The only thing common to Dalhousie and Dharamshala seems to be that they start with the letter D and both are in Himachal Pradesh. Apart from that, both are totally different in most of the aspects. Geographically too, while Dalhousie lies in the Chamba region, Dharamshala lies in the Kangra region. Though a small mountainous state, Himachal Pradesh has a fascinating diversity in it’s culture and heritage. The Chamba, Kangra and Kulu regions are totally different from each other be it topography wise or culture wise or even the language. Apart from the geographical difference, Dharamshala is a more bustling, more commercial town, compared to Dalhousie’s quite and laid back charm. And quite often it finds itself in the news, because of the Dalai Lama, and the sizeable Tibetan community in this area. Often called as Mini Lhasa, Dharamshala also hosts the Miss Tibet contest annually. It is also a place where one can still find the hippie culture of the 70’s prevalent, and this is one reason why many foreigners flock to this area. Ostensibly to find inner peace and tranquility, in reality to indulge in the free sex-drugs-booze culture. Anyway thats another topic for discussion.
Dharamshala has a sizeable population of Buddhists, though like most of the other places in Himachal Pradesh, it is traditionally Hindu oriented. Apart from the Dalai Lama and Tibet, the association with Buddhism dates way back into the 8th century, when the Tibetan version of Buddhism took roots in this area. However with Hinduism again reinvigorating itself, Buddhism declined in the area. The town gained prominence like many other places during the British Raj, when a garrison was established here and in 1852 it became the capital of the Kangra District. Due to it’s cool climate, this town was a favorite place for many British officers. However the massive Kangra earthquake of 1905 which levelled the town and destroyed most of the Kangra area, forced the British to relocate their summer capital to Shimla, and has ever since been then. Again this is due to the fact that though Dalhousie, Dharamshala, Shimla all lie on the Dhauladhar range, Dharamshala lying close to the fault line is more prone to earthquakes compared to Shimla. In 1960 following the Chinese occupation of Tibet, many Tibetans fled to India, and choose to settle down here. The Dalai Lama was granted permission by the Indian Government to stay in exile here. Many of the Tibetan exiles have made this their home and have settled here totally.
Again to visit Dharamshala, we took the road from Pathankot. Unlike nearby Chamba Valley, the Kangra region is located somewhat further, and it took some time to reach Himachal Pradesh. The route to Dharamshala is much more steeper compared to that of Dalhousie. As we go higher up in the ranges the scenery is indeed breathtaking at places, and the towering cliffs and peaks with their forests of pines and conifers, is enough to send you on a nostagia trip of the good old days when Hindi movie songs were still picturized in India. The journey from Pathankot takes around 3-4 hours by road, and is quite slow, as the road is pretty much narrow and steep at places. Some of the curves are pretty dicey, and at places the road really narrows down, and one has to go extra slow.If you are not too careful, you could find yourself right into the valley. Dharamshala itself is divided into two distinct areas Lower Dharamshala, which is where most of the buses stop, and Upper Dharamshala or more popularly called as McLeod Ganj, which is the happening place. This is where the Dalai Lama stays, and the Tibetan community is present. And this is also the place full of the tourist attractions.
Lower Dharamshala** at an altitude of 1400 m, is where the buses stop, and which has the main bus stand. Nothing much remarkable here, except for some Government buildings, schools and some commercial areas. Like any other small town in India. Mc Leod Ganj is located at an altitude of 1750 m, and to get to here, involves travel up a long winding road, that is steep. I had to clutch on, as one small slip could be fatal. However on reaching the top, the view was worth it. For me it was not the tourist sights, it was the hills themselves. If you stand at the entrance to Mc Leod Ganj, what you see is huge cliff, totally covered with pine and conifer trees. Though the place was noisy, for a moment I just stood staring at that cliff. On my journey I often came across hoardings of Himachal Pradesh as a Dev Bhoomi or "Land of Gods". For quite some time, as I started at the thickly forested slopes, I could imagine the Gods in there. But I guess thats how I feel with the hills, whenever I see them, it is if there are some unknown spirits out there. I had grown up reading tales of Yakshas, Apsaras and Gandharvas, but that day when I looked at the forested slopes, some how I just felt, that were I to go inside, I could really come into contact with a heavenly spirit.
Anyway I was travelling in a group, and I could not indulge much in my thoughts, and so I started walking towards the main attraction. Most of McLeod Ganj seems like an extension of Tibet. Buddisht monks, backpackers from the West and Israel, salvation seekers, foreigners, Indian tourists, old Tibetan grandmas in traditional dress make it a fascinating melange.
As also the Tibetan Bazaars and markets with their array of Tibetan Handicrafts, curious and antiques. Most of the lanes in the main area of McLeod Ganj are narrow and winding. The major Tibetan temple is in the Tsuglagkhang Complex. This contains the temple dedicated to Sakhya Muni and is also the site of residence of the Dalai Lama. The temple is built in traditional Tibetan architectural style. From here one can get a beautiful view of the Himalayan peaks in the distance. If you are looking for inner peace, just sit in the prayer hall, and look out into the distance. The combination of the silence of the prayer hall, and the beautiful mountains around, takes you into another world, for some time. This is also famous for the prayer wheels, which are used in most Buddhist temples, and the Kalachakra murals.
After the temple, the other place we visited was the Tibetan Museum. The museum showcases the tragic history of the Tibetan people, under the Chinese rule, the destruction of their culture, and the brutal treatment by Beijing’s dictatorial rulers. Sadly they may never be noticed, because their protest has been mostly peaceful and non violent. Also 3 Km from Dharamshala is the Bhagsu waterfall, a beautiful spot where one can relax and enjoy the nature.