Dharamshala
A small beautiful and scenic town with a refreshing air of Tibetan culture, Dharamshala is only one of its kind!
Set against the backdrop of the majestic Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas, Dharamshala is a picturesque town with myriad streams and rivulets flowing down the slopes.
Being abode of Dalai Lama and the exiled Tibetan government, its an Indo-tibetan establishment dotted with numerous Gompas and colourful temples.
Dharamshala is set in two distinct parts, the two separated by a distance of 10 kms. Lower Dharamshala or Dharamshala consists of Kotwali Bazaar, civil offices, business establishments and court etc. and upper Dharamshala includes McLeodganj and Forsytheganj.
Places to Visit
Kangra Art Museum at Kotwali Bazaar has a wonderful but dusty collection of miniatures.
Yol Camp where Italian POWs were lodged during World War II.
War Memorial – Ideally located in the pine forests the memorial commemorates the sacrifice of Himachali War heroes.
Kunal Pathri Temple, a rock temple of the local goddess offers spectacular view of the surroundings.
What to Buy and Where
Kotwali bazaar, though primarily meant for meeting the daily needs of the locals, has a no. of shops from where you can pick souveneirs, books, woolens, Kullu and Kinnauri shawls and scarves.
McLeodganj
A small Tibetan settlement buzzing with colour and life, McLeodganj is where the Dalai lama resides with a large no. of exiled Tibetans. Dotted with many religious education and rehabilitation centres, McLeodganj is a popular learning centre of Tibetan culture and Buddhist lifestyle and rituals.
Famous for Buddhist handicrafts, garments and Thankas, McLeodganj is also known as ‘Little Lhasa’ because of the Buddhist influence on the land.
Places to Visit
Gelugpa Monastery – Situated close to the Dalai Lama’s Residency, the monastery has a disappointing façade of a government building but inside it has a giant statue of Lord Buddha, the thankas and other ritual and votive objects which make it worth a visit.
What to Buy and Where
Tibetan artefacts, thankas(the roll-up cloth paintings), masks, prayer wheels, gems(corals, rubies, amethysts etc) make interesting buys.
For some unusual and unique things take a peek at Nowroji’s.
Famous Tibetan carpets can be best bought from Tibetan Handicrafts Co-operative Centre on Jogibara Road.
Handicrafts from TCV Handicrafts Centre on Temple Road.
Souvenirs, handmade Tibetan paper from Green shop on Bhagsu Road.
Around Dharamshala
Bhagsu
One of the main attractions of Dharamshala, Bhagsu has an old temple dedicated to Lord Shiva with a fresh water spring closeby. Approachable by road, at a further distance of 1.5 km are the Bhagsunath falls.
Norbulingka
At a distance of 16 km from Dharamshala, Norbulingka is worth a day’s trip!
Named after ‘Norbulingka’, the traditional summer residence of the Dalai Lamas in Lhasa, Tibet, Norbulingka Institute is set in Japanese style garden and has the ‘Seat of Happiness’ temple, souvenir shop, Thanka painting centre, Losel Doll museum and Norling café.
At a short distance from Norbulingka, is the Gyato Monastery, the temporary residence of the 17th Karmapa.
Kareri lake (22 km)
A small glacial lake surrounded by rich green high altitude meadows in summers and snowy Dhauladhars in winters.
Triund
18 km by road and 8 km by trek, Triund is a popular picnic and trekking spot.
