shop across the street. The Stitches of Tibet showroom sells traditional Tibetan clothing and rugs, and the proceeds support the Tibetan Women’s Association’s programs.
Norbulingka Institute
The Norbulingka Institute is located about 15 km from McLeod Ganj and is well worth the effort to get there by taxi or local bus. Developed by the Dalai Lama as a center for the continuation and training of traditional Tibetan arts and crafts, the ground alone are testament to the Tibetan’s architectural and artistic skill. A number of buildings, all ornately decorated cover several acres complete with a koi pond, bridges and gardens.
Plan to spend a whole day here, watching the craftsmen at work in the thangka studios, woodworking and sewing workshops. The temple complex is stunning, with portraits of all the Dalai Lama’s lining the upper story. One building also has a photographic exhibition on the creation of the Institute and talks about how it was built using traditional techniques.
But the real highlight is the Losel Doll Museum, an exhibition of intricately detailed, beautiful dolls depicting the costumes and activities of the people in each of the regions of Tibet. There are also dioramas of religious events, festivals and daily life. Replicas of the dolls are for sale, along with crafts produced at the Institute.
Norbulingka also has a restaurant and a guesthouse on the grounds, and, if you happen to find someone who will show you, an apartment that is one of the Dalai Lama’s residences. St. John’s Church in the Wilderness
If you tire of Buddhism, St. John’s Church, a peaceful little remnant of the Raj, is a few minutes walk down the Dharamshala road. Tucked in among the pine forest, it has some beautiful stained glass and a monument of Lord Elgin, one of the Viceroys of India, who died in Dharamshala and was buried here in 1863.
ACTIVITIES :
There are enough activities in Dharamshala/McLeod Ganj to keep you busy for a long time. Besides meditation classes, Buddhist philosophy classes and volunteer work, the village’s location in the Kangra Valley, surrounded by pine, Himalayan oak, rhododendron and deodar forests, and near the Himalayan trekking regions makes it a good base for hiking and trekking.
Hiking and Trekking
Easy day-hikes or overnights abound in the area and most begin in the village of Dharamkot, a short walk from the center of McLeod Ganj. No guides are required for these hikes, which, though strenuous due to altitude, are all on well-marked paths. One short hike will take you to Bhagsu–a popular local site with waterfall, Bhagsunag Falls. Near the waterfall, there are retreat caves, frequented by monks. Take care not to disturb them in their meditations.
A longer, more strenuous hike (about 3 miles one-way) begins at the Mountaineering Center and will take you up into the mountains to Triund, where the views of the Dhauladhar peaks are amazing. You will probably pass monks and villagers on the path, which is as much a thoroughfare as a trekking route. There is a small café near Triund and a rest house for camping. Triund is also the beginning for longer treks.
The bridle path from McLeod Ganj to Dharamshala is also a good, if long, walk, and you will probably pass many villagers who use the route to get from Dharamshala to the Dalai Lama’s temple for services.
The hike to Dal Lake takes only about an hour through the Tibetan Children’s Village, The location is nice, but the lake is polluted.
Longer treks to the Chamba Valley, Kullu, Spiti, and Ladakh can be arranged in McLeod Ganj. Stop into one of the many trekking and tour companies located in town.
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