From Chalk to Paintbrush: Ngawang Tseten's Mountain Life

On my solo trip to Bir, Himachal, I stumbled upon a little shop near the landing site, called Drenten. From outside, it looked like any other souvenir corner — dreamcatchers swaying, rows of fridge magnets, Tibetan prayer flags fluttering. But inside, the place was alive with colors, and with a man who had quietly built a second life out of art.

The shop belonged to a schoolteacher. “I came here to teach,” he told me, “but slowly I realized how much I loved painting.” For the past four years, he has managed both — teaching and managing the souvenir shop. The shelves are lined with magnets, stone paintings, and frames, all handcrafted by him.

As we spoke, his paintbrush never paused. He answered my questions with the same ease that he laid down his colors — like the two acts had become inseparable. It looked like an art classroom itself, teaching patience and passion through him.

Get a sneak peek of his work here.

I asked him about the rows of mountain prayer flags that I’d seen often but never truly understood. He smiled and explained that they stand for compassion — for sending goodwill and kindness out into the world with every flutter of the wind. He moved ahead to explain the meaning of each letter written on it. I remember he talked with so much happiness about the school and monasteries in Bir and McLeodganj, it made me go back to my school days (only this time, I wanted to study in the mountains).

He had customers coming, and while engaging with them, he kept having the conversation with me. I left with a fridge magnet, a nose ring, and a dreamcatcher keychain. But what I carried back more than anything else was the story of a man who splits his time between teaching children and painting mountains, who proves that you can live two dreams at once if you love them enough.

Until next time :)