McleodGanj.Dharamsala.Kangra valley

"Close to Heaven"

Quick Facts Dharamsala | Quick Facts McleodGanj (Quick Facts Dharamshala)

Dharamsala or Dharamshala is a town and a municipal council in Kangra district in the northern regions of India in the state of Himachal Pradesh.The town is notable as the capital of the Central Tibetan Administration, a Tibetan government in exile led by Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th and current Dalai Lama. The government's headquarters are located in McLeod Ganj, a suburb that is also referred to as Upper Dharamsala or "Little Lhasa".

Please Note Dharamsala and Dharamshala relate to same town.Dharamsala is also termed as Little Lhasa of India.

McleodGanj also known as Upper Dharamsala is a suburb of Dharamsala in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is known as "Little Lhasa" due to its large population of Tibetan refugees. The Tibetan Government in Exile is headquartered in McLeod Ganj.

McLeod Ganj is named after David McLeod, the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab.During the British rule in India, the town was a hill station, where the British people spent hot summers.

Dharamsala and McleodGanj has many other Suburbs which are Bhagsu and Dharamkot near McleodGanj which consitutes in Upper Dharamsala.Sidhbari, Yol and Khaniyara near Dharamsala or Dharamshala(Lower Dharamshala)

In 1959, Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama came to India after the Chinese conquest of Tibet, and was offered refuge in McLeodGanj.

District : Kangra ( Himachal Pradesh, India )

Coordinates: 32°13′19″N 76°19′02″E / 32.222, 76.3172

Time Zone : IST ( UTC +5:30)

Dharamsala-McleodGanj Postal Code | PinCode | Zip Code : 176219

Kangra Postal Code | PinCode | Zip Code : 176001

Telephone code (prefix): 01892 ( If Calling from Outside India 00-91-1892-Number and If Calling to Mobile in India 00-91-Number)

Annual rainfall: Varies between 290 cm to 380 cm Second highest rainfall in the country

Languages Spoken : Hindi,English,Tibetan and Pahari ( local Himachali Language )

Temperature: Max. 35 C in Summers, Min - 1 C in Winters.

Clothing

Winter :    Heavy Woollens
Summer :  Light Woollens and tropical

Tourist Office : Himachal Pradesh Tourist office
Kotwali Bazaar
Dharamshala
Telephone: 0189 - 2221205
*Opens (Monday to Saturday, 10 am - 1:30 pm and 2 pm - 5 pm)

Area : 29 km²

Elevation | Altitude : 1457 Metres - 2600 Metres ( Dharamsala Around) and Dhauladhars are 5600 Metres

Transportation :

Airport : Kangra Airport is the Nearest Airport just 12 Kms from Dharamsala Town , 20 kms from Mcleodganj and 7 Kms from Kangra Town.Air Flights from New Delhi run daily.

Rail : The nearest railway station is at Kangra, 17 Kms from Dharamsala connected to Pathankot through narrow gauge line.

Bus : Overnight Buses run from New Delhi.Time Taken 12-14 Hours.Direct Buses from Shimla,Manali,Dehradun,chandigarh and Pathankot are also run.

Dharamsala and its Suburb Mcleodganj are linked by two roads.Share Jeep takes Rs.10.Buses and Taxis are instant.

How to Reach Dharamsala : For Detailed Information on Reach Dharamsala and McleodGanj.Click

Sleep and Services

Hotels | Guest Houses : There are number of good Hotels and Guest Houses in and around the town.To get a list of Hotels,Guest Houses and Lodges.Click Here for Hotels Page

Travel Agencies, Restaurants and Cafes : Dharamsala and Mcleodganj has a number of Restaurants and cafes, serves a variety of Food.Click here for Restaurants and Cafe in dharamsala and Mcleodganj. Large Number of Travel and Trek Agencies.Click here of Travel and Trek Agencies in Dharamsala and Mcleodganj

Volunteering In Dharamsala and McleodGanj : There are number of good Volunteering organisations ( NGO's), Tibetan Institutes and Centres which provide Short term and Long term Volunteerings.Click here For a List of Volunteering Organisation in Dharamsala and McleodGanj.

Emergency Telephone Numbers :

Mcleodganj Police Post ( at Forsythganj) : 01892-221483

Dharamsala(Dharamshala) Police Station: 01892-224883

Kangra Police Station : 01892-265022

Superintendent Of Police ( SP Kangra) : 01892-222244  

Hospital Services : 01892-222189

Railway Enquiry : 01892 - 226711

Wireless : 01892- 222911

Deputy Commissioner ( DC Kangra) : 01892 - 229022

Dharamsala Bus Station : 01892-224903

Banks ATM's and Exchange : McleodGanj has limited banks and just one ATM. State Bank of India ATM is just below the Bank Buliding.Other Bank in McleodGanj - Punjab National Bank.

Dharamsala has number of Banks and ATM's - State Bank of India with ATM - Punjab National Bank with ATM - HDFC BANK with ATM - ICICI Bank with ATM - Canara Bank with ATM - Jammu and Kashmir Bank,Bank of Baroda, Kangra Central Co-operative Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Allhabad Bank,Bank of India.

