Welcome to my India Travel Diaries, a series of personal posts about my travels through India. Everything written here, including recommendations, are based on my experiences and are by no means meant to be a comprehensive city guide. 

One of the main reasons people visit Dharamshala is for the chance to see His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Since his exile there in 1959, Dharamshala has become a place for spiritual pilgrimage, not only for his followers, but for those curious about Buddhism. I was one of those people and was lucky enough to attend a few days of his teachings in October 2022. 

Here, I’ll share a bit about my experience attending his free teachings in McLeod Ganj, a suburb of  Dharamshala,  and some of my tips for visiting in 2023!

Registering: How to register, what to buy, what to expect

Before you plan anything, check HH’s official public schedule for talks in Dharamshala.

I arrived in Dharamshala on October 3, the first of three days of lectures. I thought it was too late to register to attend, but I was wrong! You can register until the end of the first day of teachings, although registration begins three days before and it’s recommended to do it earlier than later.

How to register: Registration for foreign tourists takes place at the Branch Security Office in McLeod Ganj (Bhagsunath Road near Hotel Tibet). Registration is from 9 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm. Bring photocopies of your passport and visa and be prepared to fill out some forms. If you don’t have any photocopies, you can get it done at a shop next door for less than INR 10. The whole process took about 30-45 minutes and you’ll be charged a service fee of INR 10.

FM radio and headphones: After registering, you should buy an FM radio and headphones so you can ‘tune in’ and listen to live translations of the teachings. They should be readily available at any of the shops on the same street where you registered, if you’re unsure, just ask someone. Both radio and headphones shouldn’t cost you more than INR 300. 

Tea cup, cushion, notebook, pen: Buy a tea cup or thermos if you don’t have one, as monks serve hot tea during the teachings. Although most of the seating area is padded, you might also want to bring a yoga cushion for extra support since you’ll be sitting on the ground. Bring a notebook and pen to document your experience, since you’re not allowed to bring in any electronics like your phone or camera inside. There are no exceptions to this rule so be prepared to be without your phone for a few hours. 

Teachings: What to expect, what time to arrive, where to sit 

The teachings in McCleod Ganj (Dharmshala) take place at the main Tibetan Temple at Namgyal Monastery. 

Security: The teaching venue understandably has tight security and it’s recommended that you don’t bring much with you besides the essentials that I listed above. No electronics are allowed inside besides the radios, there are no exceptions to this so don’t bring your camera or phone with you! 

Arrive early: Since I had missed the first day and didn’t know what the set up was going to be like, I arrived at 6 a.m. on the second day. There were already a lot of people there, so arriving earlier than later is a good idea.

Seating: The seating at the venue works on an honour system; meaning that on the first day of teachings, when you put your cushion down or leave a piece of cloth to reserve your spot, that will be your spot for the duration of the teachings. This is why it was a bit tricky to find a spot to sit on the second day, since so many people had marked their spots on the first day which I had missed! Luckily, I was able to find an open spot upstairs and caught a few brief glimpses of His Holiness. I left my cushion for the second day and returned to the same spot for day three. 

The Teachings: As His Holiness arrived at the venue and slowly made his way upstairs to his seat, the thousands of people had already started chanting Oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ, a Buddhist mantra roughly translating to, “The jewel is in the lotus.” It was a surreal and peaceful experience to be surrounded by others, giving their full heart and presence to the moment. The teachings that I attended were on Chapter 2 of Dharmakirti's Commentary on Valid Cognition (tsema namdrel) and lasted for about 90 minutes on day two and three. 

I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start my trip to India, it truly felt like a once in a lifetime experience. If you’re keen to sit in the presence of one of the great spiritual minds of our time, I highly recommend planning a trip to Dharamshala to attend one of his teachings.

I attended the teachings in October 2022 and some of the information about registration and teachings may change. Visit HH the Dalai Lama’s official website for the latest information. 

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