In the shadow of the Dalai Lama

Manuel Bauer shares his experience of photographing his exalted subject through bomb scares, and private moments

- Somak Ghoshal

Swiss photographer Manuel Bauer first met Tenzin Gyatso, better known to the world as His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, in 1990. Back then, Bauer was a 23-year-old rookie journalist, hungry to make an impression in his first job. As luck would have it, he didn't have to try too hard for a big break.

Early on in his career, Bauer was sent on an assignment to photograph the Dalai Lama, an encounter that would change the course of his life. For one, it was an unusual initiation into the world of photojournalism, where the familiar rules of engagement seemed to have turned topsy-turvy. Unlike most other celebrities, here was one who was neither pricey nor given to throwing tantrums. The great Tibetan leader didn't at all seem to mind being trailed by a restless young man with a camera. In fact, he welcomed Bauer to photograph him in his private chambers, too, a rare privilege then and since.

"At the time, I thought it was normal for all photojournalists to get such close access to him," Bauer says when we meet in Delhi for the launch of his new book, Dalai Lama, with texts by Thupten Jinpa and captions by Christian Schmidt (Roli, ₹4,995). "It was only much later that I realised how fortunate I had been," he adds. His gratitude has only deepened in the last 35 years, while his fascination with his subject, who recently turned 90, remains undiminished.

Inspired by his early meeting with the Dalai Lama, Bauer began to study Tibetan history and culture, which grew into a lifelong interest in Buddhism and social justice, igniting a mission to highlight the exiled community's suffering to the world. In 2001, Bauer decided to devote focused time to documenting and archiving the Dalai Lama's life, acting as his uncrowned "official photographer".