From Delhi to Kangra, Kuhls and Land Use, and the Karmapa's Residence
Flying from Delhi to Kangra (in the state of Himachal Pradesh in far north of India in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains) is said to be a iffy experience. Kingfisher Airlines (owned by the beer company of the same name) flies a single flight in each direction each day using an ATR 42 twin engine turboprop airliner - the 42 refers to the seating capacity which actually varies from 40-52. They are the only airline flying that route. Various travel websites say that the flight doesn't always occur ... either due to weather or supposedly not enough ticket sales. So we had built some leeway into our schedule and were prepared (reluctantly) to take the overnight bus or a 12-hour taxi ride. And then, a few days before we were due to take the flight, articles started appearing in the newspaper about many flights by Kingfisher being cancelled because of some sort of game of chicken being played with the Indian taxing authorities. Fortunately our two flights were not cancelled.
The plane trip is truly wonderful. You start by flying due north (more or less) and then turn so that all of a sudden the Himalayan mountains (or a part of them) appear out of the side of the plane.
Everyone immediately goes to that side of the airplane.
The mountains are truly spectacular and so is the whole setting.
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At night the moon reflects off the snow and the mountains glow -- an effect that cannot be captured by the camera.
The Kangra airport (named for the city and region in Himachal Pradesh where it is located) is probably best known by tourists as the closest airport to Dharamshala, the home in exile of the Dali Lama. Our destination was close to Dharamshala (to which we never went), the village of Sidhbari about 10 km away. (Points to anyone who can accurately find Sidhbari on a map. Mapquest doesn't list it and Google Maps has a wrong location. You can find it -- not by name -- by making the Karmapa, about whom more later.)
We are visiting good friends who are India scholars and are in residence for the semester in Sidhbari. Many of the houses are of traditional architecture, either original or in the modern form championed by an architect named Didi Contractor. (She lives in Sidhbari near our friends and is a fascinating woman -- Google her to find out more). Traditional houses here are made of mud-brick (using dung as covering) and slate.
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The Kangra area, especially around Dharamshala, seems to be facing increasing development pressure. The white stones across the land here appear to be some sort of boundary defining. Of course, with a view like this, you can understand (although not agree with) the desire to live right here.
Farming in the Kangra region also includes the traditional north India crops such as mustard and wheat. And because almost all the farming is in small plots and non-mechanized, the size of the various plantings can be much smaller.
As I mentioned, Sidhbari is just 10 km from Dharamshala where the Dali Lama lives in exile. But the village itself is home in exile to another major Tibetan Bhuddist leader, the Karmapa. The identity of the 17th Karmapa, the reincarnation of the 16th Karmapa, is a matter of dispute and there are plenty of articles on line (including this one in Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karmapa_controversy) that detail the facts such as they are known. The monastery and temple in Sidhbari is beautifully sited and interesting to visit. We did walk three times around it anti-clockwise.
The interior of the temple is also interesting
as are the butter sculptures.
I do not begin to claim to understand the symbolism or other meaning of these sculptures. I find them fascinating and wish someone with knowledge would explain them further.
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