JOIN USA slice of Tibet is seen wherever Tibetan refugees have settled in various parts of India, more so in Dharamsala, the Little Lhasa of India, the abode of the 14th Dalai Lama. The tang of the Tibetan salted butter tea, the strong aroma of the steaming momos, the chatter of the aproned Tibetan married women and faint sounds of the prayer gongs mark a Tibetan presence there.
It is captivating to watch the ochre-robed Buddhist monks and scholars rub shoulders with the international aficionados of the Dalai Lama and backpackers. It is due to the nostalgia for their homeland that Norbulingka Institute, which means ‘Jewel Park’, was lovingly founded in the valley below Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh. Translated to reality by Minister Kelsang Yeshi and his wife, it is a haven where Tibetan culture has been revived and preserved since the 90s, with the blessings of the Dalai Lama.
Artistic invitation
Now it is not only humming with a strong community of committed artisans who are keeping alive an artistic lineage, but invites visitors to witness and learn it by immersing in the Tibetan environs. It is the window of Tibetan culture set against the backdrop of the lofty Dhauladhar range, where the flavour of religious arts is kept alive. Incidentally, Norbulingka in Lhasa was the AD 1755 summer palace of the Dalai Lamas. It was renowned for its gardens and the serenity of nature, with 374 rooms.
As we step into its seven-acre precinct, we are transported into an ethereal rural Tibet welcomed by a Zen garden where all elements of Nature are in harmony. Built by a Japanese architect, it prescribes a leisurely walk. The charm of a distant land — though the original aura of Tibet is difficult to recreate — is enhanced by wooden bridges, softly gurgling water either flowing or as waterfalls, the tweeting of the birds and insects, the miniature plants, cascading creepers, and the all-encompassing greenery. The Institute is designed on the mandala of the 1,000-armed bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteswara, as per Tibetan traditions, with the temple forming the head, the heart represented by a water spring, and the limbs represented by the buildings.
The buildings vibrate the magic of the master craftsmen refugees who lovingly infused their culture, be it in the temple (the allure of the Mani stupa), library, café, guest houses, design studios, dolls museum, ticket counter, college, the quaint sales outlet and the many workshops here.
The helpful office assistant takes us on a tour of the place, ascending a narrow flight of steps to the second-floor thangka painting classroom and studio. “‘Tang’ means ‘plain’ and ‘ka’ is ‘to draw’; and thangka is our Buddhist ID,” she says with justifiable pride.
The seventh-century thangka is a religious literature that reiterates the Buddhist teachings that were carried by itinerant lamas for worship and to sanctify tents when they held congregations. This ‘displaying’ painting is based on a proportional grid distinct to each deity on cotton fabric. Of all the natural, powdered mineral colours, the striking blue of the lapis lazuli (considered the pure form of the Medicine Buddha) stands out.
The stone colours are then adorned with golden paint. As the thangka ages, the intensity of the colours increases. Small wonder then that the starting price per piece is Rs 40,000, and is sought after by the devotees from the US and South-East Asia.
The high standards are ensured at all times, as the selection of the students for this three-year course is exacting. On completion of the course, the students become apprentices for three years before they are considered as salaried craftsmen. The next section we visit is the ‘Thangka Appliqué’ where hundreds of individually embroidered pieces are joined as in an interesting zigzag puzzle by women. The appliqué here is not done directly on cloth. The joining pieces are outlined by horsehair wrapped in silk colour threads by the method of couching to form a bold outline of the pattern.
The pieces are then layered. The horsehair gives durability and retains the shape. The occasional flutter of the tracing paper or the snip of the thread is the only sound that breaks the solemn atmosphere.
On the opposite side of this building are the tailoring and design studio; silkscreen workshop; metal casting, weaving, wood carving and painting sections. The metal casts are mainly Buddha images in a sitting posture. The 11-year course in Tibet is shortened to seven years here as the students are put through the two processes of hand and metal casting. The heavy copper-coloured statues are well worth their weight in dollars.
Superb superlative
The temple at one end is awe-inspiring with a 14-feet gilded Buddha, the largest outside Tibet, with the finest works of thangka done by Norbulingka artists. An astounding two-storey-high thangka appliqué acquaints the visitor with the artisans’ dedicated hours in its creation.
Then we step into the not-to-be-missed Losel Doll museum, created by the artist monks of Drepung Loseling Monastery. The 160 dolls on display here depict the Tibetan life in all its diversity. Losel is an ancient doll-making art that originated in the monasteries.
Be it the Northern Nomads who dwell in black tents made of yak hair, the Cham dance performed by masked monks wearing brocades, the many rituals and processional monks, the meticulously made religious costumes, a market scene, a Lhama opera that was patronised by the aristocracy and performed for the Dalai Lama in the gardens of Norbulingka, the stunning dolls display is to evoke a sense of cultural pride in the younger generation of Tibetans, and admiration from all visitors.
To validate our visit to Norbulingka, we purchase souvenirs from the shop. We top the visit at a café that serves momos, thupkas and home-made cakes.
The challenges of a refugee community to preserve their traditions in a globalised world are best exemplified in Norbulingka. It’s also about the excellence of conservation and ownership of their culture and traditions, feeling of pride, and showcasing the Tibetan heritage for the times to come.