Tibetan Press

This beautiful picture which Zoe took is for my former co-workers and fellow book lovers. When we first visited the Dalai Lama’s temple in India, I was taken aback to see thick cloth-covered rectangles referred to as books. Since they were behind a locked cabinet in the temple, I assumed they were artifacts from Tibet with a historical or religious significance and that their practical use had faded. When we visited Sera monastery, one of the three main monasteries in Lhasa, this belief proved to be false. Not only are they still used but they are still produced, in a surprisingly fast and efficient manner.

In the photo just above the wood-block you can see a box containing some ink and a brush used to coat the block every time a page is printed. A blank page is placed on top of the block and then a roller is then firmly pressed against the paper ensuring a good print. On the side of the photo you can see a stack of pages already printed. It gives publishing a whole new meaning.