Dharamsala

We drove to Dharamsala which is around 250km from Shimla, through some stunning scenery but it takes a full day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 Dharamsala is in the western foothills of the Himalayas, and is a former British hill station, but it is probably best known as the home to His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, and the exiled Tibetan government. Our hotel for the night is the quaint Chonor House. Another early start with a walk around
The Tsuglagkhang complex which includes the main temple and residence of the Dalai Lama, the Namgyal Monastery, the Tibetan Parliament and the Tibetan Library that preserves the ancient Buddhist scriptures brought from Tibet. It is a very peaceful place, a lasting memory for us will be watching the young monks debating in the open air classes.

 

 We then took a short trip to the village of Naddi overlooking the snow covered peaks of the Dhauladhar mountain range, a fantastic area and one we would love to return to.

 



 On the way back we visited St. John's Church, an church built in 1852, with the Grave of Lord Elgin, of The Elgin marbles fame, and then a good look around the Norbulingka Institute. The Institute serves as a centre for teaching and preserving traditional Tibetan art forms including woodcarving, thangka painting and embroidery.

 





 

 

We finished the day with a cup of tea at a tea plantation an interesting walk around the processing plant and a stroll around the tea bushes taking in the wildlife and scenery.