2409:4056:9B:7CBF:C506:A3D1:20EB:779E at 03:05, 16 September 2024

2024-09-16T03:05:16Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Bir Tibetan Colony
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| other_name = Chowgan
| nickname =
| settlement_type = village
| image_skyline =
| image_alt =
| image_caption =
| pushpin_map = India Himachal Pradesh#India
| pushpin_label_position = right
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Himachal Pradesh, India
| coordinates = {{coord|32.037655|N|76.713088|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of India|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[North India]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[States and territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Himachal Pradesh]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[List of districts of India|District]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[Kangra district|Kangra]]
| subdivision_type4 = [[Tehsils of India|Tehsil]]
| subdivision_name4 = [[Baijnath, Himachal Pradesh|Baijnath]]
| established_title = 
| established_date =
| founder =
| named_for =
| government_type =
| governing_body =
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes =
| area_rank =
| area_total_km2 =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m = 1404
| population_total =
| population_as_of =
| population_rank =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym =
| population_footnotes =
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| demographics1_info1 = [[Hindi language|Hindi]], [[English language|English]]
| timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1 = +5:30
| postal_code_type = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]]
| postal_code = 176 077
| area_code_type = Telephone code
| area_code = 91-1894
| registration_plate =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}

[[File:Monks in bir tibetan colony.jpg|thumb|373x373px|Monks in Bir Tibetan Colony, 2008]]
'''Bir Tibetan Colony''' is a [[Tibetan people|Tibetan]] refugee settlement in the Himalayan village of '''Chowgan''' adjacent to the town of [[Bir, Himachal Pradesh|Bir]], in the north Indian state of [[Himachal Pradesh]].<ref name="birhp">{{Cite web|url=https://birhp.com/|title=The Bir Portal|website=The Bir Portal}}</ref> It was established in the early 1960s by Chokling Rinpoche following the exile of the [[14th Dalai Lama|Dalai Lama]] and other refugees from [[Tibet]].<ref name="birhp" />

The town of Bir and the Tibetan Colony house several Tibetan monasteries and their support facilities representing the [[Nyingma]] school, the [[Karma Kagyu]] school, and the [[Sakya (Tibetan Buddhist school)|Sakya]] school. The Tibetan Colony has a Tibetan handicraft centre, a [[Tibetan Children's Villages|Tibetan Children's Village school]] (Suja), and a branch of the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute ([[Men-Tsee-Khang]]), as well as a medical clinic. The Deer Park Institute is in Bir's Tibetan Colony, as is also a number of restaurants, shops, cafés, and guest houses.

==Geography==
Bir Tibetan Colony is located in the western half of the village of Chowgan, on the southwestern edge of the town of [[Bir, Himachal Pradesh|Bir]], in the Tehsil (administrative subdivision) of [[Baijnath, Himachal Pradesh|Baijnath]], in [[Kangra district]], in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.

Bir Tibetan Colony is located east-southeast of [[Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh|Dharamshala]] and is three hours by bus from Dharamshala. It is situated 6 km south of the popular [[paragliding]] destination of Billing, on the way to the Thamsar Pass leading to Bara Bhangal.

Geologically, Bir is situated in the Dhauladhar Range of the foothills of the Indian [[Himalayas]].

The nearest railway station is Ahju, on the [[narrow-gauge]] line running between [[Pathankot]] and [[Jogindernagar]] via [[Kangra, Himachal Pradesh|Kangra]].

Road access to Bir Tibetan Colony is from the Bir Road turnoff (signposted) on [[National Highway 20 (India)|NH20]], approximately midway between Baijnath and Jogindernagar.

==Population==
The population of Bir Tibetan Colony is primarily Tibetan refugees, but there are also a number of Indian families and a small community of international expatriates and long-term visitors. It is only the Bir Tibetan Colony itself that is primarily settled by Tibetan refugees; the population of the town of [[Bir, Himachal Pradesh|Bir proper]] is almost entirely Indian.

The majority of the Tibetan refugees based in Bir originally came from the [[Kham]] region of southeastern Tibet, but many of the refugees living in the colony today were born in India, and the population continues to diversify.

== Institutions and attractions ==
[[File:Central school on a main street in Chowgan.jpg|thumb|Central school on a main street in Chowgan|280x280px]]
There are several institutions in Bir that attract tourists, students, volunteers and other visitors from around India and from abroad:

A branch of [[Palyul Monastery]] of the [[Nyingma]] school's [[Penor Rinpoche]] was established in Bir Tibetan Colony, and Rigo Tulku Rinpoche is its Khenpo.

The Deer Park Institute is a "centre for the study of classical Indian wisdom traditions" established by [[Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche]] in March 2006 under the patronage of the [[14th Dalai Lama|Dalai Lama]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deerpark.in/|title=Deer Park Institute | The Spirit of Nalanda Continues...}}</ref>

Chokling Gompa is the monastery of [[Neten Chokling Rinpoche]], a reincarnate lama in the [[Nyingma]] tradition of [[Tibetan Buddhism]] and the director of the film [[Milarepa (2006 film)|Milarepa]] (2006). Chokling Gompa is a point of architectural interest, with a grand prayer hall and a picturesque [[stupa]].

There are also several other monasteries and temples in the Tibetan Colony, and the Tibetan herbal clinic (Men-Tsee-Khang) and handicraft centre also serve as tourist attractions. The Sherab Ling and Chokling monasteries are in the vicinity. The Dzongsar Institute (a Tibetan Buddhist monastic college) is in nearby Chauntara.

Dharmalaya is an Indian [[charitable society]] ([[NGO]]) based in Bir, which is "devoted to education, service, and compassionate living, with a practical focus on sustainable village development, contemplative service-learning, and immersive ecotourism."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dharmalaya.in/|title=Dharmalaya|date=18 February 2024|website=Dharmalaya}}</ref><ref>*{{cite web |url=http://www.earthville.org/news/articles/2009/dharmalaya-sprouts/ |title=Earthville News | Dharmalaya Sprouts: Earthville Co-founds New Charitable Organization in India |accessdate=2012-04-05 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130328170820/http://www.earthville.org/news/articles/2009/dharmalaya-sprouts/ |archivedate=28 March 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==In popular culture==
Bir was the setting for [[Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche|Khyentse Norbu]]'s first feature film, ''[[The Cup (1999 film)|The Cup]]'' (''Phörpa'') (1999), which was based on events that took place in Bir during the [[Football World Cup 1998|1998 World Cup final]] and was shot on location in Bir.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Susan |last=Jakes/Chendebji |date=January 27, 2003 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,411452,00.html |title=The God of Small Films |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070509052137/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,411452,00.html |archive-date=May 9, 2007}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{Portal|India}}
{{commons|Bir (Kangra)}}
{{Wikivoyage|Bir}}
*http://www.deerpark.in/
*http://dharmalaya.in/
*https://web.archive.org/web/20120224055741/http://www.siddharthasintent.org/gentle/GV14-5.htm
* [https://sagartwowheelerrental.in/bir-billing-monastery-stay/ bir billing monastery stay]

[[Category:Tibetan diaspora in India]]
[[Category:Refugees in India]]
[[Category:Tourism in Himachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:Kangra district]]
[[Category:Refugee camps in India]]

Bir Tibetan Colony - Revision history

2409:4056:9B:7CBF:C506:A3D1:20EB:779E at 03:05, 16 September 2024