Pause. Breathe. Rejuvenate. Repeat.
Dharamshala is a beautiful hill locked town in Himachal Pradesh. It is the second capital of the state (yes few states in India have two capitals and Himachal Pradesh is one of them), located around 500 kms away from New Delhi. Dharamshala is a quite town surrounded by mountains with not many tourists. If one just wants to relax with no plans to do all touristy stuff then this is the perfect place to do that and unwind from the busy life. The nearest happening place is McLeodGanj (around 30 mins away from Dharamshala) which is usually crowded with tourists. Both Dharamshala and McLeodGanj are the home to Dalai Lama and many Tibetan refugees. Dharamshala is also known for bird watching.
Connectivity:
With one of the most scenic cricket grounds in India hosting international matches in its premises, connectivity is something that is definitely taken care of. One can take a flight from Delhi to the nearest airport at Gaggal in Kangra located 10 kms away from Dharamshala. If you are planning to take a flight, try booking at least a month in advance else the ticket price from Delhi can go from INR 6 K to INR 21 K. There is a train option till Pathankot after which you can take a bus or cab which will take approximately 2 hours. The roads are pretty good and most preferred route to reach Dharamshala from Delhi is via bus or cab. We took an overnight Volvo bus from Delhi which left around 8 PM from the ISBT terminal at Kashmere Gate and reached Dharamshala at 6:30 AM. The government buses provided by Himachal Road Transport Corporation are decent ones and are usually on time.
Accommodation:
Dharamshala has many good accommodation options. Blossoms Village Resort was our choice based on the raving reviews that we saw online. Nestled in the lap of nature, this resort is located in the suburb of Dharamshala at Sidhpur. Our resort was surrounded by mountains with lush green trees. You can see colorful butterflies everywhere and house sparrows near each balcony. Our room was facing green mountains capped with snow on the top. The smell of the flowers, the freshness in the air, the chirping sounds of the birds will make you feel like you are back to time when earth was till not destroyed by mankind. The full moon night during that weekend was the incing on the cake making the stay even more amazing.
The resort also has a lovely rooftop bar and restaurant. The view from the rooftop was even more beautiful. You can see the mountains, the varying shapes of clouds, the green pastures and small houses on the top of the far away mountains. These houses glow like stars in the evening making the mountain look like a huge gold mine. The sunset view from the rooftop was breathtaking.
The resort has a huge garden with many flowering plants and trees like guava, amla, lemon and vegetables. It’s a pet friendly place. The food was excellent and the staff were very courteous. If you have your own car then there is enough parking space too. In short, if you are in the resort you will get all the flavors of a hilly town and will not feel like going anywhere else. We did many small treks to the nearby villages up in the hills near the resort.
Tibet Film Festival
During our stay the resort was also hosting the Tibet Film Festival and gave me some unforgettable memories. During the day time the movie screening was happening in the conference hall and during the night they set up a projector in the garden to screen the movies. The temperature at night was around 18 degrees and the overall experience was very pleasant. Imagine movie screening in a garden surrounded by the mountains under the moonlight – what more do you want? I watched two short films: The red mask (a Tibetan film about a young monk who wanted to be an orchestra singer but was forced by his mother to be a monk) and Rituals of Resistance (about the struggle of Tibetans for a nation and freedom). Both were really touchy and made me fall in love with the place again as this is the place giving shelter to the Tibetan refugees. Several thousand Tibetan exiles have settled in Dharamshala and McLeodGanj, where they have built their monasteries, temples and schools and made India their home.
Places to visit:
- Norbulingka Institute (a center for Tibetan arts and culture):
Norbulingka Institute is the heart of Tibetan culture. The institute is built in traditional Tibetan architectural style to keep alive the centuries old Tibetan tradition. Norbulingka focuses on design, meaning and quality. It is the home for Tibetan artisans who believe that every product has a story to tell through its materials, processes and themes. The institute runs on a sustainable business model with a strong social mission to keep the Tibetan culture alive by training the people for the future. It employees around 300 artisans.
The entry fees is INR 50/- per person and the institute is open from 9 AM to 5:30 PM. This place was 10 mins by walk from our resort. There is a beautiful Buddhist temple inside the institute. We visited the workshops where the artisans were doing woodcarving, wood painting, tailoring, weaving, Thangka painting etc. There are few cafes and restaurants also inside the institute. This is one of the most underrated places in Dharamshala but I found it very peaceful and worth the visit.
2. Saint John in the Wilderness:
Saint John’s is a neo-gothic architecture church built in 1852 located in the middle of the deodar forest. The church is known for its Belgian stained-glass windows. The strong built of the church has survived the 1905 Kangra earthquake which destroyed most buildings in Dharamshala and killed around 20,000 people.
The church opens only on Sunday and is located on the way to McleodGanj.
3. Cricket stadium:
The Dharamshala cricket stadium is one of the highest sports ground in the world. The majestic Himalayan backdrop, blue skies, fresh mountain breeze makes the stadium one of the must visit places in Dharamshala. The beautiful background makes it a paradise for a cricket lover.
The stadium is open for tourists even when no matches are scheduled. The entry fees is INR 20/- per person and the opening timings are 9 AM to 6 PM.
4. Tea gardens:
Kangra tea is quite famous and is produced in Dharamshala. You can find the beautifully lined tea gardens on the way to McLeodGanj with a 10 minute diversion.
5. McLeodGanj:
McLeodGanj is a suburb of Dharamshala, located on the Dhauladhar range. The Tibetan government in exile is headquartered in McLeodGanj. The place has a typical Tibetan café culture and the first thing you will notice here is Tibetan handicrafts. You can find authentic Tibetan food here. The mall road provides a lovely place to shop for souvenirs like Tibetan shawls, jewellery, buddhas, prayer flags etc. The Dalai Lama temple is another place that you can visit. Unfortunately during our trip Dalai lama was not available, otherwise it is also possible to see him in person and with some efforts you can also get an audience with him by writing to their office. McLeodGanj is also the base location for the famous Triund trek which will give you the spectacular view of the Dhauladhar range.
For me this trip was special because it was a father-daughter trip. This was the first Himachal trip for my dad and he thoroughly enjoyed the mountains, the chill weather, the fresh air, the less crowded roads and the most importantly the view from our room. I am sure we will do many trips to this place on every opportunity that we find.
