Dharamshala - A heaven on earth

Dharamshala (Also known as Dharamsala) is a hill station in Himachal Pradesh. It is at a height of 1946 meters from sea level. This is a beautiful holiday destination. The best time to visit is from October to May.

I will tell you how you can visit this place without spending a lot of money. 

You can go by road to this place from Delhi. There are flights also available but they are from limited cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata. The weather here is unpredictable and the flight might get delayed by hours while landing. I would rather suggest you to go by road. There are buses directly available from Delhi. You can go to the ISBT bus depot and catch a bus from there. You can also fo to Pathakot via train or bus and take a bus to Dhamarshala. Once you reach Dharamshala, you can find good hotels at a price of INR 1000 to INR 1500/-/.  Dharamshala is divided into two parts mainly Mcleod Ganj and Lower Dharamshala. Both are 7 to 8 kms away from each other. You can take local buses to reach either place. The fare is INR 30/- only. If you take a private car it will cost you INR 1100/-. The places to visit are Triund, Dal Lake, Dalai Lama temple, Nadi Lake, St John Church, Dharamshala Cricket Stadium, Kangra Art Museum, Tea Garden, War Memorial, Bhansunag Temple, Mc LeodGanj Square.

I will give you a small brief about all these places:

Triund: If you love trekking then you should visit this place. It is situated in the Kangra valley. It is 2875 meters above sea level. There are guides available locally.

Triund

Dal Lake: Similar to the Dal Lake of Kashmir there is a Dal Lake in Dharamshala and is known for its natural beauty. Please have a look.

Dal Lake, Dharamshala

Dalai Temple: This is a place where the monks of Buddhist beliefs meditate. Please note that you can visit this place but photography is not allowed at all.

Dalai Lama Temple

Nadi Lake: One of the scenic beauties of Dharamshala is this lake where you can find a waterfall. The
place is simply awesome. Don't miss it.

Nadi Lake

St John Church: It was built in 1852 and it is known for its beautiful carving on the glass. It also is known for the Bell Tower, The bell if rang can be heard at a distance of 18 km. Currently, it is locked as there were attempts previously to steal it.

St John Church

Dharamshala Cricket Stadium: This is situated at a height of 1460 meters and serves as an international cricket stadium at the highest from sea level. It is open for visitors from 9 am to 5 pm. The tickets to visit is INR 20/- only. I would suggest you to go as early as possible to avoid the crowd.

Dharamshala Cricket Stadium

Kangra Art Museum: It has all the history of Dharamshala. You must visit this place to know how it evolved over a period of time. The ticket price starts from INR 30/- onwards and INR 100 for foreigners. There are other charges photography and videography.

Kangra Art Museum

Tea Garden: If you are travelling from Palampur to Dharamshala, you will see tea plantation on either side of the road. If you are visiting the Kunal Pathri temple in Dharamshala you will see these tea plantations. These Tea plantations are popularly known as 'Kangra Tea'.

Kangra Tea Garden

War Memorial: This is a memorial dedicated to the armed forces who have sacrificed their lives for the country. Lush green and Nicely maintained.

War Museum

Bhagsunag Temple:  It is said that Lord Shiva himself has prevailed at this temple. This is a very sacred place in Hindu religion. Do visit the Bhagsu falls and enjoy the peaceful ambiance in the lap of nature. You can take a dip in the cool water of the pool which is set up in the premises of the temple.

Bhagsunag Temple

Mc LeodGanj Square: This is where you can find hotels for stay.

Mc Leodganj Square

If you are planning a visit to Dharamshala, I think 2 days are more than enough. The costing would be:

The per-day hotel stay - INR 1500/- (during peak season from March to May this might increase).
Food expenses - INR 500/- is enough unless you are a monster eater.
Travel and Tickets - If you take local buses the cost would be less than INR 200 for 2 days. But if you are hiring a private car it will cost you around INR 1100/- per day.

If I calculate the entire cost it comes around INR 4500/-. for 2 days.

A small tip: Try and walk from one destination to other if the distance is less than 3 Kms. That way you will be able to enjoy the scenic beauty.

Hope you find my story can help you plan better. Do write back to me with your feedback.

Also, do visit my blog (the link is mentioned below) on how I went to Dharamshala and other places unplanned.

