HISTORY OF TIBETAN MONASTERIES IN DEHRADUN

Himalaya is land filled with wonderful Buddhist Monastery in Dehradun. Dehradun is one such town that is filled with wonderful monasteries. beautiful architecture, peace and scenic beauty of nature are the key features of these monasteries.




It is well known throughout the globe that due to the Chinese’s tragic and devastating invasion in Tibet,  Tibetans were exiled and were scattered everywhere around the world. India, considering a worthy  neighbor, welcomed the major Tibetan refugees. Since from the leadership of the Pandit Jawaharlal  Nehru in 1960s till today under the leadership of Shri Narendra Modi, Tibetans under the guidance and a  
Radiant efforts from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama have been hale and hearty without a bit of  insufficiencies and difficulties to sustain and live our life to the fullest. 
Dehradun district which lies in the Uttarakhand – previously known as Uttar Pradesh state of India has  been and is another home away from home settlement or a colony for the Tibetan refugees. It has many Tibetan settlements like Dharamshala, Bylakuppe, Mundgod, Shimla, Manali and Delhi. The  Tibetan residents of Dehradun say that “Dehradun, where people from different religious and cultural  background resides is a genuine homestay for Tibetans reminds us of our homeland back in Tibet which  surrounds around by the hilly areas, cold winter days and scenic nature filled with forestry”. As per a  mini survey work we undertook, Tibetans living there are scattered into many parts/regions of the  district and three most populated of them are Deckyiling Settlement, Clemen Town Colony and Rajpur  Settlement. 


Deckyiling
Deckyiling is considered one the main Tibetan settlements in India. It is situated at the Sahastradhara  road of the district. In the past, the settlers’ main livelihood depended upon the traditional handicrafts of  the Tibetan carpet which is called ‘Sapten’, Tibetan women’s colorful apron known as ‘pangden’,  shoulder bags and several woolen weavings like sweaters, socks, hats etc. However, with the passage of time, development took place in the lives of the settlers and they initiated bigger means of employment like bigger sweater and jacket businesses transporting and selling at certain other cities  and places of India like in Jaipur, Kashmir, Gujarat, Delhi and Gurgaon etc. This kind of business is  seasonal in nature and happens mainly during the winter season. Other seasons include other earnings  like indulging into restaurants and many don’t work too much during such a season as summer. As per  a source, 2 households are engaging into production of Tsampa (Tibetan Staple food) plough and raise  crops and orchards yet there are fewer of them who plant and grow vegetables like Chinese cabbage  around their vicinities. 



Monasteries
It is obvious that there is a monastery wherever a group of Tibetan settles into a certain place since  religions, traditional customs and prayers are the inborn etiquettes of the Tibetan by nature. Hence, as  per the field survey, there are three monasteries in Deckyiling colony as LhodhakDhinnyiand Thikche  monasteries and a nunnery called SakyaTsun monastery. 
There is also a monastery nearby and at the same road as Deckyiling settlement called Drikung Kagyu  Institute known as Jangchupling monastery in kulhan and it was inaugurated in 1992. A senior  monk working at the Institute said that His Holiness the DrikungChetsang Rinpoche was the personality  behind this valuable initialization of re-naming and re-establishing the Drikung Kagyu monastery of Tibet  in India. The monks from this monastery are mostly Ladhaki followed by Nepali and the least Tibetan. 
There is also a big and an excellent library called “Songtsen Library” and a different monastery for the  senior or college monks known as “Shelta Gonpa”. 


Clemen town: 
Clemen Town colony is another hub settlement for the Tibetans in Dehradun. It is away from the  crowded city of Dehradun and it is the town of the district. The town is a major tourist attraction where there is presence of the beautiful and richly Buddhist monasteries, statues and stupas. 
According to the field survey, there are 3 major tourist engaging monasteries in Clemen Town  as Mindrolling monastery, Drukpa Kagyu monastery and the Tashikyil monastery. The Mindrolling  monastery is a Nyingma school of the Buddhist’s various sects. It was re-established in 1965 as Tibet’s Mindrolling monastery in India, Dehradun by His Eminence Khochhen Rinpoche. The 11th Trichen  Rinpoche was well known and considered highly honorable by the Tibetan people all around. A young  monk from the monastery said that the monastery educates young monks and nuns through scholastic  Buddhist education and preserves Tibetan’s rich culture and traditional values and they are also  educated with modern science and English. This tourist attraction monastery has many magnificent  Buddhist arts and architectures like stupa, statues of Buddha and prayer wheels. The Great Stupa which was inaugurated in 2002 was constructed for prevailing peace and harmony to the world is considered  an extra-ordinary where it holds several arts and shrine rooms. There is also a Buddha garden where a huge  Buddha standing statue makes every visitor blessed and pious in nature. The garden is highly recreated  and enjoyed by visitors and there is a canteen and various shops lined by selling certain  precious Buddhist stuffs, normal clothes to various kinds of necessity home goods and decorators  etc.owned by the monastery. The staff give constant care and attention to the infrastructures and  areas cleanings and healthcare facilities and guest houses are provided. 
Another significant development in the monastery is where the standing Statue of the Guru  Rinpoche is under construction. According to the constructors of the statue, the complete building  of the statue will likely be finished in 8 months and it is 110 feet long from the ground”. A laid  shopkeeper there said that the statue is sponsored by the previous Director of the settlement, Mr  Orgyen Dorjee and it is the 2nd largest statue of the Guru Rinpoche in India to prevail peace and  harmony to the world. 


Rajpur Settlement: 
As per Mr Choeden, “the Tibetans in Rajpur settlement were mostly under rent in the past and their  livelihood depends upon the traditional Tibetan Carpet factory established by the Tibetan Women’s  Association. Since many of them were under rent, the Tibetan Government has set a new settlement for  them as Raipur inside the Sahastradhara crossing road”. The famous Sakya monastery is located there in  Rajpur road. SakyaCollege for higher education is at the Mussoorie road and nunnery at the Deckyiling  colony. 
Beside these three mentioned colonies of Tibetan in Uttarakhand, there are also many Tibetans living at  Heberpur, Lakhandpur and Manduwala in Dehradun district. There is also S.O.S V.T.C centre at selakui
where many Tibetan youths have bloomed through their half way from school to become a well-trained  serving member to the society. 
Henceforth, the Dehradun district with its magnificent beauty and peaceful foothills of Himalaya is yet  another home away home settlement for the exiled Tibetans in India. According to local residents, “It is  a grateful region where every settler feels at home with blessings of every bit that we require in our  daily life. I genuinely feel the preciousness of such settlements all over India without which we, as  refugees, might have been under severe trouble”.

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