'Om Mani Padme Hum' is everywhere... Probably the most famous mantra in Buddhism!
Not only 'OMPH' but also Monks and peace signs are omnipresent in McLeod Ganj.
A nice view walking up from the Dalai Lama's Temple to the village center.
A nice picture... I thought.
I told you... OMPH is every where! The mantra is writen on every prayer flag.
One day I walked up yo the Triund pass. A nice walk on the Dharamsala hills. Again, the foot hills of the Himalaya Mountain Range.
The walk was long and tiring (or maybe I was having an off-day). Especially at the end. When you see the sun set, you really want to sit down and have dinner. But we made it... And food tasted so good.
This is the Himalayan Yoga Center which I fel in love with. But appearances don't mean a thing.
My most visited breakfast place - The Peace Cafe - Great porridge!
The badly-lid-tiny-moldy-massage-course-room. And for some kind of reason I was told off when the teacher saw me taking this picture. At least I managed to take this one.
My 80Rs room in the Pink House - isn't it cute? (I had to trick myself in believing this was a good deal, not?)
Pelgrims on there way to the Kangre Toy Train. I had to kill time waiting for the train so... Ideal for taking pictures. What would I do without this camera of mine. So happy that I have at least one companion.
And when not being in Buddhist area - Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesh, Raman or one of the many other deities are eternalized or immortalized into stone.
The Kangra station... With the Toy Train gliding in on the tracks.
The Toy Train halting on the tracks. Enough gliding for one day...
Sending a parcel in India: First you have to go and buy fabric. Then you go to a tailor. Then a different person puts on wax stamps so you can check the parcel has arrived untouched. It's a good way to generate work for a lot of people.
One of the main roads of McLeod in the morning...
Lots of market stands across the streets...
The stairs I had to take from my guest house up to the road. Many, many stairs every day...
To give you an idea of the water pipes across McLeod. They were leaking all the time... Can you imagine?
Then to Amristar on the 17th of September - It is home to the Harimandir Sahib, also known as the Golden Temple, and is the spiritual and cultural center of the Sikh religion.
Inside the temple complex free meals are served: 500 people are fed every 20 minutes. And it was good food too....
Heidi (a girl I met on the bus to Amritsar) and me went to see the Temple at sunrise.
There's constant chanting and praying. Really nice atmosphere.
Jallianwala Bagh - where the 'the Amritsar Massacre' took place on on April 13, 1919.
The signs explaining what happened...
And look, there's Sara...
Inside the Mata Temple - This labyrinthine Hindu cave temple commemorates a bespectacled 20th-century female saint, Lal Devi. The circuitous route to the main shrine passes through ankle-deep waterways, low tunnels, staircases, walkways and caves, the last of which turns out to be the inside of a divine mouth.
Inside the Mata Temple - Women wishing to become pregnant come here to pray.
Inside the Mata Temple - The circuitous route to the main shrine passes through ankle-deep waterways, low tunnels, staircases, walkways and caves, the last of which turns out to be the inside of a divine mouth.
Going to Atari with Heide and Miung Soon - Indian / Pakistani Border - for the changing of the guards ceremony.
Here I learned that India is actually called Hindustan. It was really funny... There was house music blasting from speakers. People were dancing on the street as if it was indepedence day.
Proud Indians waving the flag...
And then the Pakistani side: empty. I hope it was due to ramadam. Because otherwise this was just one big mockery, a daily joke.
After Amritsar back east to Chandigarh. Into a little paradise park: Nek Chand's Rock Garden... I was amazed.
Unfortunately it was raining that day... Not too hard though, so I could still take my badboy out and shoot.
More of the same beauty... I fel from one amazement into an other.
Pay attention to the little people at the top of the waterfall!!
This is what the whole structure is made of. Cotton bags used as a mold, filled with concrete. Genius...
Some massive 'Gaudi'-like mosaic present aswel...
And a close up...
Crazy bridges with horses on top, camels (real ones) below and swings hanging of it...
Funny fairytale-like birds... Or are these giraffes with wings? Mr. Nek Chand does have a lot of fantasy.
Is this a real tree or not?
The perfect place to hang out for young couples... Away from the outside world, away from family or parents. The perfect hideout.
And then came hordes of fantasy animals...
And swarms of unearthly people...
And armies of creepy, but yet magical, sculptured women...
It was such a shame it was raining... This is almost the only picture I took from the Chandigarh-city, it was realy lame of me. The city is a bit surreal though... Just straight lanes. Nothing like the other cities of India. I suggest you do a wiki-search to find out more about it. It's pretty amazing.
