Dharamsala - India HillTop Trips - Splendid hills and Majestic retreats

Dharamsala hill station, India is popularly known as the queen of the Himalayas. Some of the enchanting and mesmerizing features is its scenic beauty, calmness and serenity, the high pine tress and the tea gardens. The place has marked its existence in the world map since it has become the seat of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the aftermath of the Chinese conquest of his country. This has given it the name of little Lhasa of India. The town is in existence since 1852 and is more than 125 years old.

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The Hill Resort

Dharamsala is the lower section, three km (10 km by road) away from it's higher settlement, McLeodganj, which is 500 m above. It is home the home of his holiness Dalai Lama, spiritual head of the Buddhists, who is now quartered at McLeodganj. Also known as `Little Lhasa', it is an enchanting world where spinning prayer wheels and fluttering prayer flags spread the message of peace and universal harmony. It is a beautiful town set amidst forests of pine. It is a hill station with a difference- for the several separate areas of the town are located at the different levels up a spur of the Dhauladhar range- the "white mountains". Dharamsala is a hill station with great variations not only in levels and temperature but also in character. Temperature varies between 35 degree Celsius in summer to zero degree in winter. The place is pleasant in summer and cold in winter.

If one is into meditation, there are a number of classes held by monks for the beginners, as well as advance practitioners. Tushita Meditation Center is one such outfit, which offers clean residential accommodation as well. There are also a number of alternate medicine doctors in the little town. It is not unusual to find monks from the Western countries.

Two and a half millennia after the Buddha walked on earth, Another walks in his foot steps” - Welcome to Dharamshala, the land of Dalai Lama, a charming little town with elegant bungalow. Dharamshala enjoys the unique distinction of being the chosen home of the spiritual and temporal head of the Tibetan people.

A quiet retreat in the hills of the Dhauladhar range, Dharamsala is picturesque hill resort in India. Home to His Highness Dalai Lama and many Tibetan settlers, Dharamsala offers spectacular views of the Dhauladhar range. The beauty of the hill station and the Tibetan way of life has attracted travellers from around the world. So much so the hill resort Dharamsala is frequented quite often by the Hollywood star Richard Gere.

Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation's (HPTDC) hotels and other private hotels and guest houses, PWD and Forest Rest Houses are available in and around the place. It's population size is 8,600.

shopping

Kotwali Bazaar and McLeodganj are major shopping areas. McLeodganj bazaar has a large number of shops and stalls selling Tibetan handicrafts including wool carpets, metalware, jewellery, jackets, handknitted cardigans, gloves etc.

Blend Of Cultures

The colonial origin, the Tibetan influence and the Kangra air make an invigorating cocktail with a unique blend. Dharamshala stands out amongst the other hill-stations of India. It is also an archetypal getaway for the jaded city souls with thatched cottages nestling amidst thick coniferous forests. As one looks up, the green fringes merge with the snow-clad mountains and as your eyes shift downwards, the vast panorama of the Kangra valley embraces you. It is a no holds barred battle of the eye with the scenery and one wonders how much the eyes can behold this quiet rhapsody of the nature.

Is it a tale of two cities? The town is divided in flesh and soul into two halves, each with its own character. The lower Dharamshala is the main town at 1250 meters. The upper Dharamshala or McLeod Ganj from Dharamshala by road, it is a 10 kilometers drive, which takes almost the same time as you would, walking up the steep path. The only reason that you would like to visit lower Dharamshala would be to see the Kangra Art Museum, which has a treasure trove of the art and crafts of region.

The vestiges of the Raj dot the town - fore most is the church of St. John in the wilderness. There is a well-maintained, old graveyard. It reminds one of other old graveyards in hill-stations like Mussoorie and Shimla. These are perhaps the only peaceful places left in the hustle and bustle of these touristic places and your best bet if you are looking for peace!

Elevation

Dharamsala - 1250 meters and 1982 meters.

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Location Details

Dharamsala is located in the state of Himachal Pradesh. Dhauladhar range offers a magnificent backdrop to Dharamsala, which means 'Holy Refuge'. Dharamsala is about 90 kilometres from Pathankot, 252 kilometres from Chandigarh and about 560 kilometres from Delhi, India. Set against the magnificent backdrop of the towering Dhauladhar ranges, which rise up to more than 4000 meters, Dharamshala, which literally means The Holy Refuge, lies perched up on the high slopes in the upper reaches of the Kangra valley. Founded in 1855, it is one of the 80 hill resorts developed in the seventeenth century by the British to beat the heat and dust of the sweltering plains.

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How to Reach There and Distances

It is 514 km from Delhi, 239 km from Chandigarh, 214 km from Kullu, 235 km from Shimla, 119 km from Dalhousie 192 km from Chamba, 85 km from Pathankot, 166 km from Jallandhar, and 147 km from Mandi.

Air

Jagson Airlines flies to Delhi and Kullu from Kangra airport at Gaggal, 15 km from Dharamsala.

