TRAVEL MEMOIR

Painting My Adventure at One of the Largest Tibetan Settlement

My journey to Mundgod — Mini Tibet in India

In the heart of southern India, where the Western Ghats cradle the land in a lush embrace, lies a cultural oasis with a palette for adventure. My journey led me to Mundgod, a Tibetan settlement in the Karnataka region known as "Mini Tibet of India." The air was alive with the harmonious chants of monks, and the vibrant prayer flags painted the landscape that mirrored the spirit of the people.

I was fortunate to join an art workshop at this beautiful Tibetan Camp in Mundgod. It is one of the largest Tibetan camps outside Tibet. The settlement has multiple schools, hospitals, health clinics and nine monasteries. The contrast with the monastic life in Tibet before the 1959 invasion was stark, and the magnitude of Mundgod's spiritual presence left me stunned.

Our journey in Mundgod started in the most satisfying way possible — bowls of piping hot Thukpa warming our bellies. After the delicious food, our first destination within the Mundgod was the Gaden Monastic University. Here in these beautiful surroundings, we delved into the fundamentals of sketching. Under the guidance of our skilled organizers, we learned the art of analyzing objects and capturing their essence on paper. The mentors were surprisingly patient and understanding. "See, it's all about looking, really looking," they reassured us.

Our chosen subject was the Chortan, a sacred Buddhist shrine that stood proudly, whispering stories of devotion and history. Initially, drawing might have been a bit hard, but the process felt surprisingly easy as we sketched the lines and giggled over our wrong attempts. Who knew tracing a sacred monument could be this down-to-earth?

After our sketching adventure, we thought we had seen it all. Little did we know, Drepung Loseling Monastery was about to hit us with a "Hold my thangka painting."

As we strolled into this mammoth monastery, we collectively scratched our heads, thinking, "Where on Earth are we?" It was like stepping into a spiritual amusement park; we were wide-eyed tourists without a map. The bigness of Drepung Loseling left us stumbling through its corridors, almost like we were lost in a giant, holy maze.

When we thought our day could not get any interesting, we found ourselves face to face with the head Lama of the Drepung Loseling Monastery. And yes, we were invited to peek inside the main hall, where monks held spiritual gatherings. Now, I'd love to share photos of the breathtaking interior, but alas, the rules whispered a polite "no photos allowed." So, you'll have to take my word for it — it was a sight that made the heart skip a beat. So this is all I have from the main entrance of the hall.

After that, we settled outside for our next artistic escapade: a value study. Before dipping our brushes into the riot of colours, we had to master the art of simplicity.

We learned here that before starting a painting, it is essential to do a value study. It is not only a drawing showing the shapes but also an idea about the composition. In this, you only paint shadows to simplify the subject. I have used 4 points here to produce values, from 1 (the white paper) to 4 (the darkest colour shade).

I call it Add Value (s) to Your Paintings. Of course, not in a financial sense.

With a belly full of wisdom from the value study. We strolled a bit and saw another monastery — Mundagodu Tibetan Monastery. In Mundgod, you can't swing a prayer wheel without hitting another monastery!

From sketching that Chortan to getting lost in the 'biggerness' of Drepung Loseling Monastery, meeting the head Lama, and learning to add Value to our art, each moment felt like a dab of paint on a canvas.

Our stroll to Mundagodu Tibetan Monastery was like the final note in a beautiful song. The air was different here — calmer, quieter. It was as if the place was whispering, "Thanks for being part of our day."

As the sun said its goodnight, we gathered our sketches and memories. Mundgod, with its monasteries galore, had given us more than just a touristy day. It gifted us a collection of simple, profound, and utterly human moments.

And so, with a heart whole of these colours, we said our goodbyes to Mundgod, knowing we had painted a day we'd carry on our canvas forever.

Thanks for reading my story. If you want to read more stories like this, I invite you to follow me.

Till then, Sayonara! I wish you the best in your travel journey.

I am a software engineer who enjoys travelling and writing — About Me.