'Land
of Unmoving Snows', a state composed of a series of
river valleys that straddle the ancient trade routes
to Central Asia and the Indian peninsula. Himachal
was historically divided between an often-warring
collection of kingdoms whose wealthy rulers - rajas,
ranas and thakurs - were generous patrons of religion
and the arts. To the rich heritage of traditional
village and tribal culture, they added many temples
- small-scale buildings of wood and stone built in
the charming and distinctive local style, and dedicated
particularly to the Great Goddess in her many forms.
The exquisite miniature paintings of these hill states,
famous for their delicacy and subtle feeling, are
another result of this royal patronage.
TO THIS variegated tapestry were later added two further
strands that could hardly have been more dissimilar.
First, in the middle of the nineteenth century, came
the development of the hill-stations of the British
Raj, places like Shimla, that have today a dilapidated
and nostalgic charm, recalling the days when the British
went to the hills to escape the summer heat of the
plains. Then, escaping the brutal Chinese invasion
of Tibet in 1959, arrived the baroque world of Tibetan
Buddhism, with its myriad deities, powerfully atmospheric
temple-monasteries, sumptuous polychrome art and esoteric
ritual. We shall have a chance to experience this
fascinating world in and around Dharamsala, where
the two most prestigious Tibetan spiritual leaders,
the Dalai Lama and the young Gyalwa Karmapa, are currently
based.
