Mini Tibet in Mussoorie!
Mussoorie's Tibetan Temple and Happy Valley is a must-visit even If you are not a follower of Tibetan Buddhism.
Under a thick blanket of Oak and Deodar forest, most of the Tibetans in Mussoorie stay in this “Mini Tibet”. After the Tibetan uprising in 1959, 14th Dalai Lama decided to reach India. The Dalai Lama and several of his followers arrived at Tejpur in Assam. The Dalai Lama asked Jawahar Lal Nehru, our then PM for assistance. Jawahar Lal Nehru agreed to provide all the necessary help on behalf of the Republic of India to them. Initially about 80000 Tibetans reached India.
Since Jawahar Lal Nehru’s favourite hill station was Mussoorie, therefore, some believe that he must have thought that it was safe for the young Dalai Lama to be in Mussoorie.
Dalai Lama stayed here for a year and under his guidance a Tibetan Temple and a school, Tibetan Homes Foundation was established.
Although Dalai Lama had to be shifted to Dharamshala owing to threats to his security by Chinese intelligence agencies, many of the Tibetans still live in Mussoorie. People of Mussoorie are always proud that Dalai Lama was their guest when he first came to India. Although he once a year he visits our Mussoorie!
Jawahar Lal Nehru and The Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama stayed in Happy Valley in a building called Birla House. In his autobiography “Freedom in Exile”, he says about the year that he stayed in Mussoorie as “A desperate Year” we assume that when someone leaves his homeland he is indeed shaken and disturbed. On June 20, 1959, Dalai Lama held a press conference and told what is being done by China in Tibet. This was the first time the world came to know about the Chinese oppression of Tibet and Tibetan people.
He writes that “There was no interference from Delhi over how I and the growing number of Tibetans conducted our lives. I had begun to give weekly audiences on the grounds of Birla House. This gave me the opportunity to meet a variety of people and tell them about the real situation in Tibet”. No doubt still the quiet and peace-loving people of Mussoorie respect their fellow citizens of the earth and live in harmony with them.
Young Dalai Lama giving sermon at Birla House, Mussoorie
Tibetan Homes Foundation School and Tibetan Temple can be visited and those times can be still revisited by looking at various paintings and pictures of the Dalai Lama and Jawaharlal Nehru in Mussoorie
Tibetan Homes Foundation, Mussoorie
You can visit Tibetan Temple and the Dalai Hills, get the blessing of the resident monk and get the famous multicoloured flags for your car or bike. If you like you can also meditate in the quiet. It is located near Lal Bahadur Shastri National Administration Academy, just 3.5 km from Bunkotel.
