The Vajra Parrot Squawks!

I arrived into that filthy yet intriguing dustbowl, which passes for the capital city of one of the most densely populated nations on Earth, on Saturday morning. After a minor panic of a missing case - which had been put on a different conveyor to the other cases for some unknown reason - I was ferried back to the Phuntsok Phodrang, South of Delhi for the night.

Thence to Ghoom, 8 km away from Darjeeling, 8000 feet up in the clouds.

The first thing that strikes one is the absence of native Indians. Virtually all the people here are of Himalayan descent, and the culture is largely Buddhist, though often syncretic (people like to keep all options open). Jostling among the many prayer flags flutter the favourite flags of the World Cup contenders. Strange to see many crosses of St. George, along with Argentinian, German and Brazilian pennants vying for attention with Tibetan lung ta, sending out wishes for world peace across the dirty street.

Ghoom itself is rather small, a long road carved out of the mountainside, with a steam railway (!) into Darjeeling, courtesy of the Old Empire, and a number of Tibetan monasteries.

I am staying in the Sakya monastery, which is on the top of an incredibly steep cliff. Climbing up there is a task in itself, and then there are three stories to navigate before arriving at the living quarters on the top floor, where Rinpoche, his main tutor, another reincarnate lama and I live.

World cup fever has hit the top floor, thanks to the wonders of Sky TV. After supper we tend to retire for a quick peek (I say quick, but last night's match between Paraguay and Japan went on for ages) at what's on, with a little banter thrown in for good measure.

The gompa (monastery) is very old and where HH the Sakya Trinzin settled after leaving Tibet, following the failed uprising against the perfidious Chinese oppressor. The Lhakang (prayer hall)is a wonderful, dark, aged place with a huge statue of Guru Padmasambhava, who brought Tantric Buddhism from India to Tibet initially, dominating the central position. From what I understand, Ghoom is the Tantric training college for Sakya monks, where promising individuals are sent to learn ritual, following their philosophical training in Sakya College, Dehradun. I suppose Ghoom could be likened to a Buddhist Hogwarts.

There is also a very old Gelugpa monastery here, which I visited yesterday. I was later told that the monks there are into booze and the abbot has a girlfriend. Sounds like the place to be after lights out.

Behind this is a charnel ground, where the Buddhists are cremated. Big pits in the ground with iron bars to rest the body on, rather like a BBQ, I suppose. A pile of recently shaved hair next to one of the pits was a lesson in impermanence.

The weather here is rainy and foggy. I don't think the sun puts his hat on very often in these parts, but never mind. Reminds me of home.