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Bir
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Bir is a town in Himachal Pradesh with a large Tibetan (Khampa) community.
[edit] Understand
Bir is a small mountain town in northern Himachal Pradesh with a large, well-established Tibetan community. Set against the backdrop of the Dhauladhar Range of the Indian Himalayas, the town is picturesque, but the rubbish strewn roadsides and waterways of the Tibetan Colony are an unfortunate contrast to its golden roofed temples. There is Indian farming community located in the hills behind the town.
The Tibetan Colony: In 1966 the third Neten Chokling (1928-1973), an incarnate lama of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, brought his family and a small entourage to Bir. With the help of foreign aid Neten Chokling purchased over 200 acres of land and established a Tibetan settlement where 300 Tibetan families were given land to build houses. At this time Chokling Rinpoche also started building in Bir a new Neten monastery and disciples who had followed him into India formed its first sangha. When the third Chokling Rinpoche passed away in 1973, his eldest son, Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche (b 1951), assumed responsibility for completing his father’s vision. The fourth Neten Chokling incarnation was born in 1973 in Bhutan and brought to Bir at a young age where the family of the third Chokling took him under their wings. In 2004 full responsibility for Pema Ewam Chögar Gyurme Ling Monastery in Bir was passed to the fourth Neten Chokling. The monastery, now a place of study and practice for over 120 monks, served as the setting for Khyentse Norbu’s 1999 feature film “The Cup.” [1]
Other Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in Bir include: Palyul Chökhorling Monastery (Nyingma) under the guidance of Ringu Tulku; Bir Dirru Monastery / Bir Sakya Lama Society under the guidance of the 15th Gyalsay Tulku Rinpoche and the 14th Dungyud Rinpoche; and Drikung Dozin Theckcho Ling Monastery (Drikung Kagyu) under guidance of Ontul Rinpoche.
[edit] Get in
[edit] By bus
Bir is two-and-a-half to three hours from Dharamsala.
- From Dharamsala: Take a bus to Palampur, then to Baijnath, then to Bir-road. From there, take a bus or taxi to "Bir Tibetan Colony".
- From Delhi: From the Inter-state Bus Terminal (ISBT), take bus to either Baijnath or Bir Road - the latter is closer, but many buses only go as far as Baijnath. There are two overnight buses leaving Delhi. Both depart mid evening.
[edit] By toy train
- There is a morning train from Pathankot to Ahju, which is only 3kms from Bir. Trains from Delhi arrive at Pathankot an hour before the toy train leaves. The ride is long, tiring and often crowded but the stunning scenery more than compensates for any inconveniences.
[edit] By taxi
- This is the most convenient way of getting to Bir from Pathankot or Dharamsala.
- Taxis from Bir Road (the final destination of long distance buses) to the main bazaar or Deer Park should not cost more than 70 to 80rs
[edit] Get around
Sherab Ling is a one-and-a-half hour walk from the town.
Upper Bir (or Indian Bir as it is often referred) is within walking distance of the Tibetan community.
[edit][add listing] See
- Chökyi Lödro College of Dialectics (formerly Dzongsar Institute). A center for higher Buddhist philosophical study with about 600 monks in nearby Chauntra.
- Palpung Sherab Ling [2]. A Kagyu Tibetan Buddhist Monastery located in woodland between Bir and Baijnath, headed by the 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche and also the home of Mingyur Rinpoche.
- River pools in Upper Bir.
- Teagardens.
[edit][add listing] Do
- Paraglide from the mountaintop at Billing, but if you take a tandem flight check that the pilot is carrying a reserve parachute & ask him to show you the age sticker of his glider, if it's more that 7 pr 8 years old, think again, there is no maintenance programme or safety check on the equipment. Paragliding in Bir and vicinity is the subject of Jim Mallinson’s entertaining feature length documentary DVD “Temples in the Clouds” (AIM Television 2008).
