Dharamshala India Tourist Attractions

Dharamshala or Dharamsala is a city and a municipal council in Kangra district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is the district headquarterst. It was formerly known as Bhagsu. The Dalai Lama's residence and the headquarters of Central Tibetan Administration and the exiled Tibetan government are in McLeodGanj, a village within the Dharamshala municipality.

The Tibetan Buddhist roots of Dharamsala stretch back to the 8th century, although most of the local population long since reverted to (and remains) Hindu. "Dharamsala" literally means an "inn attached to a temple", and it was so until the district headquarters in Kangra became too crowded and the British moved 2 of their regiments in the late 1840s to what is now Dharamsala. Over the years, this grew to be district headquarters of Kangra, and the very location is now known as the Police Lines.

Dharamsala was mooted to be the summer capital of India. But this was not to be, as much of the town was destroyed in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake of 4th April 1905. The disaster killed over 10,000 people in this sparsely populated area.

After falling into obscurity in the early days of Indian independence, Dharamsala regained some social standing in 1959 with the arrival of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in Exile. Currently, it is a very popular hang-out for foreigners and students of Buddhism. Indeed, it is now perhaps a little too popular and many would say the town, and especially McLeod Ganj, is little more than a backpacker ghetto. Don't come here expecting calm and tranquility.

Dharamsala is divided into two distinct areas that are separated by a 10 min, 9 km bus or jeep ride.

• Lower Dharamsala, consists of most of the government offices, Schools, the local Hospital, and commercial areas. It also has a few tea gardens. One in the area of Chilgari and another just beyond Dari. It is a typical small Indian town that, other than for the bus station, is of little interest to tourists. One can enjoy the view while driving through.
• Upper Dharamsala, known more commonly as McLeod Ganj is named after David McLeod the once the British Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab. It is home to the Tibetan community and the centre of tourist activity. Unless specifically stated, all listings in this article refer to McLeod Ganj.

    Bhagsu, is 2 km north and has become a commercialised warren of concrete.
    Dharamkot, is the flavour of the month.

Villages near McLeod Ganj include Forsyth Ganj, a short hike away on the way up from Lower Dharamsala. For a quiet and basic experience, try Naddi (3 km) or Talnu (11 km).
 
ClimateLower Dharamsala is at an altitude of 1,400 m, while McLeod Ganj is at around 1,750 m, making them considerably cooler than the plains below. Temperatures in January can dip below freezing, while June can go up to 38°C. The monsoon season from July to September is very wet. Even in March, when the Dalai Lama holds his teachings and the weather down in Delhi is downright balmy, you will still need a heavy winter coat. These can be purchased at reasonable prices in the town.

Transport
 
By plane
Gaggal Airport is at Gaggal near Kangra, a distance of 15 km from McLeodganj by road on MDR44 and NH20. The airport has been recently upgraded and provides twice daily flights from Delhi by Kingfisher. Air India does not operate flights to this airport. Air India however has flight upto Chandigarh which is about 8 hrs by road from Dharamsala. Flights are prone to cancellation due to bad weather or because enough passengers didn't show up, so leave some leeway for onward connections on the way out.

There are no flights to Gaggal as the only airline serving the airport, Kingfisher, declared bankruptcy in 2012. Other airlines are reported to be interested in providing service to this popular tourist destination but as of April 2013 nothing has transpired.

In a recent update however, Delhi to Gaggal flights can now be booked via Air India.
Two companies have started their services from Delhi to Gaggal, viz. Spice Jet & Air India.  

By busMost people come to Dharamsala by bus. It has good connections with other parts of North India, although the journeys are often slow due to the narrow winding roads in the hills.

The main bus terminal is in Lower Dharamsala, but some public HRTC buses to Delhi and Pathankot go all the way to the main square of McLeod Ganj, where you can also book advance tickets for the return trip. Unreserved HRTC buses from Pathankot cost Rs 75 and take 3/4 hours to Dharamsala/McLeod Ganj. Private bus companies are available for travel from Manali, Dehradun and Delhi. Overnight buses operate from Delhi with many leaving from the Tibetan colony of Majnu ka Tilla. These services take upwards of 13 hr.Tickets for Haryana Road Transport Corporation ( HRTC- A State Government body) can be booked online at http://hrtc.gov.in/HRTCTickets/ Chandigarh, 236 km distant from McLeodganj, is a gruelling 8-9 hr trip in an ordinary bus.
 
