Visit to Gompa at Sharabai, Kullu, June 2017

Hi,

Whenever I visit a temple, or monastery, I feel like that lost soul trying to find the purpose of the life. I don't talk to many people, I simply go there, sit for a while, and just try to breathe the air. Each new visit helps me a bit more when it is a peaceful place with not much of the crowd around. 

Akhil and I, pic credit: Ankush Rouhan. June 2017

Yesterday was fun, and very nice to meet Ankush and Akhil again. I am holding a guitar in the picture above, oh yes! I can sing! please watch some videos here if you like. 

 Visiting the Gompa at Sharabai in district Kullu was suggested by them only, whom I said good bye in the morning.  We tried to make some plan together, but nothing seemed feasible, so I went on to spend my day alone by wandering these sites I hadn't seen yet.

Gompa, Sharabai Kullu, June 2017, clicked from the main gate entrance to the complex.

Reaching the Gompa at Sharabai

As the name suggests the Gompa is on the right bank of the river Beas in Sharabai(pronounced as Shadabai or Sarabai). Sharabai is the place just at a distance of 4-5 kilometers from Bhunter along NH-3(earlier NH-21.) 

Main gate of the whole complex, outside view, Gompa at Sharabai, Kullu, June 2017

From Sharabai a  metaled, single laned road of length not more than two kilometers links it with this Gompa. 

Inside the Dechen Choekhor Mahavihara Monastery, Sharabai, Kullu

When I reached, the monastery was closed for the lunch hour in the mid noon. Few lamas( I guess the students,) draped in their dark red robes, were chatting on the outer gallery of the dormitory. A young couple(I assumed) was seated in front of the closed main door.

I removed my shoes at the steps rising to the varandah and sat on the smooth floor with my back supported by the big column. 

Mr. Tarun Goel has written very good details about this Gompa, and others in Himachal Pradesh, so please visit the link for details.

I will write only what I observed there.

About five minutes later, couple started to leave, I stood and I requested for a click of myself, and he complied. 

Sanjay Kumar Sharma at Gompa at Sharabai, Kullu, june 2017

Again I sat for next half an hour, observing few lamas moving from the left building to the right building or the other way around.

Left building clearly was a dormitory, but the right one, I couldn't comprehend. In front the big lawn surfaced with green grass all over it and with few rows of planted shrubs was initially empty at my arrival. 

Main gate, a click towards the exit, Gompa complex at Sharabai, Kullu, June 2017

After few minutes, few visitors and few workers sat with different purposes. Some were eating lunch, some taking pictures, and few others just chatted. 

Toward the last ten minutes of that half hour, a big family had also arrived in the varandah, they carried some good cameras and all related stuff. At last, door at the right of the main temple was opened for visitors. Others two, one on the front face and other on the left, remained closed.

Inside the Gompa

Inside the Dechen Choekhor Gompa, Sharabai, Kullu. June 2017

Everything was decorated in the bright colors. In front of the golden statue of Buddha, small wooden tables were arranged in straight lines meeting to form a rectangle with the front leg missing. 

They carried some pooja stuff which the lamas would use while the Aarti or pooja hour in the morning and evening. 

Inside the gompa, Sharabai, Kullu, June 2017. 

Buddha is seated with a black colored bowl(rice bowl as they say) in his left hand, held at a space from his right  foot resting on the left leg. Right hand simply rests on the right knee. His curly hairs are arranged to form the precious bun at the top (Ushnisha.)

Adjacent to Buddha are the two small statues and next to them are two bigger ones. One of Padmasambhava on his right and Tara Devi on his left. Latter I didn't know about, the lama attending the visitors told me. I know a bit about Padmasambhava more by visiting the Riwalsar lake, the monastery and the 37.5(some say 36 ) metres high statue of him. 

I took a glance at the wall paintings similar to I saw in most of the other tibetan monasteries in Himachal Pradesh, and stepped out of the door. 

My next destination of the day would be the Nature park at Mohal, and then the Triyogi Narayan temple at Diyar, both in Kullu district. Let's leave them for the upcoming posts. 

Thanks for the visit!