Visit to India - Part 6 - Dalhousie

Our stay in India was gradually coming to an end. We could not believe that already 8 days have passed since we first arrived in Delhi. Our final destination for the tour was Dalhousie. When we reached Dalhousie, it was around 4 in the evening.

It had a different climate and surrounding compared to other areas we travelled. The hotel we stayed was much cleaner. During the climate change, Dalhousie was the first place to snow. Till about a week ago the town had been closed due to snowing and now the snow has begun to melt. 

We checked into the rooms and came out to visit the sites before it is going to be night as the air would be too cold to be outdoors. We took the car and drove near a place called Subash Chowk. It is named after the well-known freedom fighter, Subhash Chandra Bose. Surrounded by snow-covered mountains, this place is sure to relax you. It is visited by a lot of travelers who come here to admire the beautiful view. Located 1km from Dalhousie, it is an ideal spot for people to enjoy their vacations in every season. There are many dhabas, fast food shops selling drink and local food to the visitors.

It was dusk and the sky was covered with colours of red, orange, yellow and pink which formed a backdrop to the white snow-covered mountain tops. There was a church called St. John’s church. It is the oldest church in the town and has a lot of religious and historical importance. Lady Elgin donated stained-glass windows which happens to be the main attraction of the church. There is a library which has an awesome collection of books and photography within the church buildings.

After visiting the church, we headed towards Ghandi Chowk. It is a marketplace full of local shops. We had a good walk around and helped ourselves to some street food as it was the final night and we wanted to get a real taste of India. It is a very busy place at night full of many locals who have some time eating, shopping and hanging out in the open. 

Unfortunately, we could not visit the famous Khajjiar which was called the Mini Switzerland in India. But I guess the best time to visit the place is during summer when the trees are green. We went back to the hotel and had our dinner which was our last dinner in India before we left.

The following morning, we got up early, had our breakfast and headed towards Delhi which was almost 600km from Dalhousie to reach the airport. 

9 days in India is not enough as I personally believed to get a good grip of what India had to offer. But we were lucky enough to cover as much as possible moving from Delhi up to Dalhousie covering archeological and religious sites, experiencing different landscapes, engaging in adventure and most of all, experiencing snow. 

India is a country with a great diversity in cultures, religions, people, landscapes, food, clothing you name it. Any traveler would be fortunate to experience this diversity which is unique to the country. As a whole, I found the people to be friendly maybe because we were Sri Lankans. There were areas of low standards of living and the poverty was apparent everywhere. India would offer any tourist different levels of comfort depending on the amount of money that you are willing to spend. 

We did not use any public transport and the places we stayed and dined were decent ones which gave clean food and decent rooms. The level of satisfaction depends on the person who experience it and you should never try to compare it with facilities of another as it would be difficult to compare as there are not apple to apple comparisons. 

Visiting Himachal has always been a dream of mine. I finally did it and experienced the winter there. But I guarantee that the summer would be equally beautiful. 

With the promise of coming back again during summer and visiting these beautiful sites, I said goodbye to India and finishing chapters of my travel to India on my blog. It was unforgettable 9 days that were spent in India in our neighbouring land and I assure you that this is one overseas tour that you should not missed as It is relatively cheap and affordable.

Visit to India - Part 5 - Dharamshala

We left Manali and headed towards Dharamshala on the following day. The distance was around 250km and it took us about 7 hours to reach there. We had to come back to Kullu and taka a turn at Mandi to reach Dharamshala. On our way we passed the Beas River and the initial part of the trek was under construction and as a result it took some time more than we expected. We had lunch on our way and reached Dharamshala during the evening. 

The hotel we stayed was better than where we were before. We checked into the room and went out thinking of going to the Tibetan Monastry. The night was almost near and we could see the town below and the moon above. We had to go through a bazaar and the place was becoming active with traveler.

By the time we reached the monastery, it was closed. So we headed by stopping at different shops which were selling different religious artifacts of Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism. There were colourful arts, statues and various other items of religious significance.

After doing some shopping, having some coffee and cake we came back to the hotel, had our dinner and went to sleep. 

The following morning we woke up had our breakfast and walked to see the Bhasunag temple and the waterfall. There was a small trek that led to the waterfall. It was a small waterfall not so difficult to access but it was good morning walk. It is one of the best tourist attractions in Dharamshala and is known for its old temple, a fresh water spring, and slate quarry a waterfall surrounded by stunning cliffs and trees. Tourists can take a dip in the chilly water of this fall and visit the Bhagsunag temple to seek blessing of Lord Shiva. The height of this waterfall is approximately 20 meters and it is an absolute marvel to look at, especially during the monsoon. There is a nice cafeteria next to the fall for tourists to indulge in lip-smacking snacks and drinks that are served hot. 

From there we checked out of the hotel and visited the famous Dharamshala Cricket Stadium. It was one of the colourful stadiums we have seen and was constructed in a beautiful landscape. When you sit there you can see mountains covered with snow above. It is known as the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium (HPCA) and it can house 23000 spectators. Though the stadium was established in 2003, the first One Day International match was played only in 2013 against England. It is located in the Kangra valley and surrounded by the Dhauladhar mountain range.

After spending about an hour there we went to visit the Dal Lake. There was not much water and not of a much crowd.  As this was the winter season it was not active and was not clean as well. It was named after the Dal Lake in Kashmir and there is a shiva temple on the banks and during September pilgrims come there for a special festival.

From the lake we went to see the War Memorial. War Memorialis located at the entry point of the Dharamshala town and it was built to commemorate the memory of those who fought valiantly for the honor of their motherland. This place is ideally located in the pine forest of Dharamshala and offers a very pleasant walk through the woods. War Memorial is a tribute to those brave souls who sacrificed their life for the country and this signifies that these soldiers will always be alive in our thoughts. During the operations of 1947-48, 1962, 1965, and 1971 and various peacekeeping missions, many soldiers lost their lives, and it was in their memory that the War Memorial was built with the names of those many heroes inscribed on the stone.

After visiting the memorial, we started our journey. This was our last night in India and we were heading toward Dalhousie. We drove about 125km and reached Dalhousie around 5pm in the evening.