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.