About:
Dr. Bharatkumar Bhate is M.S. General Surgeon (Gold Medalist) by qualification with an experience of 30,000+ operations and is based at Rajkot, Gujarat. He is an avid reader and a passionate writer. In this blog, he shares his travel experiences and creative writings.
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Blog:
(visited in March 2023)
We started our journey early
morning from Dalhousie to Dharamshala via Jwalaji temple and arrived late
afternoon. Direct journey takes about 4 hours. Literally, Dharamshala means
"House or place of Dharma". It also means pilgrims' rest house.
Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh is on the edge
of the Himalayas and surrounded by cedar forests. This hillside city is popular
world-wide for being home to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan
government-in-exile.
Dharamshala is a prominent name in Buddhist
spiritual pilgrim tour to India. It is a well-known centre for studying
Buddhism, its sutras, tantras, and major texts related to it. The Thekchen
Chöling Temple Complex is a spiritual centre for Tibetan Buddhism. The 'Library
of Tibetan Works and Archives' houses thousands of precious manuscripts.
In May 1960, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) was moved to Dharamshala, making it the centre of the Tibetan exile world in India. The presence of 14th Dalai Lama has made Dharamshala a destination for Indian and foreign tourists, including students studying in Tibet.
March to July is the best time to visit Dharamshala. Winter starts in December and continues until late February. Snow and sleet are common during the winter in upper Dharamshala (including McLeodganj, Bhagsu Nag and Naddi).
Dharamshala has been selected to be developed as a Smart City under "Smart Cities Mission". It is also declared as the second capital (winter capital) of Himachal Pradesh.
Dharamshala is a municipal corporation city in the upper reaches of the Kangra Valley and has many suburbs including McLeod Ganj. The place is also famous for its cricket stadium where international matches and IPL matches are played.
The city is divided into two distinct sections. Kotwali Bazaar and the surrounding markets are referred to as "Lower Dharamshala" or just "Dharamshala." Further up the mountain is McLeod Ganj. A steep, narrow road connects the two and is only accessible to taxis and small cars. Further, Dharamshala Skyway, a mountain Cable Car between the cities of Dharamshala and McLeod Ganj has become operational from 19th January 2022. It is operated by Tata and a two-way journey costs Rs. 650/-. We wanted to take a return trip exclusively to see Dharamshala from sky but it was a foggy day and nothing was visible beyond few feet.
Like Palampur, Dharamshala also has several tea gardens. The tea is known as Dharamsala or Kangra Tea and is very popular across India and the rest of the world. Dharamshala now produces all teas including black tea, green tea, oolong tea and white teas, in addition to the popular Kashmiri Kahwa and Masala Chai.
Maximus Mall and Gold Multiplex Cinema are open now in the city of Dharamshala. Kotwali Bazaar is a traditional shopping street. Maximus mall is the second biggest mall in the state after Purnam Mall of Bilaspur. Reputed international brand restaurants like KFC, Pizza Hut, Kapsons, Domino's Pizza and many others are available here.
Tomorrow we are going to see sightseeing destinations at Lower Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj. So, I am taking a break here.
- Dr. Bharatkumar Bhate
bcbhate@gmail.com