Advertisement
From Delhi to McleodGanjMcleodganj, a tiny (but not so sleepy!) town tucked in the Himalaya away from the cacophony of big metropolitan cities.
What makes this town so special and exotic is the drastic cultural difference a person experiences the moment one enters Mcleodganj!
No! In fact, much sooner than that. People start getting a feeling and hints of encountering something inimitable and different much ahead..... something positive.... and rightly so.... it's coherent with the nature too.... all the beautiful things have an aura and one is dragged towards them the moment he enters their so called... circle of charm or ask anyone who has visited that place even once.... they always crave for more.
This town, 8 kms. ahead of Dharamsala, India is mostly inhabited by Tibetan who were forced to flee from their hometown, Tibet after the Chinese invasion back in 1959. Over the years, it has become a safe haven and a hub for Tibetan from where they can actively involve and group themselves to fight for their cause of FREE TIBET.
One can clearly see the signs of Tibetan influence in this region. There is a museum and a monastery at the end of the mall road which almost entirely stretches along the length of Mcleodganj. Just outside the monastery gate, on a placard, one can read the name of Hollywood star Richard Gere at the top among the list of people who have contributed in the development and uplifting of Tibetan in a big way. Gere is not the only one to add to the celebrity status, Steven Segal and several other important and influential people are also championing and supporting Tibetan cause and are regulars here. So if you're lucky enough, you may well run into someone like Goldie Hawn or Pierce Brosnan....!
On entering the monastery gate, a long narrow stretch which runs adjoining one wall of the monastery and also has a few shops corners along a museum to take to the stairs of the monastery. A secluded and peaceful place awaits the visitors there and a constant and resonating chantings reverberating between the widely spaced walls of the temple fill the ears with positivity and takes all the pains away. Rotating the series of holy cylinders with prayers written on them is a pleasant experience. The experience is bound to leave an everlasting impression and makes a person want to get more acquainted with the Tibetan culture and Buddhism.
On the way out, one can spent a few minutes visiting the museum which gives an overview of events in Tibet along a timeline pre and post invasion.
The best way to feel Mcleodganj is the way most youths do, on a bike, which is most appropriate for narrow roads of this town and can also hike up to the adjoining town of Naddi.
Naddi has a lot of privileges to offer to the visitors if one considers viewing breathtaking panoramic views of snow clad mountains to be one. The other side of the range of peaks has two lakes which one can trek to by arrangement with the locals.
Six hours drive from here lies a place called Biling which would certainly excite an adventurer, for it is considered the best place for paragliding in the world. Drive to Biling is very exciting with narrow steep serpentine road making its way through dense forest. Biling can be described as a high rising table top mountain with surrounding mountains which seem like midgets in comparison. This gives a lot of free aerial space to the paraglider to swiftly fly for as long as they wish. The vast table top can accommodate many paragliders in a row at a time. It is also said that the surrounding areas emit some kind of hot rising currents which help in lifting the glider through the air.
Overall, I would say that these place are worth a visit and should be in every person's itinerary whenever they visit India.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.076s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 9; qc: 50; dbt: 0.0332s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
