I have always been mesmerized by the Tibetan’s Buddhist religion and have a great respect for their way of life. There is something special which brings tranquility & peace in their personality, Their bounding in community, kindness for everyone and appreciation for nature. The interest and curiosity for Buddhism has been there for many years in my life. The pursuit for more knowledge of Buddhism has been a part of my journey in life. But I didn’t expect that a pursuit in this journey would bring me to Dharamshala, an epicenter of Buddhism in the north of India called Little Lhasa. May be fortune was smiling upon me and I was lucky to be on plane from New Delhi to Dharamshala in the next couple of weeks for a short duration of 4 days. I must say that those 4 days became an integral part of best memories in my life.

I began my journey from Delhi’s terminal with an excitement and happiness to be on this long-awaited journey. The flight to Dharamshala took roughly about an hour & a half. How can I miss here to mention the bird’s eye of valleys? While descending for landing in the beautiful valley of Kangra, one cannot miss the silver lining of Dhauladhar mountains, beautiful slopes of Kangra valley with cedar trees, Tranquility in the mountains, Tibetan culture. The exit process from the Airport was pretty quick and I reached to my hotel welcomheritage grace Hotel in less than an hour.

I was expected at the hotel by the staff & check in was really quick. The Rooms had a balcony and breathtaking view of Imposing Himalayas, pong dam lake, Kangra Valley were giving me goosebumps. I am certain that mountain views and heritage traditional architecture will leave anyone spellbound. In the evening, I went for a little walk and found that how friendly are the people and their love for nature. The Kotwali Bazaar is dotted with various restaurants where you can have variety of local cuisines. Not to miss here the Yummy Dim sums & bhagsu cake made up of cookies, caramel and chocolate. However, The Northern Indian food is available in most of the roadside Dhabas & restaurants.

Don’t miss the amazing places while you are in Dharamshala!

Mc Leodganj

McLeod Ganj is often called as a little Lhasa because of the residence of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama & the majority of Tibetans This city hosts nearly 11000 people which includes Exile Tibetans, Indians and many foreigners. It’s the epicenter of Tibetan culture and source of Buddhism knowledge for the tourists and locals alike. McLeod Ganj is also called as upper Dharamshala.

Dalai Lama Temple Complex

The Dalai Lama temple complex is a residence of his holiness “The 14th Dalai Lama”. The temple has a museum which shows how Tibetans have been suffering under Chinese occupation & not given freedom to practice their religion. The Reclining Buddha’s deity and prayers chakras will certainly astonish you. This temple complex is opened from Tuesday to Sunday from 9 to 5 pm.

Bhagsunag Waterfalls

If you are nature lover and can do little trek uphill then Bhagsunag waterfalls will be your pick. situated around 3-4 kms away from Mc Leodganj, this place welcomes you with variety of shops and restaurants. I started with a walk of about 15 minutes from the parking reach the base for a trek to Bhagsunag waterfalls. The Walk uphill challenge you in every few meters but beauty of the valleys entices you to walk more and reach to the top to see an amazing waterfall. I reached at the top after uphill walk of about 30-45 minutes and ordered noodles with a cup of masala chai. What an amazing feast to relish while dipping your feet in cold water in scorching heat and enjoying a cup of chai. I admired the beauty for an hour or so and then started descending towards the base and then to parking bay.

Lord Shiva Baijnath Temple

Baijnath temple is located in Baijnath town which is 50 kms away from Dharamshala. The ancient Baijnath shrine of Lord Shiva was made by two merchants in 1204 AD. The early medieval north Indian architecture of temple will leave you spell bound and of course priests reciting the mantras and divine power keeps you glued in the premises for hours.

Keep watching blogs in this section. more to come ….