to these traumatized, lovely visitors: ‘We Care’.
reduction in the world’s appetite for material goods will quell the storm that is brewing. However, there is also rumored to be a massive quantity of oil beneath the Tibetan Plateau that is currently inaccessible due to inadequate infrastructure. This prospect could lead to dire consequences for Tibet’s natural environment. “The custom of the Tibetan people over millennia has been to never endanger, pollute or lose these natural resources that sustain life. Resources were not itemized separately from their environment or pitted against distant market opportunities. The landscape was a universal resource that was cared for and respected by the local people” (DIIR 149) What exists within the Tibetan crisis is a conflict of paradigms, of ideologies that are so inherently opposed to one another that they are irreconcilable. One ideology promotes sustainability, respect for the land, and consideration of future generations. The other treats the land as a means to a productive end. Most of the world’s economies share this latter view, “[be they] communist, socialist, or capitalist, they all agree that productivism is the purpose of life” (DIIR 7). This power structure has been observed most notably in recent Native American history. Here too, a developing nation was propelled to great wealth at the expense of its original stewards. Thus with the destruction of these sacred cultures and an increased focus on productivist materialism, our world spirals increasingly out of control, away from a middle path, away from sustainability, and, in that, from salvation.
by Kerry Wright Ph 8679633487 LTWA (continued from page 5) 2004; 66; DIIR 149). China’s heavy foresting has, in turn vastly affected the watersheds of many rivers. With fewer trees, erosion and flooding increase, altering rainfall regulation and destroying the delicate balance of Tibet’s water systems. Tibet houses the headwaters of four major Asian rivers which sustain billions of people downstream in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Vietnam, and China. Water is essential to life, to agriculture, and also to industry, which is now the most significant consumer of fresh water on the planet. China, a giant of industry, is undergoing a severe water crisis. In 2006, “Chinese water resources declined 9.1 percent, while average rainfall was down by 6.2 percent” (DIIR 121). To mitigate this, China has dammed and even diverted many rivers in Tibet to quench its thirst, including the Indus and Brahmaputra rivers, turning the water issue into a potentially explosive political issue between China and Pakistan. Environmentally degrading practices like mining, logging, damming of rivers, and oil and natural gas prospecting are all present in the Tibetan Plateau. But no amount of innovation in these fields will remedy the plague of overconsumption which drives these practices to extremes. Only a
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October 2011
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October 2011
ART & MUSIC Naam Art Gallery LOCATION: Main Road Sidhbari Dharamsala MOBILE: 9816043708 Tibet Museum LOCATION : Near the Main Temple and the Namgyal Monastery gate, McLeod Ganj HOURS: 9am-5pm, Tue-Sun Tibet Photo Exhibit: 50 Years of Struggle and Oppression LOCATION : Gu-Chu-Sum hall on Jogiwara Rd, next to the Lung-ta Japanese Restaurant HOURS: 2am-5pm on Mon, Wed and Fri Wood Carving Classes LOCATION : Zoha Art, Bhagsu Nag Rd CONTACT: Meena EMAIL: kriast@rediffmail.com Music Classes Kailash Tribal Music School All kinds of Indian Traditional instruments WEB : www.musictribe.org LOCATION : Bhagsu Rd, near Green Shop HOURS : visiting 1-2pm, no class on Tues PHONE: 981 615 0326 EMAIL: yogisivadas@gmail.com
