When I prepared for this trip, I was unsure how much I would be immersed in Indian vs Tibetan culture. It has been quite a mix, but primarily Tibetan (with Western influence). I'm not sure if the Western aspects are particularly for us visitors, or if they are also due to monks who travel and return liking certain Western things.
The food has primarily been Indian, with a number of (approximately) Western dishes. There has been more food that is influenced by Chinese cuisine than Tibetan, if I understand the cuisines correctly. The monks try to make Western dishes for us - there has been pizza, spaghetti, and penne pasta. In addition to chocolate cake at breakfast, they have also made grilled-cheese and vegetable sandwiches (which are really good). These are made on "normal" white bread, which I haven't otherwise seen used in the cuisine, so I think it is intentionally a Western grilled-cheese sandwich.
I wandered into the town that the Monastery is in - most people I saw were monks, but there were some Indians and Tibetans (not in robes). The writing, decorations, and architecture all looked Tibetan. At the monastery everything is beautifully painted and there is amazing metalwork. I didn't see this elsewhere in India (though what I have seen is very limited).
I don't know if I could really tell the difference between Tibetan and any of the Indian languages only by hearing it, but I think everyone here is speaking Tibetan. The writing at the monastery is always Tibetan, sometimes with English.
There are a number of things here, other than the food, that are more "Western" than I expected - I don't know if this is due to my expectations being wrong, or if they just make a special effort here to accommodate visitors from around the world. All of the rooms - guest rooms and classrooms - have air conditioning. My understanding is that one of the nearby monasteries (where ETSI also provides classes) does not have air conditioning, so this may be more about size/wealth. There are many Western toilets (and toilet paper!) at the monastery; this was certainly not the case at the small airport we flew into.
The tea here is mostly "normal" black tea, though most everyone makes it with lots of hot milk (and possibly no water). There hasn't been masala chai (spiced Indian tea), or the Tibetan butter tea. There are some Tibetan medicinal herb teas that I tried; they were good, and quite different from what I am used to. Given that I am not sick (yet?), I can't critique their medicinal qualities.
The biggest contrast between the Tibetan and Indian communities is at the construction site next to our guest house. A new hall is being built - it has open sides and a roof, and will be used for debates and other activities. It appears that it is built primarily by Indians, who live at the site. They live in shacks made out of corrugated metal and cinder blocks. The construction has been underway for at least a year, so I'm guessing that many have lived here for at least that long. The shacks stand out among all of the Tibetan splendor.
The food has primarily been Indian, with a number of (approximately) Western dishes. There has been more food that is influenced by Chinese cuisine than Tibetan, if I understand the cuisines correctly. The monks try to make Western dishes for us - there has been pizza, spaghetti, and penne pasta. In addition to chocolate cake at breakfast, they have also made grilled-cheese and vegetable sandwiches (which are really good). These are made on "normal" white bread, which I haven't otherwise seen used in the cuisine, so I think it is intentionally a Western grilled-cheese sandwich.
I wandered into the town that the Monastery is in - most people I saw were monks, but there were some Indians and Tibetans (not in robes). The writing, decorations, and architecture all looked Tibetan. At the monastery everything is beautifully painted and there is amazing metalwork. I didn't see this elsewhere in India (though what I have seen is very limited).
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| Everywhere the metalwork and painting is beautiful - this is in town. |
There are a number of things here, other than the food, that are more "Western" than I expected - I don't know if this is due to my expectations being wrong, or if they just make a special effort here to accommodate visitors from around the world. All of the rooms - guest rooms and classrooms - have air conditioning. My understanding is that one of the nearby monasteries (where ETSI also provides classes) does not have air conditioning, so this may be more about size/wealth. There are many Western toilets (and toilet paper!) at the monastery; this was certainly not the case at the small airport we flew into.
The tea here is mostly "normal" black tea, though most everyone makes it with lots of hot milk (and possibly no water). There hasn't been masala chai (spiced Indian tea), or the Tibetan butter tea. There are some Tibetan medicinal herb teas that I tried; they were good, and quite different from what I am used to. Given that I am not sick (yet?), I can't critique their medicinal qualities.
The biggest contrast between the Tibetan and Indian communities is at the construction site next to our guest house. A new hall is being built - it has open sides and a roof, and will be used for debates and other activities. It appears that it is built primarily by Indians, who live at the site. They live in shacks made out of corrugated metal and cinder blocks. The construction has been underway for at least a year, so I'm guessing that many have lived here for at least that long. The shacks stand out among all of the Tibetan splendor.
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| View from the main temple building towards the construction site, showing the shacks the Indian construction laborers live in. |
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