Page 128 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

126  DELHI & THE NOR TH

w Dharamsala
Kangra district. 238 km (148 miles)
NW of Shimla. * 19,100. ~ Gaggal,
11 km (7 miles) S of town centre.
£ Pathankot, 80 km (50 miles) NW of
Dharamsala, then bus or taxi. @
n HP Tourism, McLeodganj (01892)
221 205. ( daily. _ Summer Festival
(May), Bodh Festival (Oct/Nov).
This hill station, established
by the British in the mid-19th
century, is today the home of
the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Tibetan nuns in their red robes, a common sight in Dharamsala
Government-in-Exile. Located
on the lower spurs of the temple has a raised dais from includes the excellent Library
Dhauladhar Range, the town where the Dalai Lama holds of Tibetan Works and Archives,
consists of two sections – the discourses, and three beautiful a museum on the first floor
lower town with the main bus images from the Buddhist with bronze images and
stand and bazaar, and the upper pantheon – Sakyamuni (the thangkas, as well as the
town, known as McLeodganj, Historical Buddha), Avalokitesvara Institute of Tibetan Medicine.
9 km (6 miles) to its north, (see p145), and Padmasambhava Nearby is the Nechung
which is the destination of most (see p124 & p143). The Dalai Monastery, the seat of the
foreign visitors. There is little of Lama is believed to be an Tibetan State Oracle, whose
interest in the lower town, apart incarnation of Avalokitesvara. predictions about major events
from the lively Kotwali Bazaar Another temple in the complex in the coming year carry great
and the Museum of Kangra Art. has an intricate mural of weight in the Tibetan
The museum has an excellent the Kalachakra (“Wheel community. Also on
collection of Kangra miniatures of Time”) and beautiful the road to Kotwali
(see p125) and also houses sand mandalas, which Bazaar, close to
a school that teaches the are painstakingly McLeodganj, is
art of miniature painting. created by the monks the picturesque
McLeodganj, the upper over a period of time and Church of St-John-
town, named after Donald then ritually destroyed. in-the-Wilderness, a
McLeod, the lieutenant governor Situated at the grey stone structure
of Punjab in 1848, is primarily a northern edge of built in 1852. Brass
Tibetan settlement. Its focal point town are the Tibetan plaques and superb
is the Tsuglagkhang Complex, Institute of Perform ing Belgian stained-glass
located at the southern edge Arts, and the beautiful windows can be
of the town, which contains the Norbulingka Institute, Stained glass, seen inside the church.
residence of the Dalai Lama (not where traditional arts St-John-in-the- The tomb of Lord
open to visitors), the Namgyal and crafts are promoted. Wilderness Elgin, the British
Monastery, where monks can Gangchen Kyishong, viceroy who died here
be seen debating in the after- the administrative centre of the in 1863 while on holiday,
noons, and the important Tibetan Government-in-Exile, lies in the churchyard.
Tsuglagkhang Temple. A simple is midway between the upper
hall, painted in yellow, the and lower towns. This complex Environs
The pretty village of Dharamkot,
north of McLeodganj, is reached
by a 3-km (2-mile) long road,
lined with deodar and oak trees.
There are superb views of the
Kangra Valley from the village.
E Museum of Kangra Art
Main Rd, Dharamsala. Tel (01892) 224
214. Open Tue–Sun.
E Library of Tibetan Works
and Archives
Gangchen Kyishong, McLeodganj Rd.
Open Mon–Fri.
R St-John-in-the-Wilderness
The brightly painted façade of Namgyal Monastery, McLeodganj Open daily. 5 11am Sun.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see p695 and p707

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm