McLeodGanj | DharamShala | Dharamkot -
Beautifull Hill Stations in Himachal Pradesh, India
Though Indian tourism
industry lacks infrastructure, but it has got wide variety of tourist places
with varied tastes to overcome that. Historical monuments / hilly terrains /
deserts / sandy beaches / silent backwaters, dots the Indian tourism maps
with quite good density.
Mcleodganj, a quite place, in the Dhauladhar region is a place with
abundant natural beauty. It is the place where exiled Tibetan Government
with their spiritual head, H H Dalai Lama stays. The place came to limelight
after the 1959 invasion of Tibet by communist China. The whole area can be
divided into 2 parts. One is lower Dharamshala, which is 1200 meters above
sea level and Mcleodganj (UpperDharamshala) which is around 1700 meters
above sea level.
The best part of this region is that it is not at all crowded like other
hill stations (Shimla, Mussoorie, Kullu, Manali etc.) One can really enjoy
holidays with a difference in the excellent climate here. From New Delhi,
Dharamshala is approximately 535km and takes anything from 12 to 14 hours of
journey by bus and from Chandigarh, its 8-9 hours by Bus, via Ropar. From Dharamshala, it is about another 7km to McLeod
Ganj. Lower Dharamshala is a
busy place with lot of noise and traffic. Upper Dharamshala, i.e. Mcleodganj
is very quite and charming as compared to its lower counterpart.
Surrounded by thick forests of the Chir, Pine, Rhododendron and the
Himalayan oak, and set against a backdrop of high peaks on three sides,
Mcleodganj was developed as a hill station between 1815 and 1847 during the
British rule. The main market of Mcleodganj are flooded with Tibetan goods
and handicraft items from Kashmir. The climate is superb here during summer
time. The temperature in upper Dharamshala, never crosses 25 degrees and the
lower end of mercury remains at 10-15 degrees making it very nice climate.
Dharamkot is a small village situated about 2 KM from Mcleodganj. Its a
criss cross trail like road leading to dharamkot. Its a tiny village among
the thick deodar forest with high dhauladhar in the backdrops. One can see
the steep valley leading to kangra from here. Its situated at an altitude of
about 2100 meters. There is an excellent hut complex "dev cottages" in the
wilderness with very moderate rates and nice facilities. I suggest visitors
to try out this place for a quite vacation away from crowd. The food and all
other stuff are quite good, only the room service is a bit slow. But other
things compensate this. There is a rocky trail among the wilderness to a
small village called naddi, some 5 km away on foot. This is a criss cross
among pine and deodars , passing through some Tibetan hamlets. The path is
so silent that one can hear his / her heart beating while walking. Naddi is
also a quite place. It gives spectacular views of snow clad dhauladhar
ranges. One can sit and watch it for hours. there is a TAR road up to Mcleodganj
from Naddi. Also few restaurants are there in this place to serve
Indian and continental food. Do not forget to have MOMOs while your stay in
the region. These are Tibetan specials and one can get them anywhere in this
region. People in this area are very warm and very hard working. I stayed
there for 4 days and watched them closely. There is one DAL LAKE enroute to
Mcleodganj from Naddi. Its a tiny lake with some red and blue colored
fishes in it. The water is polluted and is muddy but the surroundings of
Oaks and Pines make this place worth visit.
Nearby places to visit :
* Triund: Located at a height of 2975 m, very near from the snow-line, this
spot offers spectacular views of the valley. Dharamkot is the starting point
for a day-trek to Triund.
* Dal Lake: Surrounded by Fir & Deodar trees, this picturesque lake can be
reached by road or a nature trail that winds through thick forest and
Tibetan hill-farms. Dal lake is also the venue for an annual fair, held
around September.
* Bhagsunath: Located on the floor of the valley, a one hour walk from
Mcleodganj and Dharamkot, is the ancient temple of Bhagsunath. This temple
is surrounded by numerous fresh water springs.
* Khaniyara River: The river banks of the Khaniyara river provide great
picnic spots.
* Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA): Located about a 30 minute
walk from Mcleodganj, the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts was the
first institute created by the exiled Tibetan government. TIPA is both a
cultural centre and a school, providing an insightful glimpse into the
colorful Tibetan culture of music, dance and theatre.
* Norbulinka Institute: Tree-shaded paths, wooden bridges, small streams
tiny water falls, coupled with a Japanese influence make Norbulinka an
idyllic spot. This place was established to preserve and teach the ancient
Tibetan arts.
* St. John in the Wilderness: A few km from Mcleodganj market, is a stone
church with stained glass windows. Also at St. John is a memorial dedicated
to British Viceroy, Lord Elgin who died at Dharamsala
Place : Mcleodganj
& DharamKot
Getting MCLeodGanj : Accessibility :
* 12-14 hours by bus from Delhi
* 8-9 hours by bus from Chandigarh
* 4-5 hours by bus from Pathankot which is on Jammu - Delhi main lines with
connections from
Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata
Best season to visit : April to June
Clothing : Woolen all throughout the year (heavy woolens during
winters)
Places to stay : Expensive in the main town but move about a KM or
two away from the main town, you will get very nice spacious stay at less
than 500 Rs per day
Food : can get Indian, Continental, Chinese, Tibetan and south Indian
Shopping : An expensive affair. Look for the unique things and
bargain hard on them. Rest you can get in Delhi at better prices :)
Recommended stay : min 5-6 days to explore the three places
(lower/upper Dharamshala, Naddi and Dharamkot on foot)
Mode of internal transport : Autos and Omni taxis with fixed rates
