Astonished to read this? Well it surprised me as well when I learnt about this Buddhist Stupa in Himachal Pradesh which is built in remembrance of Freda Bedi– the mother of Veteran Bollywood Actor Sh.  Kabir Bedi

 

Pic Source: Wiki

But before going into the details of where is this Stupa located in Himachal Pradesh, let me share a brief history on Ms. Freda Bedi

• Freda Bedi was a British woman born in Derby, England and moved to India in 1934 after marrying Baba Pyare Lal Bedi
• She became famous as the first Western woman to take ordination in Tibetan Buddhism
• In 1959 when His Holiness- the 14th Dalai Lama arrived in India, she was asked by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru to help them and she was in charge of the Social Welfare Board

• She dedicated herself to social activity and closely followed the guidance of the 16th Karmapa of the Kagyu School
• She worked with Holiness Dalai Lama to establish the Young Lamas Home School

• In 1966, she took sramaneri ordination by the Karmapa, and was given the name as Gelongma Karma Kechog Palmo
• She was one of the first Nun in Tibetan Buddhism to have reached the higher stature of Lama
• She also took care of the 12th Tai Situpa when he was growing up in Darjeeling and Gangtok

The Stupa is situated at Palpung Sherabling Monastic Seat in Bhattu, Kangra District Himachal Pradesh

Palpung Sherabling Monastic Seat was established in 1976 by the 12^th Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa (Know about him) as he envisioned a place to preserve and propagate the sacred teaching of the Lord Buddha and to protect the ancient living Tibetan heritage, which is probably one of the best living wisdom of humanity.

Palpung Sherabling has been categorically developed and designed keeping in mind the inspirations of The Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa, blending a perfect mix of Traditional Tibetan architecture with modern materials

Today Palpung Sherabling Monastic Seat is one of the major learning and practice centers of the Kagyu Lineage as well as Tibetan Buddhism. The mere existence of Palpung Sherabling has helped in the preservation of tradition art and traditions

Infact in 2004, the monks of Palpung Sherabling Monastic seat received the Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music Album for ‘Sacred Tibetan Chant’

Read about Guru Padmasambhava Grand Puja, its celebration at Palpung and Vajra Nyitham (Lama Mask Dance) in the next blog (Click here)

How to Reach:

It is a fun journey to reach Palpung Sherabling Monastic Seat

The route is quite scenic with forest, rivers views alongside the ever enchanting Dhauladhar ranges of the mighty Himalayas giving you company all the way while passing through the typical Himachali Town of Palampur and Baijnath in Kangra District

• By Air: Reach Gaggal Airport and Taxi thereon. It’s 55 Kms from Dharmashala
• By Train: Train till Pathankot and Taxi thereon
• By Bus: HPTC operate comfortable coaches till Dharamshala or Baijnath