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.