Leisure Tours India

Dharamshala is the district headquarte rs of Kangra district. This is a hill station lying on the spur of the Dhauladhar range about 18 kms north- east of Kangra town. Hill station is wooded with oak and conifer trees and snow capped mountains enfold three sides of the town while the valley stretches in front. The snow line is perhaps more easily accessible at Dharamshala than at any other hill resort and it is possible to trek to snow point after an early morning's start.

In 1905, tragedy struck Dharamshala when an earthquake leveled it completely. After its reconstruction, Dharamshala flourished as a quiet health resort. It is divided into two distinct parts. Lower Dharamshala has civil offices and business establishments with courts. Kotwali Bazar and Upper Dharamshala compose of places with names which bear witness to its history like Mc Leod Ganj and Forsythe Ganj. Since 1960, when it became a temporary hqrs. of his Holiness The Dalai Lama, Dharamshala has risen to international fame as "The Little Lhasa in India".

BHAGSUNAG FALLS	ST. JOHN'S church	MC LEOD GANJ	DHARAMKOT
WAR MEMORIAL	KUNAL PATHRI	KARERI	TRIUND

General Information
LANGUAGES	:	Hindi, Punjabi, English and Pahari are understood & spoken by the people engaged in tourism trade.
SHOPPING CENTRES	:	Kotwali Bazar, a general shopping area and Mc Leod Ganj for Tibetan handicrafts.
AREA	:	5739 sq. kms
POPULATION	:	13.39 lakh.
ALTITUDE	:	Between 1250 m to 1550 m (Dharamshala).
TEMPERATURE	:	Max. 38 C in June; Min. 0 C in Jan.
ANNUAL RAINFALL	:	Varies between 290 cms. To 380 cms. Second highest rainfall in the country.
BEST SEASON	:	March to June: September to December
CLOTHING	:	Winter: Heavy Woollens Summer: Light Woollen and tropical

ACCESS

Air: The nearest airport at Gaggal is 13 kms away after which it is accessible by road.

Rail: Pathankot, the terminal of the broad gauge railway, is 90kms There is also a narrow gauge train from Pathankot which comes up to Kangra (94 kms). and from here Dharamshala is 17 kms by road.

Road: Direct and regular bus service from Delhi (520 kms), Chandigarh (240 kms), Jammu (210 kms), Shimla (240 kms), Chamba (192 kms) and Manali (265 kms).

WHAT TO SEE

Mc LEOD GANJ: A number of residential buildings, restaurants, antique and curio shops, together with famous Tibetan institutions have lent importance to Mc Leod Ganj. The Buddha temple is situated opposite to the present abode of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama and is worth a visit. The Tibetan Institute of performing Arts (TIPA) is 1 km. walk from Mc Leod Ganj and preserves a number of musical dance and theatrical traditions of Tibet. It holds an annual 10-day folk opera commencing on the second Saturday of April. There is also a Tibetan handicraft centre situated at Mc Leod Ganj and a Sunday market is organized at about 10 minutes walk from here.

BHAGSUNAG FALLS: At a distance of 11 kms from Lower Dharamshala, Bhagsunag can be approached by road. Here an old temple, a fresh water spring and restaurant are located. Further about 2 kms is beautiful Bhagsunag water falls which sooths one's eyes.

ST. JOHN'S church: The church of St. John's in the wilderness lies on a motorable road between Mc Leod Ganj and Forsythe Ganj 8 kms from Lower Dharamshala. It has a monument of Lord Elgin, one of the Viceroys of India, who died in Dharamshala and was buried here in 1863.

DAL LAKE: The lake lies amidst hills and stately fir trees 11 kms from Lower Dharamshala connected by motorable road. It is the starting point of excursions and trekking and is located next to the Tibetan Children's village.

DHARAMKOT: Situated on the crest of hill 11 kms from Dharamshala. This picnic spot affords a panoramic view of the Kangra valley, Pong Dam lake and Dhauladhar ranges.

TRIUND (2975 m): 20 kms from Dharamshala, Triund lies at the feet of the perpetually snow clad Dhauladhar at the height of 2975 mtrs. The snow line starts at Ilaqa, 5 kms from Triund. It is a popular picnic and trekking spot. Accommodation is available in the rest house of Forest Department but water has to be fetched from a distance of about 2 kms Ropeway is being installed from Dharamshala to this place.

WAR MEMORIAL: Set amidst beautiful surroundings, this memorial is built near the entry point to Dharamshala to commemorate the memory of those who fought valiantly for the defence of the motherland.

KUNAL PATHRI: A level 3 kms walk from Kotwali Bazar leads upto the rock temple of the local goddess.

KARERI: 22 kms from Kotwali Bazar it has a rest house for night halt. On way visit Kareri lake situated at the distance of 13 kms from rest house. Durbasa and Kali temples are located here.

JWALAMUKHI TEMPLE: The famous temple of Jwalamukhi is 35 kms from Kangra and 56 kms from Dharamshala. Dedicated to the "GODDESS OF LIGHT", the temple is one of the most popular Hindu temples in northern India. There is no idol of any kind. The flame is considered as a manifestation of the goddess. An eternally burning and shining blue flame emanates from the rock sanctum and is fed by the priests with the offerings of devotees. The golden tower (dome) of the temple was a gift from the Emperor Akbar. Two important fairs are held here during the Navratras in earlier April and mid October.

DEHRA GOPIPUR: It is situated on the bank of the Beas. It is possible to use Dehra as a base for different fishing areas like Pong Dam, Pattan, kurn and Nadaun. There are PWD & Forest rest houses for a night stay. One can also visit the famous temple of Chintpurni from here.

TRILOKPUR: It is situated 41 kms from Dharamshala and can be approached by road. The natural cave temple of Trilokpur contains a stalactite and stalagmite is dedicated to Shiva. High on the ridge of the cave are ruins of a palace and baradari (audience hall) of Lehna Singh Majitha, Governor of Kangra hills during the Sikh rule.

NURPUR: 66 kms from Dharamshala, Nurpur is famous for an old fort and a temple of Brij Raj. Nurpur acquired its name in 1672, when Jahangir, the Mughal Emperor named it after his wife Nur Jahan. Nurpuri shawls are good. There is a PWD rest house for the convenient stay of tourists.

MASROOR: Known for its monolithic rock temples, Masroor is 40 kms from Kangra Town. There are 15 rock cut temples in Indo-Aryan style and richly carved. The temples partly ruined now are profusely decorated with sculptural ornamentations, conceived in the same manner as the great temple of Kailash at Ellora in Maharashtra with which they bear a striking resemblance. The main temple is dedicated to Lord Ram, Lakshman and Sita.