India - Little known Tibetan colony 31.10.2013

Dhondeling: The little known Tibet in India

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In a small hamlet tucked somewhere in the state of Karnataka is the youngest Tibetan settlement in India that exemplifies resilience, hospitality and sustainability. 

The Dhondeling Tibetan Settlement of Karnataka is a rather conventional village, at first sight. But, spending two days here can change one’s insight into life and its real purpose and that’s what happened to me. It wasn’t a trek; it wasn’t a picnic and I still wonder what keeps me in complete awe of this place. Is it the ambience – the greenery and the scenery? Or is it the people – their innocent smiles? Hard to choose!

We went to the first place of worship established in the settlement, the holy wheels, which they believe will bring back men to their normal selfless self.

After a tiring drive through the Dhimbam Ghats, we were at the entrance of this Tibetan settlement – for all practical purposes, a refugee camp. What I expected were signs of suffering – crying and complaining all over. Little did I know that these people would give us lessons for life , reasons to smile and memories to cherish.

There weren’t any hard coded rules to follow. Behaving responsibly, refraining from shouting, and smiling was all we had to do. There weren’t any trails to follow. We were free to move around the village, in groups or alone, interact with the people and get to know them. All this was just a few smiles away! Though we were hesitant at first to speak with them, we slowly tried smiling and we were greeted back with warm, innocent and accommodative smiles. We didn’t feel like strangers anymore.

The colourful prayer flags all over spread the message of goodwil.

The place was lush green all around, and the people were more than happy to welcome us. They didn’t consider our invasion into their small peaceful eco system as a disturbance. Children and grannies treated us with water and smiles all along the way. We went to the first place of worship established in the settlement, the holy wheels, which they believe will bring back men to their normal selfless self. We saw the colourful prayer flags all over, which would spread the message of goodwill and then moved on to the various monasteries. We slowly learnt the history behind this settlement and other such settlements in India – another striking example of how the entire world can at times become a mute spectator, devoid of conscience.

Established in 1974 with around 500 refugees, the settlement now has a population of 6000 spread among 22 villages. Dhondeling is the youngest of all Tibetan settlements in India and is slowly gaining on infrastructure – an amazing case of development considering the fact that this settlement was formed by clearing jungles inhabited by elephants and tigers.

In contrast to the Bylakuppe settlement, its closest neighbour, Dhondeling is a bit remote-geographically. Tourism as an industry is yet to blossom here. This might be a blessing in disguise in helping to preserve the nativity of the settlement but revenue generation has taken a hit. Considering the fact that weaving is a major activity, promoting responsible tourism is a way forward and could open new avenues.

The Tibetans settled here see tourist influx not as an avenue for income but as an opportunity to showcase their culture, their rich art forms and their struggle for a free Tibet.

Developing alternatives to boost local economy and reduce dependency on international funding is necessary to ensure sustenance of these settlements on a long run and to enable some much needed infrastructure development. Entrepreneurship, off late has been on the rise in these settlements. The Dhondeling settlement for example, processes & packs meat & peanut butter for use in local restaurants. Also, marketing of traditional Tibetan products like Butter tea, handicrafts has taken off.

The Tibetans settled here see tourist influx not as an avenue for income but as an opportunity to showcase their culture, their rich art forms and their struggle for a free Tibet. The older people of the settlement are always ready to explain the reason behind their settling here and the hardships faced in the process. They invite visitors to participate in their festivals & rallies. Each settlement is, in fact, a treasure trove of information on the Tibetan culture & their history. Visitors are requested to abstain from making any mention of ‘China’ while interacting with the older residents of the settlement as even the slightest disturbance can affect them emotionally. The youngsters, though not all are fully aware of their history, seem united towards a free Tibet, a cause that has become fashionable to support online and has a wide visibility on various merchandises available in the commercial market today.

The youngsters, though not all are fully aware of their history, seem united towards a free Tibet.

Though nothing other than the prospect of a free Tibet seems to please them, they continue smiling. The wound on their hearts is more felt and rarely expressed. They have chosen to bounce back in life and move towards a meaningful future, rather than complain about the past. Some ‘not so complex’ principles from their simple lifestyle which I feel, if adopted, would do wonders for our own lives.

Sustainable Development – the need of the hour

When it comes to being sustainable and environment friendly, these people are real role models. In contrast to people who discuss and crib about the high rates for subsidized solar panels, they have decided to act. Every house, even a hut has a solar panel here. Monasteries have a couple of solar water heaters and even small restaurants have solar table lamps. Also, the litter generated was minimal.

Not a single idle soul was spotted in Dhondeling. Old people choose to keep rotating the huge holy wheels, as a way to maintain both physical and mental fitness.

Work, Worship & Play

We couldn’t identify any couch potato there, during our two day stay. From children to elders – everyone had their own share of work!! Children and youth play cricket, football, basketball. Most of them take pride in serving the Indian Army – they are fit enough to easily qualify for that. After retiring, it’s time for agriculture and weaving. And everyone worships. Some were at monasteries and the old people chose to keep rotating the huge holy wheels, another way to maintain both physical and mental fitness.

Household repair works are handled by the people themselves, with little help from outsiders. Not a single soul there was spotted idle. No playground for the devil.

Stick on to your roots, wherever you go

Forceful eviction may have made these people lose their land, but not their faith, spirituality, beliefs and practices. Their monasteries didn’t show any sign of being in exile – they were grand and real. They haven’t lost their characteristic innocence. They didn’t have any kind of police force or security inside the entire settlement. No one even raised a suspicious look at us during those two days of our stay here. Their experience of a racist invasion hasn’t made them suspicious of everyone.

Their hospitality knew no bounds – they went to the extent of sharing their beds and pillows with us for the night camp. They were more than happy to know that a group of people have travelled more than 500 km to know about their history and culture.

Developing alternatives to boost local economy and reduce dependency on international funding is necessary to ensure sustenance of these settlements on a long run and to enable some much needed infrastructure development.

As Miller said, “The destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things”. Valuing people and culture and appreciating them is what differentiates travellers from mere tourists, and that’s what we experienced here.