Across Asia Journal

Tibet in Exile I: Mundgod

Micah Hanson — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:03:28 +0000

While the most well known Tibetan exile settlement is near the northern Indian city of Dharmsala home to the Tibetan government in exile actually the largest concentration of Tibetan exiles in India is in the south Indian State of Karnataka. It is in Karnataka where the great monastic universities of Ganden, Sera, and [...]

The Cart Pull: Gorkarna

Micah Hanson — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 04:53:02 +0000

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For weeks leading up to this day the massive wood cart parked at the end of Car Street in Gorkarna had slowly metamorphosed into its present ornate configuration. Teams of laborers had constructed an elaborate canopy on the massive wood wheeled platform decorated with splendor fitting enough for the god that would take [...]

Shivaratri: Gorkarna

Micah Hanson — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 04:23:09 +0000

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With the arrival of Shivarati pilgrims poured into the sleepy sea side town of Gorkarna. In addition to these pilgrims who blanketed the town beach in lingams out of sand and waited in lines that wound around the town for a chance to enter the temple on this auspicious day, a couple of [...]

Chill’n in Gokarna Again

Micah Hanson — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:14:06 +0000

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I left Agonda in a relative hurry as the landlords of the place Mohan and Carol were staying in suddenly began giving them a hard time about me being there, so I hopped on a train down to my favorite mainland beach in India, Gokarna. The beaches surrounding this pilgrimage town on the [...]

Agonda Beach, Goa

Micah Hanson — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 16:49:49 +0000

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It was not a bad life sleeping on the roof under the stars falling asleep to the sounds of crashing waves, and waking to the sun shining through the surrounding coconut palm trees. A morning swim, a bit of website work for my friend Mohan, maybe an afternoon walk along the beach to [...]