Bir, Himachal Pradesh
Bir, Himachal Pradesh
Bir बीड · بیڑ | |
|---|---|
town |
Bir ([बीड Bir(d)] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help), [بیڑ Bīr] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)) is a town located in the west of the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India.
Population
The population of Bir is comprised primarily of Indian agriculturalists. There is also a sizable community of Tibetan refugees in the Bir Tibetan Colony (see below) and a small community of international expatriates and long-term visitors.
Location
Bir is located in the Tehsil (administrative subdivision) of Baijnath, in the District of Kangra, in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.
It is situated east-southeast of Dharamshala at a distance of two to three hours by road. It is 14km south of Billing, which lies on the way to the Thamsar Pass leading to Bara Bhangal. The Bir-Billing area is a popular destination for adventure travel, offering paragliding, hang-gliding, trekking and camping.[1]
Geologically, Bir is situated in the Dhauladhar Range of the foothills of the Indian Himalayas.
The nearest railway station is Ahju, on a narrow-gauge line running between Pathankot and Jodindernagar via Kangra.
Road access to Bir is from the Bir Road turnoff (signposted) on NH20, approximately midway between Baijnath and Jodindernagar.
Prominent Institutions
There are several institutions in Bir that attract students, tourists and other visitors from around India and from abroad:
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 Dalai Lama[2].
Dharmalaya is an Indian charitable society (NGO) 'devoted to education, service, and compassionate living, with a practical focus on sustainable village development, service-learning, and preservation of traditional wisdom.' [3][4].
Chokling Gompa is the monastery of Neten Chokling Rinpoche, a reincarnate lama in the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and the director of the 2006 film Milarepa.
The Bir Tea Factory is a longstanding Bir cooperative, which offers tours for those interested in the process of tea production.
Bir Tibetan Colony
Bir Tibetan Colony is a Tibetan refugee settlement located in the village of Chowgan on the southwestern edge of the town of Bir.
Bir Tibetan Colony was established in the early 1960s following the exile of the Dalai Lama and other Tibetans from Tibet.
Bir Tibetan Colony houses several Tibetan monasteries (representing the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Sakya traditions), a Tibetan handicraft center, a Tibetan Children's Village school (Suja), a branch of the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute (Men-Tsee-Khang), a medical clinic, and the Deer Park Institute.
See the full Wikipedia article on Bir Tibetan Colony for further information.