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India Tour Guides, Scholars & Lecturers
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Gen Konchok Pende was
born in Southern Ladakh in a small farming village. He has
spent his entire life living in Ladahk, one of the world's
most remote areas. He became a monk at an early age and has
studied Sanskrit and Buddhist philosophy in Varanasi, India.
Gen-la is a fully ordained monk who belongs to the Kargu
order of Tibetan Buddhism and is one of the prominent teachers
from one of Ladakh's oldest monasteries - Lamayuru. Currently
living in Leh, Ladakh's capital, he teaches English, Buddhist
philosophy and meditation. Traveling with our groups throughout
Ladahk is a very rare and special occasion because Gen-la
opens many doors and introduces us to many experiences
that other tourists never have the opportunity to see. It
is a true pleasure having such a renowned lama guide, teach,
and share his extraordinary culture with our groups.
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Pema Tsewang Topgyal
is a Tibetan who was born in Sikkim, a former Tibetan Buddhist
Himalayan kingdom. Pema belongs to one of the oldest and
most prestigious families in Sikkim. His grandfather, the
late Dungzin Rinpoche, was a renowned meditation master who
built one of the most amazing 7-tiered mandalas that is famous
throughout the Buddhist world. His granduncle was the late
Khechod Rinpoche, the abbot of Pemayangtse Gompa, one of
Sikkim's most important and sacred monasteries. Pema is well
connected and highly educated in Sikkim's history, Tibetan
Buddhist culture and religion. With his experience and command
of Hindi, Nepali, Tibetan, and English he takes us into all
cultural worlds that exist in his homeland of Sikkim.
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| Pema
Wangchuk was born and has lived his entire life high
up in the former Himalayan Buddhist kingdom of Sikkim. Pema
became a monk at an early age and studied very diligently the
teachings of the Buddha. He was recognized by the abbot of his
monastery to possess great artistic skills in painting and drawing.
The abbot suggested to him that he should study full time the
techniques and skills to become a tangka painter (scroll painting).
Pema left the monastery and has dedicated his life to creating
sacred images. He is now one of the most famous painters in
Sikkim who has been commissioned to paint in nearly all the
monasteries in Sikkim. He currently has his own tangka painting
school where he instructs many students in the centuries-old
techniques of painting sacred images in the Tibetan tradition.
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| Khenpo
Chewang was born in Tibet in 1955 and grew up in
Darjeeling, India where he received his early education before
entering the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies and
Sanskrit University in Varanasi, India where he completed his
M.A. studies. He then enrolled in Shantineketan University in
1987 and received his doctorate in 1990 in Buddhist Philosophy
specializing in both the Hinayana and Mahayana traditions. Dr.
Chewang currently teaches in the Sikkim Institute of Higher
Nyingma Studies. For many years Dr. Chewang has taught western
students in both India and in the West. As a fully ordained
Buddhist monk, he brings both perspectives to his teachings,
as a scholar and a Buddhist practitioner. His perfect command
of the English language and many years of personal experience
add significantly to his gifted style of teaching all aspects
of Buddhist Philosophy. |
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| Genla
Tashi Tenzing has been teaching Tibetan Buddhism
and culture for more than 25 years. He is a renowned scholar
and teacher in Darjeeling and Sikkim and is a consultant to
the Government of Sikkim. Genla Tashi Tenzing is also a translator
for H.H. Dalai Lama. He has an M.A. in classical Tibetan from
the Institute of Tibetology and an M.A. in Political Science
from North Bengal University. |
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| Dr.
Satya Ranjan Banderjee is one of India's leading
linguists and is a reputed scholar of Hinduism and Jainism.
He has published several books and articles in India and in
foreign journals. Dr. Banderjee was honored by the West Bengal
Jain community for his valuable contributions to Jainism. Dr.
Banderjee holds PhD's from Calcutta University and also Edinburgh.
He was formerly a visiting professor at the University of Wisconsin. |
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| Ringu Tulku is a Tibetan master from the Kargu school of Tibetan Buddhism. He was trained in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism under many great masters such as H.H.the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa and H.H. Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche. Ringu Tulku has a Ph.D. in Buddhist studies and has studied at the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology in Gangtok and Sampurnananda Sanskrit University in Varanasi. For the last 17 years he has been a professor of Tibetology in Sikkim. |
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| Suvendu Mukherjhee
was born in Kolkata in 1969 and is a true Bengali! His warmth and keen sense of humour makes all of our guests feel right at home in Kolkata — India's friendliest city. He is an expert on the religious traditions of India — Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Since 1991, Suvendu has led many groups to North Eastern India, North India, Tamilnadu and Kerala. He is fluent in Hindi, Bengali and English and has worked with National Geographic and the Daily Telegraph on assignment. Suvendu's vast knowledge of India's history, art, architecture, and culture provides our guests with a fascinating window into one of the most remarkable civilizations on the planet. Having lived in Kolkata his entire life, Suvendu takes our guests into many places other visitors seldom see. |
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