Unforgettable Dharamshala

Located in northern India, Himachal Pradesh (Abode of Snow) is surrounded by Jammu and Kashmir in the north, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh in the south, southeast of Uttaranchal and the Chinese territory of Tibet to east. The state is mostly covered by low range of hills south Shivalik and dramatic high trans-Himalayan chain, as you go north. So you can spend the hill town of Dharamsala in the south in 1700, the Lahaul and Spiti, the district further north at 6500m. The geography and climate from snow to cool, set the sights and Himachal, in fact, tourism and economy of Apple managed by the state. Sutlej, Beas, Ravi and Parvati is the main watercourse.

Because of its mountainous nature, Himachal can be better understood in the valleys. In the southern valley of Kangra, Dharamsala, and a sister city McLeodganj are essential for the Dalai Lama of Tibet in exile. 

About Dharamshala

This is a hill station lying on the spur of the Dhauladhar range about 17 kms north- east of Kangra town. This hill station is wooded with oak and conifer trees and snow capped mountains enfold three sides of the town while the valley stretches in front. The snowline is perhaps more easily accessible at Dharamshala than at any other hill resort and it is possible to make a day's trek to a snow-point after an early morning's start. Dharamshala is also the headquarter of the Kangra district.

Dharamshala Cricket Ground

In and around Dharamshala, one can visit the Kangra Art museum at Kotwali bazar, War memorial, Kunal Pathri temple and tea gardens on way to Kunal Pathri. There is also a beautiful Cricket stadium in the city facing mighty Dhauladhar.

Dalai Lama Monastery, Mcleodganj

Mcleodganj

Dharamshala consists of two distinct parts - Lower Dharamshala and Upper Dharamshala. Lower Dharamshala is a busting civil and commercial centre whereas Upper Dharaamshala retains a colonial lifestyle with its British - modeled suburbs of Mcleodganj and Forsythganj.

General information

Languages Spoken: Hindi, Punjabi, English and Pahari are understood and spoken by the people engaged in tourism trade

Shopping centres: Kotwali Bazar, a general shopping area, and McLeod Ganj for Tibetan handicrafts

Area: 5739 sq. km

Population: 13.39 lakh

Altitude: Between 1250 m to 1550 m (Dharamshala)

Temperature: Max. 38 C in June; Min. 0 C in Jan.

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

Best season: January to June; September to December. July-August is rainy season. 

Clothing

Winter:    Heavy Woollens
Summer:  Light Woollens and tropical 

Dharamshala Airport

Approach

Air: The nearest airport at Gaggal is 14 km away after which it is accessible by road.

Rail: Pathankot is the nearest broad gauge railway terminal to Dharamshala. From Pathankot there is a narrow gauge railway line up to Kangra (94 km) and from here Dharamshala is 17 km by road.

Road: Direct and regular bus service from Delhi (520 km), Chandigarh (250 km), Jammu (210 km), Shimla (238 km), Chamba (185 km) and Manali (240 km).

                                      

Buddhist Destinations India

There are a number of destinations which you need to pay a visit to during your Buddhist tourism. We picked  India and the Buddhist destinations that are worth visiting. We have tried to give you detailed information on all these destinations. 

Talking about important Buddhist Destinations in India, the name that supersedes others is that of Bihar. Bihar is a state in east of India with its capital at Patna. The city of Bodhgaya is one of the four holy pilgrimage destinations in Buddhism. It was here that a prince in search of truth attained enlightenment and became the Buddha. Bihar also has a number of other Buddhist attractions in store which you can discover during your trip to the state. 

Chanting Under the Bodhi Tree

Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Jammu Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Madhya Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh are other destinations which make for worth visiting destinations in India. The first of these, Uttar Pradesh, is home to Sarnath and Kushinagar which are other two of the four holy Buddhist sites. Sarnath was the place where the Buddha delivered His first sermon after attaining enlightenment whereas in Kushinagar, He attained Mahaparinirvana. Buddhist places like Sravasti, Sankisa, and Kaushambi are also located in Uttar Pradesh. 

Dharamsala in the beautiful state of Himachal Pradesh is where the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama is settled with his followers and other countrymen. Apart from this, Himachal Pradesh also houses a number of Buddhist monasteries as well. The Ladakh region of Jammu Kashmir is predominantly Buddhists and here, too, a number of Buddhist monasteries can be seen. These monasteries are located in stunning locations, very often clinging to a hillside. The prime Buddhist attraction in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh are the Buddhist Monuments of Sanchi.

                                                   Palpung Sherabling Monastic Seat

The significance of Orissa in Buddhism is that it was here that an ambitious Indian king, Ashoka, realized that violence could be of no benefit to mankind. Inspired by the teachings of the Buddha, he renounced violence and took upon himself to spread dhamma. His efforts yielded fruitful result as the teachings of the Buddha not only spread to different parts of India, but also crossed boundaries to reach foreign land. Today, worth seeing in Orissa are the Buddhist Monuments of Udayagiri, Lalitgiri, Ratnagiri and Dhauli.

Dhauli Giri Shanti Stupa     Bhubaneswar Orissa

The northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim are also treasure trove of Buddhist heritage. Being close to Tibet, people here is influenced by the Tibetan form of Buddhism. Influence of Theravada Buddhism is also seen in the region. 

                                                         Buddhist Temple in Sikkim