Dharamsala is situated in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It lies on a spur of the Dhauladhar range, the Pir Panjal region of the Outer Himalayas; and commands majestic views of the mighty Dhauladhar ranges above, and the Kangra Valley below. Dhauladhar means "white ridge" and this breathtaking, snow-capped range rises out of the Kangra Valley to a height of 5,200 meters (17,000 feet). Image by Dr B C Khanna The  mountains dominate the scenery in McLeod Gunj. They form a treacherous range creating unpredictable weather, but passes of 2,400 meters (8,900 feet) provide route for the herdsmen of the Ravi Valley beyond. The Kangra Valley is a wide, fertile plain, criss-crossed by low hills. The scenery touched the heart of a British official who wrote: "No scenery, in my opinion, presents such sublime and delightful contrasts. Below lies the plain, a picture of rural loveliness and repose... Turning from this scene of peaceful beauty, the stern and majestic hills confront us... above all are wastes of snow to rest on." Dharamsala is divided into two very different parts. Kotwali Bazaar and areas further down the valley (at the average height of 1,250 metres) are called Lower Dharamsala, while McLeod Gunj (at the height of nearly 1,800 metres)   and surrounding areas are known    as Upper Dharamsala. McLeodgunj is      nine kilometers by bus route and four kilometres by taxi route up the hill from Kotwali Bazaar.While inhabitants of Lower Dharamsala are almost all Indians,                   McLeod Gunj is primarily a Tibetan area. McLeod Gunj is surrounded by pine, Himalayan oak, rhododendron and deodar forests. The main crops grown by local Indians in the valleys below McLeod Gunj are rice, wheat and tea. Today, streams of Tibetan refugees from all over the world flock to McLeod Gunj to receive blessings and teachings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Western and Indian tourists and scholars come here to see the rebirth of an ancient and fascinating civilization. The high altitude and cool weather contribute physically to this recreation of the original Tibetan environment. Dharamshala pulsates with the sights and sounds of old Tibet. Though certainly more modern, life is basically Tibetan in character. Shops strung out along the narrow streets of McLeod Gunj sell traditional Tibetan arts and handicrafts and the aroma of Tibetan dishes lingers in the air.

Namgyal Monastery  Mcledoganj
Namgyal Monastery was founded by the Third Dalai Lama in the late sixteenth century to assist him in carrying out his religious activities. Read more....

The Gaddi Women's Self-help Society
   An Himalayan Women’s Association in India

Dharmkot and  Baal are small mountain  villages in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh. They are inhabited by a population of half-nomadic Hindu  shepherds, the Gaddis, who speak their own language and have their own  traditions and occupations. Since 1996, a group of women from these remote mountain hamlets are working and learning together in a local association,  “The Gaddi Women's Self Help Society." They are women who never had a chance to go to school, widows in desperate need to support their family, newly graduated young women in search of decent employment, Isabelle Pompignat Mahendroo, 38 and a teacher in France, is presently on an extended sabbatical with the purpose of educating and helping the tribal women of Himalayan regions to be self-reliant.                                                      Read more....

Share Your Experience  Ambika Bhatt is an English Literature Grad student from Delhi university. She is fond of writing, poetry and travel.   I have been to a lot of hill-stations in the Himalayas but only one place would always stand out distinctly in my mind, and that is Mcleodganj. The town has a character of its own. The friendly Tibetans make the experience an especially enjoyable one.             Read more..... 

Culture – Contacts &   Eco-Cultural Shock  By  P.PUROHIT  

 Hill-ecology and the culture based on it evolved in isolation in Nature's lap, so alien culture-contacts can be the cause for discontent. Symptoms of an 'eco-cultural shock'   are visible in the Dhauladhar foothills.                                                                                           Read more...

Harmonizing with the moon  Have you ever thought how deeply we are affected by the moon's cycles? With this understanding we can learn how to keep healthy and how to get the best results out of planting your garden or simply feeling more balanced within yourself and your surroundings. Courses take place every Sunday from 3 - 5 pm at House Om Tara on the footpath between Bhagsunath and Dharamkot.
For further information contact:-         Om Tara Dharamkot  phone:221365

The Magic of Dharamsala
The town of Dharamkot and Dharamsala are as pleasing to the eye as it is calming to the soul. Descendant of Rajputs, the Gaddis escaped the plains of Rajasthan to hide on the slopes of the outer Himalayan range of the Dhauladhar under the cover of tall, dark and very handsome pine trees. Mehru  Jaffer                                                                                                                                 Read more.....

 Why so many young Israelis are flocking to India

“I feel very uncomfortable in my own village, like I am in Israel, not in India,” he lamented. “When the Israelis are in a big group, they have no honor. They are rude and noisy. They smoke drugs, hug and.......                                                                                                       Read more ... 

Trekking in Dhauladhar :- There are a number of peaks in this region which are very tempempting and attract the novice mountaineers to scale them and learn the art of...   .                Read more.....