Vedic Astrologer LOCATION : Kunga Guest house (Nick's Italian Restaurant), Bhagsu Rd McLeod Ganj-Map #6 MOBILE : 09897339026 HOURS : Drop-in
BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY Library of Tibetan Works & Archives LOCATION : Gangchen Kyishong, between McLeod Ganj and Lower Dharamsala HOURS : 9-10am, 11-noon and 3-4pm PHONE: 222 467 Public Audience with HH Karmapa CONTACT: Cheme Choegyal LOCATION: Sidhpur HOURS: 2.30pm, Wed and Sat PHONE: 9816315336 DETAILS : www.kagyuoffice.org Tushita Meditation Center WEB : www.tushita.info LOCATION: Dharamkot HOURS: 9:30-11:30am & 12:30-4pm, Mon-Sat PHONE: 221 1866 EMAIL: tushita_info@sacharnet.in
Tibetan Astrology LOCATION: Bhagsu Rd, near KCC Bank PHONE: 941 810 1965 EMAIL : soyeshi@yahoo.co.in
ANGEL Massage centre • Balinese massage • Deep-Tissue • Swedish • Hawaii massage • Reflexology
(Massage course available)
Lhamo’s Kitchen, Tibetan Cooking Classes LOCATION : Bhagsu Rd, near the Green Shop PHONE : 981 646 8719 HOURS: 8am-9pm N is ha ’ s Ind ia n C o o k ing C la s s LOCATION: Hotel Lotus Leaf, Jogiwara Rd HOURS: Classes from 4-6pm EMAIL : nisha@indiancookingcourse.com S angy e’s K it chen Tr ad it io na l T ib e t a n C o o k ing C la s s e s Recommended by Lonely planet LOCATION :Lung-ta Restaurant, below the Tashi Choeling Monastery on Jogiwara Rd HOURS:10am-12pm and 4-6pm PHONE: 981 616 4540 EMAIL : sangyla_tashi@yahoo.co.in
HEALTH SERVICES COOKING
ASTROLOGY
Lha Tibetan Cooking School LOCATION : Lha Office, Temple Rd PHONE : 220 992 HOURS : Registration from 9am-11am, See pg 3. Indian Cooking Classes LOCATION : Jogiwara Rd, next to Tibetan Ashoka Guesthouse HOURS: 10am-6pm PHONE : 941 813 0119 EMAIL: mahinder_m@hotmail.com
Ayuskam Health Care LOCATION: First floor Hotel Anand Place, near Bhagsu taxi stand and near Tibetan Hotel Ashoka Guest House McLeod Ganj MOBILE: 9805928923/9736211210 WEBSITE: www.ayuskama.com
Ayuskam Health Care LOCATION: First floor Hotel Anand Place, near Bhagsu taxi stand and near Tibetan Hotel Ashoka Guest House McLeod Ganj MOBILE: 9805928923/9736211210 WEBSITE: www.ayuskama.com
(continued on page 10)
OM YOGA CENTER TEACHER TRAINING STARTING 1st Sep -1st Oct - 1st Nov HATHA, ASHTANGA, AND KUNDALINI YOGA
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CERTIFIED BY YOGA ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL AND INDIAN GOVERNMENT DAILY YOGA CLASS 8-9:30 AM AND 4-5:30 PM
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REIKI I, II, III WITH TREATMENT OM YOGA MEDITATION CENTER KETAN LODGE, JOGIWARA ROAD. TEL: 9805693514 - Map #18, EMAIL: OM.YOGA@YMAIL.COM WEBSITE: WWW.OMYOGAINDIA.COM
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HEALTH SERVICES (continued from page 9) Dr. Sant Marwah Clinic LOCATION: in front of Main Temple HOURS: 9:30am-6:30pm PHONE : 221 106, 98160 21106 Kumar Ayurvedic and Panchkarma LOCATION : Hotel Surya Rd, opposite the Tourism Informations Centre PHONE : 941 824 9399 OURS: 10am-2pm and 2:30-7pm Maanav Health Clinic LOCATION : Main Square HOURS: 10am-12:30pm and 2-5pm PHONE: 941 815 5795 EMAIL : maanavcare@yahoo.co.in Men-Tsee-Khang LOCATION: between McLeod Ganj and Lower Dharamshala PHONE : 222 618, 223 113 EMAIL: tmai@vsnl.com Nature Cure Health Club LOCATION: Jogiwara Rd, next to Tibetan Ashoka Guest House-Map #10 HOURS: 9:30am-6:30pm PHONE :: 941 813 0119 EMAIL: mahinder_m@hotmail.com Primary Health Centre LOCATION : Jogiwara Rd, main market HOURS: 9:30am-4pm, Mon-Sat Tibetan Delek Hospital LOCATION: Gangchen Kyishong, between McLeod Ganj and Lower Dharamsala PHONE : 222 053, 223 381 HOURS : Outpatient services: 9am-1pm, Mon-Sat; Specialist clinics: 2-4:30pm, MonSat; Emergencies: 24 hrs, daily
LANGUAGES
Tibetan with Teacher Pema Youdon: LOCATION: Jogiwara Rd, opposite the post office HOURS: 1-4pm, or leave a message.