Unplanned Travel Story

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Unplanned Travel Story

This is about my trip to North India.  It was an ad-hoc decision. I was planning a trip for a long time now. I wanted to be at a place where there could be peace and harmony. I wanted to experience nature's beauty. It all started when I asked my friends to plan a trip for the last 6 months. They ditched me citing personal reasons. I even asked my parents to accompany me, but they had health issues. I wanted to travel and explore the beauty of nature. This is when a few of my office friends encouraged me to travel alone. To go out there and explore the world. I booked my flight at the very last minute at midnight at 12 am, did the packing hastily, and boarded a Delhi flight at 7.30 am early morning. Reached Delhi and I never knew anything about this city. I asked the locals and went to the ISBT bus depot. I went to Chandigarh from there as my cousin stayed there. I rested for a day and then started my journey the very next morning. First I went to Amritsar, then Khajjiar, Chamba and Dharamshala. 

The Golden Temple

The Jallianwala Bagh

The Jallianwala Bagh Martyr's Well

Amritsar is known for its culture and as a spiritual center of Sikhs. You can visit The Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple), it is a spiritual temple for Sikhs. It has the world's largest free kitchen(langar). On an average, it serves food to 75000 devotees. It is a very peaceful and divine place. Jallianwala bagh is right next to the temple. It is converted into a garden and the well has been covered now. The Wagah border is just 32 kms away from the temple. Do visit for the gate closing ceremony. (See Pics below)

Wagah Border

Wagah Border

Talking about the food in these places. Punjabi's really love their food and they are big-time foodie. Please eat from local food joints rather than a restaurant to enjoy the authentic cuisines of Punjab. That is where you will find real Punjabi food. I continued my journey to Himachal Pradesh. Khajjiar, Chamba, and Dharamshala are based out in Himachal Pradesh. These are beautiful hill stations. with a temperature below 10℃. A state where there are hardly any highways, only curvy roads. Beautiful looking waterfalls and mountains covered snow. It will mesmerize you and take you to another world. (See pics below)

Dhauladhar Range

Khajjiar

I headed to Dalhousie which is approximately 6500 feet above sea level. It is spread across 5 hills near the Dhauladhar mountain range. You can visit Khajjiar which is also called mini Switzerland for its alluring nature.

You can visit the Pholan Devi temple. It is surrounded by mountains all around it. It's eternal when you stand up there on the peak of the mountain. From hereon, I headed to Chamba where you see the mesmerizing beauty of Chamba lake which takes you away from the hectic life of cities into a peaceful world. Followed by that is the River Ravi which flows along the way till Chamba. River Ravi is part of the trans-Himalayan Indus river. Once you reach Chamba, there are several temples which one can visit like Laxmi Narayan Temple which is an ancient temple. It is made from stone carving and has unique wooden umbrellas made at the top. You can also visit the Chamunda temple which is located at a height on Shah madar hill. The temple has at least 500 bells hanging around it. From here you can see the entire Chamba and river Ravi. You feel as if you are touching the sky. (See Pics below)

Laxmi Narayan Temple, Chamba

River Ravi, Chamba

Chamunda Temple, Chamba

My next destination was Dharamshala. This is also home to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan refugees. The major attractions here are McLeodganj, the Tibetan monastery, StJohn church, Naddi lake, Dalai Lama temple, Bhagsunag Temple. The waterfall at Nadi lake is just awesome. There is a bell which is more than 100 years old. When the bells ring it creates a sound which can be heard 18 km away. You can also visit the Guna Devi temple which is 8 km from Naddi lake. It is via Triund trek between the mountain. It takes 3 hours to reach there and approximately 2 hours to come back. Dharamshala was my last destination. (See Pics below)

Mc Leod Ganj, Dharamshala

The Bell, St John Church, Dharamshala

Nadi Lake, Dharamshala

Alas! I ended my solo journey. But what I experienced is that we have so many beautiful places to explore in India which are breathtaking. We just need to explore them. Initially, I was hesitant to travel solo. I thought my friends will think I am mad. But believe me, it was one of the best decisions I have taken in my life. There is absolute fun and nothing else. Explore the world, look at life beyond making money. It is simple and beautiful. Have a cheerful life. Keep smiling!!!

The total expense of my total travel was less than INR 15000/- only. 

Do let me know your feedback about my travel story. Hope you enjoyed reading it!!!

Please also do read about my article:

1. Dharamshala - A heaven on earth

2. Why should you donate blood regularly?

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