Tsuglagkhang is the Tibetan Buddhist's primary temple complex while in forced exile in India. From Tsuglag Khang the Dalai Lama provides his famous audiences and the teachings of the religion are held within the temples libraries. Tsuglagkhang is best described as modest in comparison to the almighty temple in the Tibetan Buddhist's spiritual home of Lhasa.

The relativly bland Tsuglagkhang temple complex

The temple complex of Tsuglagkhang is low rise with little grandeur and non-religious visitors may be massive under whelmed. The temple does not exude the importance expected as the administrative and religious centre for a deeply proud and strong religious order that has been well publicised and approved by the masses. The focus and feel is that this that McLeod Ganj and the Tsuglagkhang is only a temporary home.

The colourful Buddhist monks of McLeod Ganj

A proportion of visitors to the temple will appreciate that the site is much more than the bricks and mortar that the Tsuglagkhang is constructed from. The Tsuglagkhang Temple is the temple, and also home, of a living religious deity.

 

Unlike many other religions where their prophet/god/teacher died in the mists of time the Tibetan Buddhist believe he is here now in the form of the Dalia Lama and the Tsuglagkhang is his (temporary) home. The temple complex does have a mystical and religious atmosphere and certain visitors will lap up the ambience but others may equally be disappointed.