MASSAGE Angel Massage Center LOCATION : Ping House, below Yongling School, Jogiwara Rd PHONE: 9736083627, 9736083554 EMAIL: delima1959@yahoo.com Lha Healing Oil Massage Courses & Treatment LOCATION : Lha Office, PHONE : 220 992 HOURS :
Kailash Tribal School Taught byYogi Sivadas WEB : www.yogatribe.org LOCATI ON : Bhagsu Rd, near the Green Shop - Map #6 HOURS : visiting 1-2pm, no class on Tues PHONE: 981 615 0326 EMAIL: yogisivadas@gmail.com Nature Cure Health Club LOCATION: Near Tibetan Ashoka,Jogiwara Rd PHONE: 941 813 0119 EMAIL: mahinder_m@hotmail.com Shiatsu & Swedish Massage LOCATION : Lha Office, Temple Rd PHONE : 220 992 See ad pg 3. Synergy Ayuredic Massage Centre LOCATION : Near Tibetan Ashoka, Jogiwara Rd PHONE: 941 80 8488 EMAIL: mcleodganj@gmail.com Traditional Thai Massage LOCATION : Opposite the Govt. Tourist Information Centre, Hotel Surya Rd PHONE: 981 633 9199 EMAIL: jite02@yahoo.com
YOGA & REIKI
Hindi Classes LOCATION : Ketan Lodge, Jogiwara Rd, beside the Korean Restaurant PHONE : 981 649 4732
Kailash Tribal School, RYS 200 & RYS 500 YTTC (Yoga Alliance USA Recognized) LOCATION : Bhagsu Rd, near the Green Shop WEB : www.yogatribe.org HOURS : visiting 1-30 pm, Closed on Tuesday PHONE: 981 615 0326 EMAIL: yogisivadas@gmail.com
Tibetan Language LOCATION : The Library HOURS: 10-11am and noon-1pm See Buddhist philosophy listing.
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MEDITATION
Registration from 9am-11am, See pg 3.
Himalayan Iyengar Yoga Centre LOCATION: Dharamkot, on the footpath to Bhagsu - Map #5 EMAIL: info@hiyogacentre.com WEB: www.hiyogacentre.com
Hindi Lessons with Sunil LOCATION : Kunga Guesthouse, Bhagsu Rd and in Dharamkot PHONE : 221 942, 941 818 7281 EMAIL : sunilsharma81in@yahoo.co.in
Universal Yoga with Vijay Recognized by Yoga Alliance WEB : www.vijaypoweryoga.com LOCATION: Room #5, Yongling School Building, Jogiwara Rd - Map #15 HOURS: 9:00 -11:10am & 2:00 - 4:00Pm EMAIL : vijayamar@yahoo.com
Temple Rd
Tibetan Language Class LOCATION : Lha Office, Temple Rd HOURS : Registration from 9-11am, Mon-Fri PHONE : 220 992 See ad on pg 3.