By trainThe nearest broad gauge railhead is at Pathankot and the neighboring small station of Chakki Bank, a comfortable overnight journey from Delhi. Train buffs can continue on the very slow and rickety but pretty Kangra Valley Railway to Kangra, a journey that easily takes up to 6 hours and still leaves you 18 km from McLeod Ganj. Many travellers choose to continue by bus or taxi instead. If you do choose to go to Kangra then from the train station then you need to walk and autorickshaw to the bus stop where buses are available to take you to Dharamsala.
 
By taxiA taxi from Pathankot to McLeod Ganj, a distance of 88 km, takes about 3 hours. However
Taxis from Delhi are often available leaving from Majnu Ki Tila Tibetan settlement in North Delhi on the ring road. Many people take a taxi to Delhi which takes about 10 hours and pay the return fare simply because they don't want to deal with the hassle and pain of taking a bus. These taxis need to return to Dharamshala, and many times will sell seats in their car for the same price as a bus ticket. To find these taxis, go to the Majnu Ki Tila Tibetan Settlement Bus Stand and look for taxis which have Himachal Pradesh License plates. You can negotiate with a driver. Often the taxis will leave in the evening and you will arrive in Dharamshala early the next morning.





Tourism Places

• Naam Art Gallery, Sidhbari, Chamunda Rd, ☎ +91 98 1604 3708. Tu-Su 10AM-7PM. Permanent exhibition of watercolours and acrylic paintings by Elizabeth Buschmann and oil paintings by Alfred W. Hallett. A small exhibition centre is also present in the mall, in the market just as one approaches the Bhagsu Nag temple. 
• Tsuglagkhang Complex, Temple Rd. This is the largest Tibetan temple outside Tibet, and it has a large meditation hall containing some beautiful statues and thangkas, as well as a Kalachakra temple with beautiful murals. It is the monastery of the Dalai Lama, and is located just in front of his residence. On the basement level of the complex you will also find the Namgyal Cafe, which is run as a work-training center for Tibetan youth (the Namgyal Cafe has shifted to near the main square and is now housed within the OM hotel there). 
• Tibet Museum, (opp. Tsuglagkhang), ☎ +91 18 922 2510. Tu-Su 9AM-5PM. Small but interesting museum on the history of Tibet and its people.
• Tibetan Library Near the Tibetan Government in Exile, with a small but interesting museum.
• Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA) Stage performances of traditional Tibetan dance, music, and theatre. The shows are not happening much.  edit
• Bhagsunag Fall (around 11 km from the Dharamshala, it is easily approachable by road from Mcleodganj). Bhagsunag fall has many waterfalls, an ancient temple, numerous slate quarries and a fresh water spring. 
• Kunal Pathari, (around 3 km from the Dharamshala.). People come to this temple every day to pray to the Goddess. 
• Dharamkot, (around 14 km form Dharamshala.). This is an ideal place for a picnic near to Dharamshala. It is situated in the Himalayan mountain range giving an amazing view of the surrounds.
• Peak Art Gallery, Temple Rd, Mcleod Ganj (1/2 way down Temple Rd, below Cafe Nirvana),  10AM-7PM.

