Place of Interest – Mcleodganj and Dharamshala, in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh
Distance – 400km from the National Capital of New Delhi, takes 7 to 8 hours to reach via roads and Ghats.
Regular buses from Dharamshala to Delhi. Mcleodganj is a suburb of Dharamshala.
Route – Follow the detour of Chandigarh towards Bhakra Nangal Dam and take left from the Shimla Highway, not going towards Shimla but heading straight north.
Closer cities – Jalandhar and Palampur
Trip Cost for two people – 14,000/- for two nights including stay, travel and food. Shopping based on individual.
Best Way to Travel – Own vehicle or Rented Taxi
Places of Interest In Order of Personal Liking Preference – St. John’s Church in the Wilderness, Bhagsu Waterfall, Triund Hill, Coffee Talk Cafe, Moon Light Cafe, Tibetan Museum and Monastery, The Tibetan Library, Norbulingka Institute, Dal Lake (timepass, ok if avoided, not very great), Kalachakra Temple if tired and want to relax.
Favourite places and worth spending time – Bhagsu Waterfall and St. John’s Church in the Wilderness.
Hotels Preferred – Nandini Residency Upper Dharamshala
A land faraway hidden at the backdrop of the mountains,
Alpines and Deodhar peaked to glory like the shower of a fountain,
Green patches of lush, green leaves ran to tell us stories,
Whispering of the gushing winds washed away by the screech of the Lorries,
Churches and cafes hold their divine aura,
A resort with a misty blend is all you need alongside a rejuvenated sauna,
Wilderness that stretched inside the lonely and unexplored trails of the forest,
Only to discover rustic churches that rested in the vicinity of a tiny sparrow’s nest,
An addiction to get stoned led us to a secret waterfall,
Discovering a trekking path that gave an experience of no less than a summersault,
Goats and buffaloes smothered and hovered like friends alike foes,
The adventure and fear of the journey bound to make us forget all the sorrows,
Dharamshala surprised with the holiness of the temples,
A planned city and corporation that provided a panoramic view even of the tiniest quadrangle,
Mcleodganj on the top lead us to a fairytale meadow,
A road unexplored as cloudy as mist, as green as chlorophyll, where loved following our own shadow,
A café in which we hogged for the tempting smell of freshly brewed cocoa,
Right opposite a friend emerged from the cutest burrow,
As the evenings progressed and lights of yonder fell upon the ranges,
Kris emerged a chivalrous youth making way for innumerable, mischievous sign messages,
The nudge that touched sent a chill down my spine,
He chuckled in his fancy and embraced me with his arms divine,
An unrequited gush of love I could feel right through his eyes,
Mcleodganj unleashed my free spirit once more in the vast mountain highs,
Those roads and those paths certainly less travelled,
Gifted an experience of a surreal place unraveled.
Until next time folks!!
Rucha S Khot
