It’s Buddha’s birthday today, so I spent a bit of time this morning at the main temple in town, mingling with the monks and nuns. A lot had come in from surrounding monasteries for prayers, big groups of them waiting downstairs to be called to their particular service. Funny to watch them gossiping and mucking about like kids on a school trip, and then this turn to reverence as they attended their prayers. Once the prayers were done, I spotted some of the younger ones outside buying stickers and looking at Hello Kitty flasks.
The Dalai Lama’s in town and everyone’s trying to get a look at him. Every day there’s a new rumor about a service He’s holding, a particular place He’s going to be, but all the speculation so far has come to nothing. It seems He’s holding private meetings for international groups, and camera toting tourists aren’t on the guest list.
I asked at the temple information desk where I could catch a fleeting glimpse of Him; “Where are you from?” asked the security guy, “England” I replied. Beaming, the guy was sure he’d found the solution, “Oh Great!” he tells me “Then you can see him in Manchester in June.”
Still in India.
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