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 colours, 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 realised how much I loved painting.” For the past four years, he has managed both — teaching and the souvenir shop. The shelves are lined with magnets, stone paintings, and frames, all handcrafted by him.

I noticed that he didn't put down his brush while talking to me. In fact, he answered my questions with the same ease that he laid down his colours — like the two acts had become inseparable. It looked like an art classroom itself, teaching patience and passion through him.

Get a sneak peak of his work here.

I asked him about the rows of mountain prayer flags that I’d seen almost everywhere in the mountains but never truly understood the meaning behind it. 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, which 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 smoothly and with passion in his voice. 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 and art; the one who proves that you can live all your dreams at once if you love them enough.

Until next time :)