Nimish Gautam
My trip to Dharamsala
The Tranquil Hills of Dalhousie

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Visiting the hills in winters may not sound great to some people, but where hectic city life takes toll on the modern human any vacation at any time is more than welcome. Towards the end of the year 2003, I with my friend Charles Samuel, decided to spend a few days away from the metropolitan life of Delhi. We took a train from the Old Delhi railway station and got off a Pathankot from there we proceeded to the first leg of our journey; Dharamsala. This place is home to the Dalai Lama's Tibetan government in exile. After spending a few days at Dharamsala to headed to a place called Dalhousie. If you are planning to visit only Dalhousie, you can take a bus or a taxi directly from Pathankot.

As always we missed the first bus to Dalhousie so as advised by the locals to a bus to a place called Chakki near Pathankot. All buses going to Dalhousie from Pathankot go via Chakki, so that sounded pretty reasonable to wait there for the bus. What was supposed to a 15-minute wait turned in to more than one and a half hours. Charles suggested we go Pathankot to get the bus rather than wait at Chakki and try to get in a crowded bus. So we a another bus for Pathankot bus station and when we were mid way we saw the Dalhousie bus coming from the other direction; had we waited at Chakki we would have caught this bus. We reached the Pathankot bus station only to see yet another Dalhousie bus "taking off" we couldn't run after the bus with our heavy bags so decided to wait for the next one which was scheduled to leave in another hours time. Better late than never, the bus finally came and we headed for the second leg of our journey which began at not so good note. Hoping that nothing can go wrong now, we reached Dalhousie at 8.30 PM. We had made prior booking at Hotel Aroma and Claire which was on the other side of the town. So we walked and walked and an otherwise pleasant 2 km walk seemed like eternal with heavy bags on our shoulders and heavy spirits in our hearts.

Finally we reached the hotel and were ushered into a warm and cozy lobby. So nothing could possibly go wrong now. Right? Wrong. The suite was terribly run down and looked like a set of a horror movie! The doors were creaky, paint was coming off the ceiling and the wooden floor moved beneath our feet. And all this came with a price tag that would put the hotel in mid to upper range segment! Now that is just the cake, the icing came early next morning when Charles opened the door and saw a black apparition standing in the corridor!!!

Dalhousie was established by the British who escaped to the hills to beat the harsh summers of the Indian plains. Many old British buildings have been converted in to hotels and most of them, like ours, are terribly run down. The first thing we did that morning was to look for an alternate accommodation which we got at Subhash Chauk and less than half the price.
Dalhousie is spread over five hills and is a very tranquil town which is only disturbed by tourists. Boisterous youngsters come in scores from Punjab and almost run over the town at New Year celebrations. These days Dalhousie is not on international tourists' itinerary who go only to Dharmsala. A small Tibetan population has settled down here but the culture of the place remains predominantly Punjabi.
After settling down at the new hotel we went to St. Francis' Church at Subhash Chauk which is around 100 years old. After that we went to a place called Panchpulla which is a pleasant 4 km walk from Subhash Chauk. On the way we came across brightly coloured Tibetan rock paintings. Panchpulla is a small place at the each of two mountain streams. You can go on a mountainous trek to Ahla which is right through the cedar forest. Locals recommend a guide for this trek. We, however, walked back and stopped at Gandhi Chauk which is at the heart of the town. Here we went to St. John's Church, a 100 year old Protestant Church with some nice stained glass.
Later during the day we went to bus station and bought tickets for a conducted tour to Khajjiar and Chamba. Next day the tourist bus left at 10.30 AM for Khajjiar and on the way stopped at a few tourist points. Khajjiar is a grassy glade in the pine forest; it is shaped like a saucer with a small muddy pond in the middle. This beautiful meadow is a photographer's delight and is definitely worth a visit. The bus stopped at Khajjiar for about 2 hours and then it was onwards to Chamba.
The bus ride from Khajjiar to Chamba is on down hill narrow road. This ride is only for the strong hearted; if you have a weak heart then keep your eyes shut! The road is precariously perched to the hillside over looking at a deep gorge. At one point a jeep came from the other side and our bus driver had to reverse by hill. A chill runs down my spine even today when I recall that moment. All's well that ends well; we reached Chamba late in the afternoon.
Chamba was one of the oldest princely estates of India. It was ruled by Hindu kings who built the Laxminarayan Temple Complex more than 1000 years ago. These temples have some good stone carvings are still in very good condition. From the temple we took a short cut for the Rang Mahal which was the palace of the Chamba kings. Passing through narrow lanes with over looking balconies we felt as if we have landed in some historic Italian village. Rang Mahal was a major disappointment; the building is terribly run down and now houses government offices and Himachal Emporium. Coming down from the Rang Mahal we once again reached the heart of the town. Here there is a large open tract of green land called the Chaugan. Walking up the main road we reached the Museum which houses numerous art pieces and is worth a visit. We stayed at Chamba for around 2 hours.

On the return trip to Dalhousie we stopped at the Ravi Riverfront. Do not venture in mid stream; the water current doesn't look strong but can be very treacherous. Also try to avoid stepping on wet stones at the riverfront. Almost every one slipped on these slippery stones and rocks.

The next day we went to Dalhousie Cantt which is around 4 km from the bus stand and 6 km form Subhash Chauk. On the main road is St. Andrew's Church and further 1 km into the Cantt area is Dalhousie's largest church - St. Patrick's Church which is more than 100 years old. It has a seating capacity of 300 is located amid serene surroundings. Unfortunately the church was locked. If you wish to see the inside, go there on a Sunday morning.

Later during the day we went to Subhash Baouli which is 2 km flat trek from Gandhi Chauk. Subhash Baouli is supposed to be a picnic spot and is so inconspicuous that we went another 2 km ahead! Any way the place is hopeless but the trek is just wonderful. It is a flat road built right through the forest with some great views.

There are numerous restaurants in Dalhousie. Most specialize in North Indian cuisine. I missed the Tibetan food of Dharamsala. Some of the good options are Sher-e-Punjab at Subhash Chauk and Lovely Restaurant at Gandhi Chauk.

Dalhousie is a quiet place and there is not much to do except relax and enjoy the beautiful mountain views. If you are looking for a "happening place"; then Dalhousie is not the place for you. I would recommend Dalhousie to those who want to spend some time in solitude. Dharamsala on the other hand is a crowded place full of rich Tibetan colours. If you have enough time you can club both Dharamsala and Dalhousie in a single trip. Atleast 10 days are required for a backpacker traveler like us. One week would suffice for a busy executive or a restless family who just want to escape the crowds of the city.
Details of my trip to Ladakh - Ladakh trip


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