Dharamsala - literally, a place for shelter, is surely a name that was meant to be … Home to he Dalai Lama and the Headquarters of his Government-in-Exile, this tiny dot on India's vast landscape is steeped in history and today, boasts a cosmopolitan populace.

Overlooking the stunningly beautiful Kangra valley and interspersed with the magnificent Deodar, the imprint of Buddhist culture comes alive through its temples, monasteries and the orange robes of Buddhist monks. The aura of the Buddhist spiritual culture, its pervading serenity, the patient preparedness of the Tibetans towards returning to their homeland - fill the land with a silent grace that leaves a visitor with a feeling that he has indeed, visited a 'chosen land'. Founded by the British in 1846, this hill station seems blessed by Avalokitesvara - the Bodhisattva of Compassion, who is as close to being the patron deity of Tibet.

The author invites you to visit Dharamsala, to breathe its pristine air, to enjoy a trek amongst its lush, green surroundings. He introduces you to a 'piece of paradise on earth', a refuge away from the madding crowd… a memory that lingers long after it has disappeared from sight.

About the Author:

Jeremy Russell was born and educated in England. He has lived for the last twenty years with his family in Dharamsala, north India, the headquarters of the Dalai Lama and his Tibetan Government-in-Exile. He studied for nine years at the library of Tibetan Works and Archives, where he also contributed to the Research and Translation Bureau. In 1990 he moved to work on publications for the Department of Religion and Culture of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile and when the Department established the Norbulingaka Institute, he moved there. He is Editor of the English section of the Norbulingka Institute and contributes to the work of the Office of the Dalai Lama.

He is author of Eight Places of Buddhist Pilgrimage, co-translator and editor of Opening the Mind and Generting a Good Heart by HH the Dalai Lama and Mind Training Like the Rays of the Sun by Namkha Pel. He has been overall editor of Cho-Yang ( the voice of Tibetan Religion and Culture) published by the Norbulingka Institute since its inception. Jeremy Russell has also contributed original articles to every edition. He has been Contributing Editor to the books by the Dalai Lama published in the Library of Tibet. The Way of Freedom, Awakening the Mind, Lightening the Heart and the Joy of Living and Dying in Peace, which have achieved wide international distribution and translation.