Hindi Lessons with Kailash LOCATION: At Bhimsen’s Indian Cooking Class PHONE : 220 063, 941 816 1947 HOURS : 4-6pm, daily
Siddhartha Yoga Centre with Yogi Shivam WEB: www.siddharthayogacentre.org LOCATION : Upper Bagsu Nag Map #1 HOURS: 7-8am & 6:15-7:15pm PHONE: 981 656 5138 EMAIL : yogi_shivam@yahoo.com
Kailash Tribal Meditation School Taught by Yogi Sivadas WEB : www.yogatribe.org LOCATION : Bhagsu Rd, nr the Green Shop - Map #6 HOURS : visiting 1-2pm, no class on Tues PHONE: 981 615 0326 EMAIL: yogisivadas@gmail.com I am Happy Open Ashram www.iamhappy.in EMAIL: info@iamhappy.in LOCATION : Behind Hotel Akashdeep, Bhagsu- Map #6 & Mcleodganj HOURS: 4-5pm, Mon-Sat MOBILE : 9882868470 or 9569221047 WEB:
Om Yoga, Meditation & Reiki Centre See the Yoga & Reiki section. Tushita Meditation Center WEB: www.tushita.info LOCATION: Dharamkot HOURS: 9:30-11:30am, Mon-Sat PHONE : 221 866 EMAIL : spc@tushita.info Vipassana Meditation WEB : www.sikhara.dhamma.org LOCATION: Dharamkot HOURS: 4-5pm, Mon-Sat PHONE : 221 309 EMAIL: info@sikhara.dhamma.org
Integrate Mind Body Universe Training in Goa and Thailand
Reiki 1st, 2ndand 3rd levels. NLP basic course and therapy Hypnotherapy by Amit has over 8 years experience
Om Yoga, Meditation & Reiki Centre LOCATION : Ketan Lodge, behind Akash Hotel, on Jogiwara Rd - Map #17 HOURS : 8am-6pm PHONE : 980 569 3514
Rishi Yoga Centre with Yogi Shivam WEB: www.siddharthayogacentre.org LOCATION: Himalyan Paradise Hotel Jogiwara Rd - Map #15 HOURS: 7-8am & 6:15-7:15pm PHONE: 981 656 5138 EMAIL : yogi_shivam@yahoo.com
Contact: www.amitreiki.com Email: amit@amitreiki.com
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Traditional Tibetan Soft Dolls
- Map #3
For play or decoration! Individually handcrafted and filled with pure, local sheep wool. Tamana Shop, Jogiwara Rd, or visit our workshop. Contact: 981 637 4389
Nature Cure Health Club with Mahinder Kapoor Jogiwara Rd, next to Tibetan Ashoka Guest House - Map # 13, Mobile: 94181 30119 or 09736333888 Email: mahinder_m@hotmail.com,
GOING TOAMRITSAR? Come see us at Tourist Guest House British colonial mansion turned into beautiful guest ho use that tourists have been flocking to for a taste of the Raj life style. We have I nternet connection at Rs 1/min.
12 years’ experience & recommended by the Lonely Planet Visit us for: Swedish massage courses & treatment, Zen Shiatsu courses, treatment, reflexology treatment, SPA , Singing Bowl Treatment, steambaths, sauna & mud baths.
Comfortable stay with home cooked meals. Dorm bed Rs 85, Single/dble w. bath Rs 125-250. Walking distance from train and bus. Private parking. Recommended in travel guide ‘Lets Go-2000’.
Our teacher has had experience teaching in Israel.
Contact Harindar at : 0183-2553830 / 09356003219 E-mail : bubblesgoolry@yahoo.com
Tourist Information Police Contact Information
Bus Schedule
LOCATION :
Past St.John’s Church, on road to Dharamshala in Cantt area. PHONE: 221 483
* Times and prices may vary. Please check with the bus stand ahead of departure.
Tibetan Delek Hospital
LEAVING FROM THE MCLEOD GANJ BUS STAND, UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED: DELHI:
Ordinary Bus: 4:45am, 6pm, 6:45pm, 8:15pm and 8:30pm (Rs330) Semi Deluxe Bus: 6pm (Rs355) AC Volvo Semi-Sleeper: 8pm (Rs1035) AC TATA: 8:30pm (Rs840)
AMRITSAR:
Ordinary Bus: 4:45am (Rs165) *from Dharamsala
DEHRADUN : MANALI:
Ordinary Bus: 9pm; AC Deluxe: 5:30pm
Ordinary Bus: 11am, 12:10pm, 12:30pm, 2:10pm, 3:50pm, 5pm (Rs75)
Ordinary Bus: 5am, 5:30am, 6am, 8am, noon and 4:55pm (Rs235) *from Dharamsala Semi Deluxe Bus: 8:22am, 7:45pm and 9:30pm (Rs???) *from Dharamsala
The McLeod Ganj Post Office is located on LOCATION: Jogiwara Rd, past Peace Cafe HOURS: 9:30am-1pm and 2-5pm, Mon-Fri; 9:30am-noon, Sat. PHONE: 221 924 Parcels and money orders can be sent in the mornings only.