There are Several Authorized private Foreign Exchange agencies in McleodGanj and Dharamsala.
( Accept Foreign money and Travelers Cheque ) : The Punjab National Bank
State Bank of India McleodGanj ( Sunday Open )
Paul Merchants – Western Union , Thomas Cook

Post Office in McleodGanj : The McleodGanj post office is located on Jogiwara Road near the market.Opens Monday to Friday 9:30 am - 1:00 pm , 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm.Saturday 9:30 am - 12:00 pm.Sunday Closed.Parcels and moneyorders can be sent in the mornings only.Telephone : 01892-221924

Medical Services, Hosptials and Clinics in McleodGanj and Dharamsala :

Rajendra Prasad Medical College Tanda at Kangra, 500 Hundred Beded Hospital in Kangra with majorily all facilties.Telephone : 01892-267115

Internet Access : McleodGanj and Dharamsala has loads of Internet Facilities all charging around Rs.30-Rs.40.Majorily all Cyber cafes have Print and Photocopy machines.

Bookshops in McleodGanj, Dharamsala
 
Charitable Trust Book Shop, McLeod Ganj ( Books on Tibet, Its religion and Culture )
Little Lhasa Book House, McLeod Ganj
DIIR Bookshop, McLeod Ganj ( Sell Books on His Holiness The Dalai Lama and Tibetan Affairs )
Hills Book Shop, Bhasgu Road, McleodGanj
Youtse Book Shop, McleodGanj
Bookworm Book Shop, McleodGanj
Sagar Book Shop, McleodGanj
Buddhist Book Store, McleodGanj
Sherig Pharkhang, Gangchen Kyishong, Dharamsala
Tibet Book World, McleodGanj
Namgyal Book Shop, McleodGanj
Doritsung Bookshop, McleodGanj

Cinema / Video Halls : Cinemaa1 , Abrol Video , Memory Theatre

Photography : Moonpeak Pictures on Temple Road, McleodGanj , Click Digital , McleodGanj

Possible Inspiring People to Meet in Dharamsala

His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama – The schedule of His Holiness is full, and he travels extensively in the West teaching and speaking out for awareness of the Tibet situation, but a try for a private audience asking at his office is worth.

Ani Tenzin Palmo – Ani Tenzin Palmo, the author of Cave in the Snow. Ani Tenzin Palmo is an English born Tibetan Buddhist nun who spent fourteen years in retreat in a cave in Northern India and is now establishing a nunnery for Tibetan nuns in a small settlement outside of Dharamsala.

Ani Tenzin Sangmo – Ani Tenzin Sangmo is a Dutch Buddhist nun who is the leader in a project to create a nunnery/institute in Dharamsala to answer the spiritual training needs of Westerners who have become ordained as Buddhist nuns.

Bagdro – Bagdro is a Buddhist monk who escaped from Tibet in the early 1990’s after years of torture in a Chinese prison for participating in demonstrations for Tibetan independence. He is an engaging speaker, and the author of Hell on Earth, an autobiography that deals with his experiences in Tibet.

John Vincent Bellezza – Author of several books on Tibetan antiquities, he has been traveling in Tibet for three decades to areas that have previously been unknown to students of Tibetan history; fascinating view of Tibetan history and archaeology.

Elizabeth Napper – The force behind Dolma Ling Nunnery, where over 300 Tibetan nuns reside.

17th Karmapa – The Karmapa is in residence at Gyuto Monastery, living in exile after a dramatic escape from Tibet in 2000. The young Karmapa gives teachings four times per week.a try for a private audience asking at his office is worth.

Pu-Druk – An ex-political prisoner in Tibet; was imprisoned for fourteen years for leading peaceful demonstrations in eastern Tibet. Escaped from Tibet to Dharamsala in May, 2005.

Professor Samdhong Rinpoche – Professor S. Rinpoche is the Prime Minister of the Tibetan exile Government. As a monk, teacher and politician, he is highly revered as a Tibetan leader and speaks out clearly for Tibetan independence through non-violent resistance.

What to Bring :

Each international passenger who is coming for a good week long visit make sure you bring one carry-on bag plus a purse (camera bag, etc), plus two check in bags that weigh 70 pounds. Most people find that they can buy everything they need in India, (including favorite toothpastes and shampoos), as well as clothing of all sorts. Ssuggestion- bring a good camera (film is available in Dharamsala), plus batteries for your camera as Dharamsala especially, is one of the most photogenic locations in india.
If you are a light traveler, we suggest packing your carry-on bag with your personal items which includes your all time needs things and your travel requirements.Also Medical Supplies (medicines, bandages, etc) should be kept.

Famous Books and Reads :

Books on Dharamsala, Dalai Lama and Tibetans in Exile

Dharamsala Diaries by Swati Chopra

Birds of Kangra by Jan Willem Den Besten

Freedom in Exile is an autobiography of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama

Echoes from Dharamsala: music in the life of a Tibetan refugee community by Keila Diehl

Kundun: A Biography of the Family of the Dalai Lama by Mary Craig

The Road to Dharamsala: My Unexpected Life By Maureen Fallon

Living Tibet: The Dalai Lama in Dharamsala By Bill Warren, Nanci Hoetzlein Rose

Dharamsala, Tibetan refuge By Jeremy Russell

In Exile in the Land of the Snows - Richard Avedon
An interview with His Holiness by psychologist Howard Cutler, looks at a simple but broad-based view on what brings happiness.
Cave in the Snow - Ani Tenzin Palmo
Biography of Ani Tenzin Palmo, an English woman who became a Tibetan Buddhist nun and spent years in retreat in a cave in Northern India. She presently lives in Dharamsala.
The Art of Happiness - His Holiness the Dalai Lama
An interview with His Holiness by psychologist Howard Cutler, looks at a simple but broad-based view on what brings happiness.
Ethics for the New Millennium - His Holiness the Dalai Lama
A best-selling book about how business and individuals can use a compassion-based, ethical approach to daily lives.
The World’s Religions - Huston Smith
Huston Smith, a well-known scholar on world religions gives an insightful overview of the primary religions, including Tibetan Buddhism.