Rail

Nearest narrow gauge railhead is 17 km away and broad gauge railhead at Pathankot is 90 km away, which connects all major cities.

Road

It is well connected by road. The main bus stand is in Dharamsala. All long distance buses leave from here; most of the buses from McLeodganj only ferry passengers to the Dharamsala bus stand.

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Best Season to Visit/Weather

clothing - cotton and tropical in summer, heavy woolens and jackets in winter. It receives annual rainfall of 2,900-3,800 mm, mostly in June-September.

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Tourist places near Dharamsala

Places to visit

Tours to Dharamsala Dharamsala has a few wonderful places that can be visited during your tour to Dharamsala. War Memorial perched amidst the pine groves was built to commemorate the post-independence war heroes of Himachal Pradesh. Kunal Pathri, a temple made out of rocks is another wonderful spot that you can visit. The temple is a short walk through the Kotwali Bazzar. If you are interested in looking ancient sculptures and paintings, Kangra Art Museum is the right place to visit. The museum showcases pottery, miniature paintings and sculptures. Dal Lake surrounded by deodar trees is another beautiful picnic spot. The lake is about 11 kilometres from Dharamsala.

St. John'S Church In Wilderness

7-km upward from Dharamsala, between Forsyth Ganj and Mcleod Ganj lies the charming St. John's Church. It was built in 1852 and is dressed in grey stone with some fine Belgian stained glass windows donated by Lady Elgin. The church is popularly known as the church of St. John in Wilderness.

Chamunda Devi Temple

Not far from Dharamsala is the famous temple of Chamunda Devi. It is an enchanting spot with glorious views of the mountains, the Baner Khud, Pathiar and Lahla forests. 15-km from Dharamshala a tiny village of Dadh on Palampur road is the famous temple dedicated to Goddess Chamunda Devi.

Maharana Pratap Sagar

Named in honour of the great patriot 'Maharana Pratap' (1572 - 97 AD), the Maharana Pratap Sagar was once known as the 'Pong Dam Reservoir'. India knows the 'Maharana' as a man who struggled valiantly for his kingdom of 'Mewar'-as for the principle of independence. In the words of the Chroniclers James Tod and William Crooke, "He spurned every overture that had submission for its basis". Over the river Beas, the "Pong Dam" was completed in 1976. Its reservoir has an area of about 45,0000 hectares at maximum possible flooding - the level varies with every season and averages around 30,000 hectares. Over 2,000 villages with a population of over 85, people are lying along the wetland. The Wildlife Sanctuary In 1983, the Sagar was declared a wildlife sanctuary and over 2,20 species of bird belonging to 54 families have been sighted over the waters and the fringing mud-banks-these include black - headed gulls, plovers, terns, ducks, water-fowl and egrets. The first sighting in the region of the red-necked grebe, was made at the Sagar. The wetland's location at the head of the Indian plains has made it a suitable habitat and stopover for migratory birds that enter India from Central Asia. The land portion of the sanctuary has barking deer, sambar, wild borars, nilgai, leopards and claw-less others. Twenty-seven species and sub-species of fish belonging to six families have been recorded in the Sagar's waters. Some of the important commercial varieties are - Labeo dero (Gid), Labeo rohita, Labeo Calbasu, Tor putitora (Mahsir), and Mystus seenghala (Singhara). Since 1976, fishing has been a major economic activity in the areas and today, this provides employment to some 1,500 fishermen and the annual catch is valued at over a corore rupees.

Norbulinka Institute

Just 4-kms from Dharamsala is Norbulinka. This place has heavy Japanese influence. The Norbulingka Institute of Tibetan Culture was founded by the Department of Religion and Culture to preserve and promote Tibetan art and culture in exile

Nurpur Fort

Orginally known as Dhameri, 66-km from Dharamsala and 24-km from Pathankot, Nurpur Fort was renamed by the Emperor Jehangir, son of the Great Moghul Jalal-Ud-Din Mohammad Akbar. The fort is now in its ruins, but still has some finely carved reliefs.

Tsug-Lag-Khang (Central Cathedral)

Though a plain and utilitarian substitute for its far more splendid namesake in Lhasa, also known as the Jokhang, the Tsug-Lag-Khang is nevertheless fascinating and peaceful. Situated opposite the residence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tsug-Lag-Khang is known to the local Indians as the Main Temple.

Andretta

Situated just 13 km away from Palampur, lies this dwelling place of artist S.Sobha Singh. It houses a gallery of some of his major works and a pottery center.

Dall Lake

Surrounded by high and green Deodar trees is the lake, which fills a mountain bowl. Situated 11-kms away from the town, this lake is easily approachable by road and makes an enchanting and serene picnic spot.

Dharmkot

Just 11-km away from Dharamsala, located on the crest of a hill lie this attractive picnic spot, which presents a panoramic view of the Kangra valley and Dauladhar ranges

Karanje

37 km from Mangalore on the road to Dharmasthala is the holy place of Karanje, well known for its medieval Shiva temple. Situated on a hill 1,500 ft high, it commands a panoramic view of the surrounding area.