TAXIS
FOR BOOKINGS: LOCATION : ticket stand under McLLo’s, main square HOURS: 10am-6pm, daily PHONE: 221750 For deluxe buses, book through any travel agency.
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Gangchen Kyishong, between McLeod Ganj and Lower Dharamshala HOURS: Outpatient services: 9am-1pm, MonSat; Specialist clinics: 2-4:30pm, Mon-Sat; Emergencies: 24-hrs, daily. PHONE: 222 053,223 381
Post Office
Ordinary Bus: 5:40pm, 8:40pm *from Dharamsala
PATHANKOT:
SHIMLA :
LOCATION:
A private taxi to Lower Dharamsala will cost you Rs 160. Cram into a jeep (from the bus stand), and it’ll only cost you Rs10.
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October 2011
Around Town: Helping Out ANIMAL
RESCUE
Dharamsala Dog Rescue We are in urgent need of vet volunteers, animal experts and sponsors. W e are in immediate need of sponsors for two paralysed dogs that need a home, wheelchair, monthly food and medicine. Please contact us if you see an injured/sick dog. Anything you can do is appreciated. WEB : www.hnsindia.org LOCATION : Behind the District Court Complex on Chilgari St, Lower Dharamsala PHONE : 981 622 0841 EMAIL: friendsforanimals@gmail.com
CO MMU NIT Y
OUT REA CH
The Active Nonviolence Education Center (ANEC) facilitates trainings, workshops and open forum discussions on A N E C nonviolent strategies to help resolve disagreements and differences at all levls of human society. As part of our General Outreach Program, ANEC welcomes volunteers from western countries to participate in informal panel discussions on ideas and views of regional and global peace and nonviolent strategies. Free lunch and tea for volunteers. WEB : www.anec.org.in LOCATION : No. 262, 1st floor, Khajanchi Mohalla, Khunyara Rd, Lower Dharamsala PHONE : 941 809 4476, 941 898 7745 EMAIL : executive_directoranec@yahoo.com Learning and Ideas for Tibet (L.I.T.) is a non-profit organization that needs a range of volunteers interested in the Tibetan movement and community education. CONTACT: Lauren PHONE : 941 879 4218 L O C AT I O N : Jogiwara Rd, near the Korean Restaurant Lha Community Social Work fosters projects for the benefit and enrichment of the local community. We provide a library, English and French classes, computer training, medical assistance programmes, environmental programmes and clothing distribution to needy Tibetans and Indians, in addition to supporting construction and renovation projects. See ad pg 3. WEB : www.lhaindia.org LOCATION : Temple Rd, across from State Bank of India HOURS: 9am-noon and1-5pm, Mon-Fri PHONE : 220 992 Nyingtob Ling (‘Realm of Courage’) helps support Tibetan children from disadvantaged families. The children work hard at making delightful handicrafts and paintings. They are so friendly and LOVE visitors! LOCATION: Near Norbulingka, Sidhpur PHONE : 0189 224 6366, 981 685 1841 EMAIL: nyingtobling@hotmail.com
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Rogpa Baby Care Centre We help low income Tibetan families to become self-sufficient by providing free child care for infants so their parents can work. Can you help with art, games, singing and lots of hard work? (including diaper changing!) If you can create and maintain a fun and loving atmosphere with our children, hours are Mon-Sat, either 8.30am-12pm or 1pm-5pm (located near no.13 on map) Rogpa Shop and Cafe Help serve drinks and cakes, plus sell our fairly traded products. We accept donated clothes & books (located near no.14 on map) Min. commitment for both jobs is 3 weeks Please contact us directly or by email rogpa2004@yahoo.com Volunteer Tibet You’re motivated to share your time and assist organisations in the Tibetan community. Even if you’re j us t passingthrough Dharamsala, there are still many ways to donate your time & make a difference. For a full list of volunteer opportunities,both long- and short-term, please contact us: WEB : www.volunteertibet.org.in LOCATION : Jogiwara Rd, opposite Akash Guesthouse. HOURS: 9am- and 5pm, Mon-Fri PHONE : 98820 17083, 220 894 EMAIL:volunteertibetdharamsala@gmail.com Women’s Team Volunteers required to teach Indian women computer/English skills. For more information visit Jitender@WomensTeam.com or mobile 09817515123
