nanamoose Musings

A Little Bliss in India

The sun was setting upon the pavilion where the bride and groom sat bathed in the blessings of six Rinpoches. It was during that magical hour - the hour where everything and everyone the sun’s touched upon shimmers and gleams in their most radiant light - that I started weeping silently.

It was the most enchanting wedding I have witnessed. The bride was clad in an ornate orange sari while her groom, was dressed as if an Indian prince from Buddha’s time. Beside them, Raji was chanting lowly in that magnetic, lingering voice of hers. Six Rinpoches presided behind them, bestowing their blessings one by one upon a scroll. Katas and flowers showered upon them, followed by an auspicious light drizzle of rain as if a seal of approval from above.

This magical procession took place in Bir, a small Tibetan refuge village two hours from Dharamsala where the Tibetan government in exile is based. I was pleasantly surprised to find a short section on Bir in the Lonely Planet India as few people know about Bir, not even the Indians. You will find hardly any trace of India here – 80% of the population is Tibetan, monasteries, stupas and lamas are commonplace, while the main language spoken is Tibetan. The only two guesthouses here, Chokling Guesthouse and Deer Park, are largely occupied by students of Rinpoches and followers of the dharma.

The inaccessibility of Bir – the only modes of transport are a 50-minute near death-esque flight from Delhi to Dharamsala operated by Kingfisher (the service of which, by the way, is IMPECCABLE – the stewardess remembers the names of every single passenger and recites the contents of the packaged plane food with utmost patience and serenity) followed by a 2-hour drive, a straight 12-hour drive from Delhi, or an overnight train ride from the same – is probably how it managed to maintain its sheath of mystery and tranquility. Living at Chokling Guesthouse I wake up every morning to the deep, hollow sounds of Tibetan horns and monks chanting, which can go on for up to 24 hours nonstop during pujas (special worshipping ceremonies). It is as if time has stopped here. Mornings start early, followed by yoga on the terrace on a bright warm day, breakfast, pujas, lunch, more pujas, a romantic stroll on Ilu (or, “I Love You”) Road or a cup of coffee at “Buckstars” down the road, and dinner at 6pm.

On a nice day we did a day trip to Tso Pema (which literally translates to Lake Lotus (see note)), a 3-hour drive away from Bir. At Tso Pema you will experience an idyllic land reminiscent of the Chinese’s Peach Blossom myth. Small, stones houses are built surrounding an open grassland, goats roam free and the people an interesting mixture of Ladakhis (a people from a high altitude region in Northern Indian which boarders Pakistan and China), Tibetans and Indians. There is not that many “sights” per se – mainly Guru Rinpoche and Mandarava’s Cave and the Lake itself- but the spirituality is what I came for. Here your heart will flutter, like the prayer flags that paint the bright blue skies a red, green, white, yellow and cobalt.

Congratulations once again my dear friends. You have given me a peace and quiet which will sustain me for always as that “second language” world within me.

Tashi Delek!

NOTE: It is said that the Guru Rinpoche was burned here by the King of Mandi after discovering that the princess had eloped with him. Guru Rinpoche had then emerged from the flames sitting on a lotus while turning the ashes around him into what is now Tso Pema.

Whats cooking in Casperia (Part I of II)

There is a strange beauty to Casperia. A beauty that is subtle, unassuming, faint yet unwavering. Much like its inhabitants who are the quieter, more reserved Italians, Casperia is almost unknown to foreigners and hardly rings a bell to even the Romans who live only an hour away by train from this beautiful village.

On the late afternoon we arrived in Casperia, the sun was slowly setting amidst rows upon rows of outstretched olive groves, lending a shimmer of golden sparkle to its leaves. The sky was an opaque, lapis lazuli blue and my heart was fluttering like the green Casperia flag in the wind, standing on the terrace that is the villagers’ meeting point. No cars are allowed in the old town of Casperia, so we had to edge up slowly on cobblestoned streets, winding our way up and down the medieval hilltop village until we reached La Toretta which is to be our home for the coming five days. Roberto, whose wife Maureen runs La Toretta, was carrying my suitcase on his shoulders up the steps. He had two more big ones to go and I felt deeply apologetic for not abandoning my city girl’s material goods in this quaint, simple town.

La Toretta was dotted with hints of its rich heritage – its cracked walls suggested at least 500 years of history, its obscure wooden chairs and design drawings the owner’s past occupation as an architect, and the simple, comfortable rooms a reminder of the very nature of Casperia – humble, yet beautiful.

“My father liked to build chairs” Jennifer told us later during our first cooking class. Jennifer is the daughter of Maureen and Roberto and was responsible for our first cooking lesson at La Torretta – a 3 course meal of peppers and gorgonzola pasta, Saltim Bocco which is a veal and prosciutto dish and literally meaning “jump in your mouth” in Italian to emphasis its good taste, and tiramisu. The cooking lesson itself was more like learning from a friend than participating in a proper course, but that was in part the charm of cooking at La Torretta. We enjoyed the results of our cooking together with Maureen, Roberto and their friends on the moonlight terrace of the guesthouse, wine in hand and apron in another, and as midnight dawned we dragged our tired feet down the steps of Casperia and into the Jazz Bar together with the family. It was a wondrous affair. The band of the night was an Italian band with a Japanese lead singer –the kind of person whom you could almost instantly compose his life story for – a boy from a wealthy Japanese family leaving everything behind in Tokyo to pursue his dreams of becoming a singer in Italy, meeting a beautiful Italian woman and then … (you can fill in the rest).