Oct 06, 2004 12:59 PM
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(Updated Oct 08, 2004 11:27 AM)
McLord Gunj: A small Tibet in 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.
McLord gunj, 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 McLord Gunj (Upper Dharamshala) 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 McLord Gunj. Lower dharamshala is a busy place with lot of noise and traffic. Upper Dharamshala, i.e. Mc Lord Gunj 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, McLord Gunj was developed as a hill station between 1815 and 1847 during the British rule. The main market of McLord Gunj 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 McLord Gunj. 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 McLord Gunj 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 McLord Gunj 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 McLord Gunj 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 McLord Gunj, 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 McLord Gunj 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 : McLord Gunj & DharamKot
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 and all major cities
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 market, 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 (check before you board)