[edit] Learn
- Buddhism. Deer Park Institute [3] (located on the old Dzongsar Institute campus) offers courses and workshops to explore various aspects of Buddhism and other classical Indian wisdom traditions. Most classes are taught in English and are free of charge. Accommodation is available on site.
- Guna Institute [4] offers a five-year Tibetan Translators Degree Program under the guidance of Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche.
[edit][add listing] Buy
Every day shopping can be done in Bir Tibetan Colony. In upper Bir you'll find a post-office. In nearby Chauntra you can shop for basic kitchenware. In Joginder Nagar and Baijnath are a few pharmacies, hardware stores, shops with decorative items, drugstores, shops with basic domestic appliances. For more choice in clothing and appliances and for garden centres go to Palampur. Go to Dharamsala to buy books, Kashmir shawls and silver jewelry, Tibetan religious items, cheese, curd, pies, ice-cream, pasta, pizza, salads, french fries and sandwiches.
[edit][add listing] Eat
Emaho Cafe has recently changed hands & no longer offers good food - simple boring "chinese" food is all they now serve - an institution lost. Another possibility is "Friends' Cafe", although their menu promises more variety than they actually can offer, & the owner is always telling westerners how poor she is & asking for help. Try Gang-Chen Cafe on the second floor above the bank. New is the Himalaya cafe, which has some tasty "bif" (cow mutton) dishes
Joy Restaurant in the nearby town of Palampur serves wide variety of awesome food at reasonable rates.
[edit][add listing] Drink
- Buckstars Coffee Shop, main bazaar. Offers gourmet coffee, tea and muffins.
[edit][add listing] Sleep
[edit] Budget
- Dzongsar Guesthouse, ☎ +91 (1894) 251-665; 251-787. An eight room guest house. Big, cold rooms - sometimes solar heated water for showers. No restaurant Rs.150 for double bed room, Rs.100 for single bed room. edit
- Chokling Guesthouse, ☎ +91 (1894) 268-334; 94180 17934. Pleasant rooms. Sometimes solar heated showers. You will be disturbed day and night by roaring motorbikes (monks) and disco music (monks). Rs.250 for double bed room, Rs.200 for single bed room. edit
- Emaho Guesthouse, ☎ +91 (1894) 268-197; 9816212678. Recently renovated so all rooms have attached bath , no longer very cheap. edit
- Palden Guesthouse. Electric heated showers. Nice hostess and husband. Beware of womanizing older son. Very clean. Rs.250 for double bed room, Rs.200 for single bed room. edit
- Bir Resort Hotel, ☎ +91 (1894) 268-367; 9810685753 (birhotel@rediffmail.com). Electric heated showers.Restaurant facilities,12 bedrooms,www.birresorthotel.com. Rs.400 for double bedrooms. edit
[edit] Stay healthy
The water in Bir is very clean - it comes from a spring in the mountains above any village, it's drinkable except during the monsoon when the groundwater can pollute the system Check the date on the bottles of soft drinks in all places, including shops.
- Tibetan government clinic (regular medicine)(low-price vaccinations, e.g. Hepatitis B).
- Tibetan Men-Tse Kang (traditional Tibetan medicine).
- Homeopathic clinic, veterinary clinic (extremely cheap), Western medical clinic (low-price vaccinations, e.g. rabies, tetanus), Upper Bir.
- Government doctor> cross-roads to Chauntra.
- Accupuncture & chinese medecine Dr Norbu, near the main square, very good with sprains & sore backs
[edit] Get out
- Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj, the seat of the His Holiness the Dalai Lama, are two-and-a-half to three hours from Bir.
- Shiva Temple [5] – Located in nearby Baijnath and dating from 1204 CE, the temple is a beautiful example of the Nagara style of early medieval North Indian temple architecture. The temple is dedicated to Shiva as Vaidyanath, ‘the Lord of Physicians’. Said to be the location of one of the 12 jyotirlingas.
- Tashi Jong [6] – another Tibetan settlement with a lay community of about 400 people and a Drukpa Kagyu monastery (established by the 8th Khamtrul Rinpoche) with about 140 monks near Palampur.
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