Dharmashala - Kangra Valley

All forms of Buddhism believe in reincarnation: everyone is bound to a cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth until they gain enlightenment and can ’step off the wheel’.

Bodhisattvas are perfect beings who, after attaining freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth, choose to stay on the wheel of life as an act of charity and compassion to assist others in finding enlightenment.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is regarded as a Bodhisattva for our times by Buddhists. ‘Dalai Lama’ is a salutary title meaning ‘Ocean of Wisdom’. All holders of the title are assumed to be the earthly incarnation of Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion.

Dharamshalas most famous draw arrives and leaves at increasingly infrequent intervals these days. Perhaps such are the exigencies of being a Bodhisattva. Being the Dalai Lama is to straddle the twin worlds of a globetrotting temporal seat and being the spiritual leader of millions.
For 55 years, Dharamshala has been the pontiff’s office-in exile. For eons, it also has been one of the Himalayas’ most alluring destinations. Set against the stupendous snow-topped Dhauladhar mountains, Dharamshala nestles on the high slopes in the upper ranges of Kangra valley. It is a picturesque town in the midst of thick conifer forests and is divided into two major areas. Lower Dharamshala (1250 m) is a busy commercial area with the government offices, the bazaar and the bus stand and Upper Dharamshala (1982 m) is bordered by the tiny dwellings of Forsythganj and McLeodganj, which have retained the British flavour and colonial lifestyle.

The town is hemmed in on three sides by the Dhauladhar range and the valley stretches beyond to the south. Breathtaking beauty amidst pine-and-timber woods, serene mountain rivulets and lakes, tea gardens and several valleys of flowers comprise the geography.

The Tsuglagkhang Temple is the most renowned Buddhist monument in McLeodganj. There are three magnificent images of Buddha, including a gilded statue of Shakyamuni.

The Kalachakra Temple, close by, is open to the public. The Dalai Lama uses this temple as his base for public teaching. The centre of the main Northern mural is a large painting of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni surrounded by all 722 deities of the Mandala.

The Namgyal Monastery is unique for its diversity of practice. Namgyal monks perform prayers and rituals of all the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

Museum of Kangra Art - This museum is a treasure chest of the Kangra Valley’s arts and crafts.
Dharamshala is a place for relaxation, a pace to unwind yourself. But for adventurous souls, this place also has spectacular and challenging treks from McLeodganj. The 12 km climb to Triunda at a height of 2800 meters will bring you to a level clearing and an icy pond, the likes of which you will not find elsewhere. This is a hill station with a difference: the several separate areas of the town are located at the different altitudes of the Dhauladhar range. Consequently, the temperature varies between 35 degrees Celsius in summer to zero in winter.

Such is Dharamshala. A visit here is quite literally a holiday to soothe the soul.

This article was published in, one leading newspaper of India.

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