Dharamsala, India (2004)
Soccer Fans
Soccer Fans
Gyalyum Cup
Gyalyum Cup
Nightlife
Chitsok Melong
Prayer Flags
Sign
Triund
Triund
St Johns
St Johns

 

I first visited Dharamsala in 1985, and have conducted research there sporadically since 1999 mainly on projects concerning the historical demography of Kyirong (Tibet) and contemporary demographic issues among Tibetan exiles living in India and Nepal. Dharamsala is a pleasant place to work as it lies above the crowds and heat of the north Indian plains. On the other hand one gets the sense that the residents suffer a bit from research fatigue: the town has attracted foreign students and scholars for decades. The Gyalyum Cup is an annual soccer tournament that draws Tibetan teams from across the sub-continent and is one of the year's major social events. I like the picture of the sign because of the content of its message--see if you can translate it. St Johns of the Wilderness is a British-era church with a fascinating graveyard.