Kunal Pathri

These are the rock temples from which the place derives its name. Kunal pathri is a 3 kms flat walk from Kotwali Bazaar.

Lord Elgin's Memorial

After the honors of 1857, India's First War of independence, Queen Victoria assumed the title of Empress of India. Her Prime Minister, Lord Canning made the proclamation and the Governor General's title was raised to that of Viceroy of India.

Moodabidri

Moodabidri, 23 km from Venur described as Jaina Kashi, is known for the 18 bastis, the most famous of them being 'Savira Kambada Basti' (Basti with thousand pillars). Built in 1430 AD, this basti has beautiful monolith columns and priceless collection of jewel-studded metal images of Jain Tirthankaras.

Namgyal Monastery

In 1575 Sonam Gyatso, the Third Dalai Lama, officially founded a monastery, which later came to be known as Namgyal Dratsang (Victorious Monastery). Since its inception, the monastery has assisted the Dalai Lamas in their public religious activities for the welfare of Tibet.

Pong Lake Sanctuary

Pong Dam reservoir is 65 km from Panthankot and 115-km from Dharamsala on the Beas River. The Pong Dam Lake is significant for a wildlife sanctuary with wild life species like Nilgai, Sambar, Barking Deer, Wild Buar, Clawless Otter, and Leapord. The reservoir is developed on a large scale for promoting water sports for tourists.

Venur

Venur 30 km from Dharamsala, is famous for the Gomateshwara statue built in 1605 AD by an Ajila Prince.

Around Dharamshala

After satisfying your palette and your soul, you could go out for a nice long walk or an arduous trek. Bhagsunath, three kilometers away is an easy option after momos and beer. There is a temple, a spring and also a waterfall. Dal Lake is a major disappointment, as it does no justice to its name. An annual fair is held here in the month of September. It is worthwhile walking up to Naddi, which offers a splendid view of the Dhauladhar ranges. If you are adventurous enough, the Mountaineering Institute can organize treks, rock climbing and rappelling. They normally would like to do this for groups of 10 or above.

However, the best thing about Dharamshala is the easy going pace, the peaceful expression on everybody's face. It is a place where you would like to do the ordinary things in life, where you would like to let yourself loose and forget about hectic schedules and maddening self imposed deadlines!

Sites nearby

There are a number of nearby attractions that you can include in your tour itinerary. McLeodganj is the beautiful place that most tourists to Shimla visit. McLeodganj is also known as Little Lhasa and is dotted with monasteries. The place is also home to His Highness Dalai Lama. McLeodganj has also some wonderful eating joints that serve some excellent delicacies. Church of St John is another beautiful spot where you can visit. The church is just eight-kilometre drive from Dharamsala.

If you wish to stretch you Dharamsala tour, Chintpurni some 74 kilometres from Dharamsala is other exciting destination. It is one of the holy places in Himachal Pradesh. You can also visit Kangra Chamunda Devi, Kullu, Chamba and Dalhousie.

Little Lhasa

McLeodGanj - the Little Lhasa is thick with the Tibetan cultural feel. It is an altogether different world where the crisp breeze is broken by chanting of the hymns along with the tinkling of the prayer wheels. The place was once full of hippies who have since moved out with the crowds inundating the town. For a research scholar, McLeodGanj offers a host of possibilities and to the not-so-scholarly souls, a cultural bonanza awaits.

First lets look at what has McLeodGanj got to offer to the hungry palette and then we will look into spiritual stuff! The Tibetan run restaurants give you an ample respite from dal, chapatti and rice that you get in most other places. If you are fond of momos, thukpa, and the likes, you have come to the right place. Tsongkha Restaurant, Yak Restaurant, Snowland and Shangrila are some of the place, which serve excellent food. A constant flow of Westerners has brought in its wake a number of restaurants and eateries, which offer the kind of food that is not so commonly available in India.

Abode Of The Dalai Lama

But Dharamshala is better known as Dalai Lama's abode and Tibet's Government-in-exile after the Chinese invasion of Lhasa in October 1959. Needless to say, a visit to Dharamshala would be considered irreverent without a peek into the various monasteries dotting the hillsides. A visit to the Namgyal Monastery, ensconcing the Center of Tibetan Studies is nothing short of mandatory. 'Tsuglagkhang', opposite the Dalai Lama's residence reminds one of Lhasa - it contains large gilded bronzes of the Buddha, Avalokiteswara and Padmasambhava.

The other places of interest are the Museum at the Nechung Monastery which is three kilometers downhill on the way to Dharamshala and the Norbulingka Institute which has become a major center of learning. You could see young artists learning Thangka Painting.

Dalai Lama is in residence, he heads the prayers. For an audience with the Dalai Lama who is also believed to be the reincarnation of Buddha, special permission needs to be taken with a proper request in writing at the security office near Hotel Tibet. The best time to see his him is after the Tibetan New Year, which falls in March. The living deity gives spiritual discourses for 10 days.

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