Cleaners every Monday at 9.30 am & join them up to The Clean Upper Dharamshala Project was founded in 1994 to provide a waste management system in and around McLod Ganj. The Green Workers, the Handmade Recycled Paper Factory, the Green Shop and the Environmental Education Centre are part of the Clean Upper Daramshala Project. Join us for the weekly guided tour on Wednesdays at 3 pm at the office of CUDP!
PUBLICATION Contact Magazine Submit a single piece or become a steady correspondent of this local, grassroots publication. Contact needs volunteers to write, proofread and edit copy and work on graphic design.Volunteers needed, especially those with a knowledge of Photoshop. CONTACT: Lobsang Rabsel at the Lha office, Temple Road. PHONE : 981 615 5523 EMAIL : info@contactmag.org
TUTORS & CLASS ASSISTANTS Volunteer language teachers, for both longand short-term placements, are needed for quality education in Mcleod Ganj: Gu-Chu-Sum provides support for ex-political prisoners and their families. It also organises campaigns for the release of current political prisoners. Gu-Chu-Sum School needs volunteers for its English conversation classes and tutoring sessions from 6pm onwards, Mon- Fri. LOCATION : Jogiwara Rd, downstairs Lung-ta Japanese Restaurant HOURS: 4:30-6:30pm PHONE : 220 680 EMAIL: humanrights.desk@guchusum.org
DONATIONS Lha Donation Center Accepting donations of all kinds: clothing, sleeping bags, books, school supplies, office supplies, medical supplies, used laptops, financial assistance... Donations are clearly recorded and distributed to those in need, both Tibetan and Indian. Lha is a registered non-profit, social service organisation. See advert on pg 3. Tong-Len Donations welcomed: medical supplies, stationary, books, toys and children’s clothing. LOCATION : Top floor, Bank of Baroda opposite the art gallery Kotwali Bazar, Dharamsala PHONE : 981 608 1562, 223 930
ENVIRONMENT The Mountain Cleaners is a voluntary organization founded in April 2009 by Jodie Underhill who have successfully set up a waste management system at the popular trekking destination Triund. You can help Jodie and the Mountain
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Tibet Hope Center is a registered NGO started by two Tibetans to support the newcomers from Tibet. We run a conversation class where our students can practice their English, and we are in constant need of conversation partners. They love to ask questions about your life and exchange ideas on many topics. Think Globally, Act Locally WEB: www.tibethopecenter.org LOCATION: Jogiwara Rd, behind Gu-Chu-Sum HOURS : 4:30-5:45pm, daily, and we even have a campfire every evening! PHONE : 981 637 3889 EMAIL : info@tibethopecenter.org works with Indian communities liv ing in poverty toward a healthy and sustainable future. Needed urgently: volunteer primary teachers and assistants for maths, English and art, as well as nurses and health workers. CONTACT: Tashi Lhamo LOCATION : Top floor, Bank of Baroda opposite art gallery, Kotwali Bazar, Dharamsala PHONE : 981 608 1562, 223 930 EMAIL : volunteer@tong-len.org
October 2011
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October 2011
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October 2011
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October 2011