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Dharamsala,
Himachal Pradesh
Dharamsala,
spiritual place situated between 1,250 m and 2,000 m altitude in
Himachal Pradesh, divided into two parts, 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.
Suggested
clothing - cotton and tropical in summer, heavy woolens and jackets
in winter. 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. It receives annual rainfall of 2,900-3,800 mm, mostly
in June-September.
How
to reach there:
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.
What
to see:
The
Church of St John-in-the-Widerness: It
is a beautiful church with stained glass windows. A former Viceroy,
Lord Elgin is buried in it's churchyard according to his wish as
it reminded him of his native Scotland. It is a short distance below
McLeodganj on the way to Forsythganj and is open from 10 am to 5
pm.
Namgyal Monastery: at
McLeodganj with the Centre of Tibetan Studies is known as little
Lhasa. It is a 5 minutes walk from the main bazaar, opposite the
Dalai Lama's residence.
Kangra
Art Museum: This
museum is in Dharamsala, down the road from the tourist office.
It houses miniatures paintings from the famous Kangra school
of art, which flourished in the Kangra Valley in the 17th century.
It's open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm.
Trekking:
Treks
of 5-8 days duration are viable from May to October. Some of the
interesting treks are :-
- Dharamsala
to Chamba over Balanijot; the Minkiani Pass; Indrahar Pass and
Bhimghasutri Pass.
- Dharamsala
to Holi and then to Manimahesh over the Talang Pass.
- The
Regional Mountaineering Centre at Dharamsala with a branch at
Bharmaur provides information on trek routes, maps, technical
knowhow and equipment. They also organize adventure courses.
Angling:
Contact
the local Fisheries office at Dharamsala for licences. Season lasts
from 1st June to 31st July.
What
to shop:
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.
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