Trekking/walking

• Bhagsu Waterfall, (3 km from Dharamsala). An easy walk down Bhagsu Rd through the village of the same name, then 1 km up to the waterfall itself. Despite a sign advising visitors not to venture further, the path to the waterfall is in reasonable shape, except for the final 50 m which are distinctly dodgy, especially in slippery weather. Be careful if you decide to take a bath in the upper pools of the waterfall, as there may be shards of glass in the water, possibly thrown there by the villagers to prevent "indecent" behavior by westerners at night.  edit
• Dal Lake, (4 km from Dharamsala, past Naddi). Fairly well signposted. A thoroughly anticlimactic sacred pond is the color and texture of its yellow lentil namesake.  edit
• Indrahar pass. Passes through the snowbound Dhauladhar Range in the Kangra valley. This Trek ends at Lamu.  edit
• Triund. If you are in for a brisk walk, climb the hill beyond Dharamkot to Triund. Provides a beautiful view of the first peaks of the Himalayas and a wide view over the plains. As the peak is 2,875 m, make sure to wear good shoes, carry water, some food if you and an extra vest or coat. At the top, even in summer, the weather can change from hot and sunny into a small snowstorm very quickly. Every year some tourists get themselves into serious trouble this way, wearing only sandals and a T-shirt. If you want to warm up before the Triund trak, try the trek to Guna temple. This is a 5 km trek (one way), through jungle and is quite a climb. If you want to do a shorter trek , hire a small car from McLeodganj  to Galu Devi. From there its a 3 hr climb to Triund. If you plan to stay overnight at Triund , there is a Forest Rest house.  Take a long your personal double bedsheetbut be aware there is no running water or electricity. So a torch , spare batteries is a must. If the Forest house is booked , then you can hire tents there.

Meeting the Dalai Lama
Meeting (or at least getting to see) the Dalai Lama is the dream of a lifetime for many people, an intensive spiritual experience for Buddhists and a memorable moment for people of other faiths. It's also very difficult to pull off, so don't plan on it. It requires a good deal of luck.

If you want to give it your best shot, the first thing to do is make sure that His Holiness is actually in town when you visit. He travels frequently. His website lists his yearly itinerary and an email to the office will confirm his travel dates. While he does give scheduled public teachings, these are crowded. There are some that are only scheduled a few days in advance, so keep your eyes and ears open in Dharamsala. He no longer gives public audiences, so the ultimate goal is a private audience. However, requests for private audiences are carefully screened and studied - and you have to have a really good reason or an "in". Applicants are asked to provide detailed information on themselves as well as the specific reasons why they want to see His Holiness. Private audiences are usually scheduled three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. In general, requests for individual meetings need to be made very far in advance. Requests made at short notice will not be entertained.

The Dalai Lama's administrative office is in the Tsuglagkhang Complex. When you face his house, which has a gate with Indian guards in front of it, it's the last door on your right, at the end of the complex. This office is open all day, six days a week. The man behind the desk will tell you to apply online and give you the website address. Go to an internet cafe and do it if you haven't already done it and been rejected months in advance so that you can say that you have, but it probably won't get you anywhere. If the receptionist is there alone, then His Holiness is not giving private audiences. If a bunch of people are there holding slips of paper with their personal information and their passports, he's giving private audiences, they usually occur around noon. There is heavy security and you need a reason. Chat with everyone.

Some people get in as a group, like a documentary crew or a family whose father is a politician. Actually, talk to everyone in Dharamsala about His Holiness, and you're bound to run into someone who is on his staff or knows someone on his staff. At the office, drop the name of every person you met. If you are visibly ill, you may get an audience based on that. Granted, this "audience" will probably last the time it takes for him to bless you, which is about 10 seconds. A photographer is provided and you are not allowed to bring your own camera.

To meet the Dalai Lama is something most Tibetans worldwide only dream of so count your blessings if you receive an audiance. Bring a khata (white scarf) - they can be purchased for a few rupees, but since you'll probably be treasuring that khata, you might want to shell out Rs 20 for a nicer one. If he poses for a picture with you the security office will tell you to return with a blank CD and they will burn the picture onto a CD. Blank CDs can be purchased from the tech stores on Temple Rd for about Rs 50. Remember to show appreciation for anyone whose name you might have dropped to get in. Donate to their monastery, eat at their restaurant or whatever you feel is appropriate. This isn't expected but it's a nice thing to do.

Every year in February-March for ten days or so, and occasionally at other times, the Dalai Lama holds public lectures. Registration at the Tibetan Branch Security Office (near Hotel Tibet) is necessary, preferably 3-4 days beforehand although shorter notice may be possible. Bring a cushion to sit on, a FM radio with headphones to listen to the simultaneous translation from Tibetan to English, a cup for tea, and a sunhat/umbrella, but as little else as possible since security is tight. The last day of teaching concludes with public prayers, for which no security pass is needed. Donations are welcome.

    17th Karmapa (Dalai Lama's alternative residence), . A temporary residence is at the Gyuto Tantric University in the town of Sidhbari near McLeod Ganj. 

Dharmshala Photogallary

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