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Destination > Dharamsala |
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This is
a hill station lying on the spur of the Dhauladhar range
about 17 kms north- east of Kangra town. This 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 snowline is perhaps more easily
accessible at Dharamshala than at any other hill resort and
it is possible to make a day's trek to a snow-point after an
early morning's start. Dharamshala is also the headquarter
of the Kangra district.
Naddi Village
near Dharamshala
In
1905, tragedy struck Dharamshala when an earthquake levelled
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 comprise of places with names which bear witness
to its history like McLeod Ganj and Forsythe Ganj. Since
1960, when it became a temporary headquarter of His Holiness
The Dalai Lama, Dharamshala has risen to international fame
as "The Little Lhasa in India". Mcleodganj is 9 km from
Dharamshala.
In
and around Dharamshala, one can visit the Kangra Art museum
at Kotwali bazar, War memorial, Kunal Pathri temple and tea
gardens on way to Kunal Pathri. There is also a beautiful
Cricket stadium in the city facing mighty Dhauladhar.
General information
Languages Spoken: Hindi, Punjabi, English
and Pahari are understood and spoken by the people engaged
in tourism trade
Shopping centres: Kotwali Bazar, a general
shopping area, and McLeod Ganj for Tibetan handicrafts
Area: 5739 sq. km
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 cm to
380 cm second highest rainfall in the country.
Best season: January to June; September to
December. July-August is rainy season.
Clothing
Winter: Heavy Woollens
Summer: Light Woollens and tropical
Approach
Air: The nearest airport at Gaggal is
14 km away after which it is accessible by road.
Rail: Pathankot is the nearest broad
gauge railway terminal to Dharamshala. From Pathankot
there is a narrow gauge railway line up to Kangra (94
km) and from here Dharamshala is 17 km by road.
Road: Direct and regular bus service
from Delhi (520 km), Chandigarh (250 km), Jammu (210
km), Shimla (238 km), Chamba (192 km) and Manali (265
km).
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Distances from Dharamshala
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Places to visit
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Km
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Baijnath Shiv temple |
54 |
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Bhagsunag falls
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11 |
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Dal lake |
12 |
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Dehra Gopipur |
52 |
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Dharamkot |
11 |
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Jawalamukhi temple |
54 |
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Kareri |
22 |
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Kunal pathari |
03 |
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Masroor |
42 |
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Nurpur |
66 |
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St. John's Church |
08 |
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Trilokpur |
41 |
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Triund |
16 |
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War memorial |
03 |
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Places to see |
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Dharamkot |
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Situated
on the crest of hill 11kms. from Dharamshala. This picnic
spot affords a panoramic view of the Kangra valley, Pong Dam
lake and Dhauladhar ranges. |
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Bhagsunag Falls |
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At a
distance of 11kms. from Lower Dharamshala, Bhagsunag can be
approached by road, here an old temple, a fresh water spring
and restaurant are located. Further about 2kms. is beautiful
Bhagsunag water falls which sooths one's eyes. |
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Mcleaodganj |
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A number
of residential buildings, restaurants, antique and curio
shops, together with famous Tibetan institutions have lent
importance to McLeod Ganj. The Budha 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 1km. walk from McLeod 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 McLeod Ganj and a
Sunday market is organized at about 10 minutes walk from
here. |
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Paragpur |
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Located
at an elevation of 2000 feet above sea level, heritage
village Pragpur is ideally suited to explore the Kangra
valley. The area has several streams that drain into the
river Beas. Many places of historic, religious and cultural
importance are with in easy reach. With its equitable
climate, easy access, safe passage and rich flora and fauna,
Pragpur and its surroundings offers an ideal location for
village tourism. The ambience of the heritage zone of
Garli-Pragpur is zealously protected by the local residents.
In their endeavour that Garli-Pragpur retains its unique
character, panchayats preserve their heritage buildings.
Several heritage structures are now being restored using
original techniques but with modern facilities to facilitate
tourist.
The Taal: Dating
before 1868, the Taal or pond forms the core of Pragpur
village and serves as a recreational space for young and
aged alike. It was constructed by the village brotherhood
known as the Nehar Committee. The Taal is surrounded by many
heritage structures-the Nehar Bhawan (Approx 250 years old);
Naun (around 1864), a drinking water facility by Nehar
Committee; Dhuni Chand Bhardial Serai (village inn) and
Radha Krishna Mandir.
Butail Niwas: This is a unique building. Over a hundred years old, it was
built by Lala Buta Mal, a scion of the Chaujjar Sood clan.
It includes six identical apartments built for his six sons.
These lie around a sunken courtyard. In warmer weather, this
courtyard is flooded with water to provide cooling. The
water for this has been brought by the Butails from the
nearby Nalsuyah Khad.
Nakki: This is
one of the entrance to heritage village Pragpur. Since
ancient times, the Reru Mal family provided a water point
for common use, the overflow of which falls into small tanks
where the village people bathed and washed.
The Judge's Court:
Completed in 1918, this is a splended country
manor designed in Indo-European tradition. The visionary
behind this bold structure was Justice Sir Jai Lal. It
stands in 12 acres of greens, and is just a short walk from
the village core and the Taal. It is now run by the owning
family as a heritage hotel. Other places of interest with in
heritage village Pragpur are Lala Reru Mal Haveli built in
1931 by Rais of Pragpur which has a Mughal style garden,
pleasure terrace and a large water reservoir; Butail Mandir;
Chaujjar Mansion; Courtyards of the Sood clans, an ancient
Shakti Mandir bearing inscriptions in the largely obsolete
Tankry script and Atiyalas or public platforms. The area is
inhabited by many crafts people-weavers, basket makers,
silversmiths, painters, musicians and tailors etc. The
residents of Garli-Pragpur are hospitable. There is always a
warm welcome for tourists and the area provides a safe
passage. The area is round the year visitable, especially
January and September when the Lohri and wrestling festivals
are celebrated.
Sixty
km from Dharmshala, this small village seems to hold the
kernel of much of Kangra’s rural beauty. Pragpur has been
notified as a Heritage Village by Himachal Pradesh Govt. in
December 1997. The twin village Garli-Pragpur has been
declared as heritage zone in 2002. Pragpur is 175 km from
Chandigarh & 25 km from Jwalaji.
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