Mc Cloud Ganj

I am so happy to be here again, in the bright sunshine and cool air of the Himalayas.

Tibetans are gathering in the temple courtyard, women in their long skirts and striped aprons, red robed monks, wrapped up in red blankets, for first thing in the morning it is cold. White tented roofs have been raised above the courtyard to protect the people from the sun and rain. Old women tell their beads, muttering prayers in a whisper as they wait for His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Monks in the temple begin a deep bass chant. A gong sounds. His Holiness approaches slowly, a huge smile on his face, stopping to chat to his Tibetan people on this side and that of the pathway leading through the courtyard to the temple. He is more bent and older looking than the last time I saw him, but someone told me yesterday that he has announced that he will live to 113. His bodyguards wait patiently. He goes upstairs and everyone follows. He enters an inner sanctum. The Tibetans fetch thin mats to sit on and spread them out on the floor. Then they begin to prostrate themselves towards His Holiness, over and over. The Dalai Lama begins to sing, in his deep, growly voice. The monks join in.

 Several Tibetan women have red sashes round their waists while others have plaited red laces into their hair. I saw at least one Tibetan man who had tied a long red sash to his plait and wound both plait and sash round his head. I had never been up into this part of the temple before, which is yellow painted concrete with a smooth concrete floor. I am surrounded by a sea of Tibetans, who take absolutely no notice of me. Monks come round with buckets of flat, round Tibetan bread rolls, which they distribute to everyone. Then monks come round with kettles of butter tea and paper cups.

His Holiness's voice trails off. Some of the Tibetns start to circmambulate this floor of the temple, while the Dalai Lama appears to be chanting quietly for his monks.

I left soon after this but later in the afternoon I heard Tibetan horns echoing over the town.