Menri Monastery

 

        Students of BA 4th and 6th Semester accompanied by teachers of Department of Geography, went for a study trip to Rajgarh region of HP. The tour commenced on 14th April 2022 and our first stop was the Menri Bon Monastery at Dolanji, near Solan. 

        Menri Monastery, ”medicine mountain”, is the name of a Bon monastery in Tibet that has been re-founded in India. The name derives from the medicinal plants and medicinal springs on the mountain. Menri became the leading Bon monastery in the Tibetan cultural region. The abbot of Menri is recognised as the spiritual leader of Bon.


Menri Monastery, Dolanji


Tonpa Shenrab 

        Bon is believed to be the original religion of Tibet founded by Tonpa Shenrab (whose name means “Supreme Holy Man”).  The Bonpos, (followers of Bon) maintain that Bon originated in the land of Olmo Lungring, situated to the west of Tibet and covering one third of the existing world. The founder of Bon religion is Lord Tonpa Shenrab Miwo. 

       

         After Chinese invasion of  March 1959, large numbers of Tibetans fled Tibet to seek refuge in Nepal, India and Bhutan. A comparatively small number of these Tibetans were Bonpos (followers of Bon religion). Soon after arriving in India, a group of Bonpo Lamas, monks and lay people gathered in Kullu-Manali. Many were employed as road workers. Due to extreme climatic differences between their homeland and India and to the little attention they received, they had hard lives. Many of them died, including Shenrab Lodro (1935-1962), the 32nd abbot of Menri Monastery.

        Tenzin Namdak, the chief tutor (Ponlob) of Menri Monastery bought some land at Dolanji, near Solan. In 1967, settlement was formally established. Here was built Menri main temple, quarters for monks, library, the abbot’s residence, new premises for the monastery kitchen. The monks were organised into a full-scale religious community based on the monastic rules outlined in the Bonpo Canon. The foundations of the main temple were laid in 1969 and the Menri Monastery (Pal Shenten Menri Ling) was completed in 1978.  It is the only Yungdrung Bon Monastery in India.

        New culture, religion and other social practices definitely interest teenagers. The antiquity of practices and other historical narratives definitely kept them riveted. The intricately  carved and brilliantly painted interiors, the complete tranquility, the cool breeze wafting through the peepul tree leaves, hushed all human sound. We talked to each other in whispers fearing to disturb the sanctitude...

Learning...


The group on Monastery Stairs





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dodra - Kwar: Where Griffons Dare

Image
  Dodra – Kwar is a very less known cultural region of Himachal. It is a narrow valley drained by River Rupin, and enclosed by loft ranges of middle and greater Himalayas. Last year, a jeep able road was completed, connecting this valley to Rohru. Prior to this, people of this valley travelled by foot or horseback to Rohru. The easier rout was to walk along the river and reach Netwar, a large village in Uttrakhand. Netwar is also the confluence of rivers Rupin and Tons. According to the folklore, this valley was a part of the kingdom of Tehri but was given in dowry to the princess who married King of Rampur Bushahr. Thus it became a part of Himachal. The very idea of biking up to an unexplored region is very rib-tickling; so the plans are made well in advance and on 30 th May two of us load our bikes and scoot off. The rout we are to take is Chail, Kufri, Narkanda, Baggi, Khara Patthar, Rohru, Chanshal, Dodra and Kwar. The return is from Rohru to Hatkoti, Jubbal, Theog and Shimla ba
Read more

To Jalori Pass

Image
Last June we* biked to Jalori Pass. Even though it is one of the lowest passes (10,580 ft) in Himalayas, connecting Shimla district with Kullu, the drive is a biker’s delight. The ride up to Shimla is as usual a drag and a bore because of traffic, diesel fumes and crowds. As soon as we cross Kufri the fun starts. One can breathe the fresh mountain air and the hill sides are covered with trees. The temperature drops perceptibly which is a welcome change after the sweltering heat of Chandigarh. The road descends till a village called Matiyana and then starts climbing up. Patches are being repaired after recent landslides, leaving them bare broken rock. Bikes raise a dust cloud and you can imagine the state of the guy riding drag! But good roads follow and soon we are zipping on freshly laid tarmac. The bikes roar uphill to the ever beautiful Narkanda. Here we stop for much needed rest and lunch at the HPTDC Hatu. They have a beautiful garden where we sprawl after lunch and sip hot tea. (
Read more

The French Connection - Pondicherry

Image
24 - 29 December 2007 We spend a few days in Bangalore doing the Brigade Road and all the malls, pubs and restaurants but the roads leading out of the city tempt us. So one fine morning we drive off towards the east – destination Pondicherry. The road from out side Bangalore to Krishnagiri is a dream come true and we travel at almost the speed of sound. From the Krishnagiri, I take the NH66 and till day I rue the decision. It is an elongated pot hole almost 55 kms long. Our souls and the suspension is saved only when we reach Thiruvanamalai. Mount Arunachalam towers over this sacred town, which is home to the ashram of the greatest saint of the twentieth century – Raman Maharishi. He lived and preached here. His ashram exists here which is as always teeming full of foreigners. The ancient intricately carved temple of Thiruvanamalai stands testimony to the rich heritage of this region. A quick stop to take pictures is all we manage and then speed off. We stop at a way side dhaba for foo
Read more