In lap of The Dhauladhar Mounts - Mcleodganj

Caught Himsuta bus from Delhi ISBT for Dharamshala after a hectic day at work, with an intent to go away from fast life of metro city and spend next few days in lap of The Mighty Himalayas. Traveled overnight and entered the land of Gods. The city was serene and magnificent. The military trucks were the only vehicles on roads, exercising their drill operations.

Spellbound on witnessing the first glimpse of mountains, i grew into more excitement and glee. Mountains had just emerged from snow blanket, were misty and blooming in lush green which allured me even more. Mountains always make me happier, i sense the freshness of Himalayas bestow a magic on each one of us in its own way.

Suddenly i started to shiver and realized that it was really cold outside, colder than i expected, to which rain added fire and within next 30 min, it got icy cold so i headed to hotel. This is the beauty of Himalayas, its weather, which fluctuates so quickly that you don't even realize. I stood beside the window side in my room and looked at beautiful mountains dousing in rainstorm, rain pounding and thunder roaring. 

A walk through the city

While walking on the roads, I was amazed to see a foreign face every now and then from market place to narrow lanes, as if i landed on a foreign land. Mcleodganj is a blend of Tibetan culture and a hippie vibe, full of monks/nuns draped in dark red, outlandish cafes buzzing good music and people from around the world. I was surprised to spot a very few Indian tourists and the overwhelming majority of whites.  There are many English cafes, rooftop restaurants, tea shops and many Tibetan dhabas which are usually habituated by tourists. There are tons of courses in things like yoga, meditation, tarot reading, massage etc. Many Westerners stay here for a month or two at a time.

Like most hill stations in India, Mcleodganj houses a big Tibetan market where Tibetans sell all sort of adventure equipment, trekking gear, hand knit woolen and various knickknacks which tourist buy as archival of their presence. The Dalai Lama lives here and it's the seat of the Tibetan government in exile. The population and culture is heavily Tibetan. People are calm and welcoming.

Stepped in Dalai Lama Monastery, I spotted a hoarding to my left which talked about The World's Youngest Political Prisoner who is being stolen by Chinese from Tibet and is in their custody since 1996. There were graffiti and statues inside Monastery, sighting remorse for wars in Tibet and life of refugees. I was amused to see little lamas whirling and clapping while participating in debate and was overwhelmed to see their adherence towards the teachings of Dalai Lama. I was even more blown away when I looked at Tibetans apologizing for their mistakes by relentlessly practicing punishment.

Have you been to Mcleodganj? If yes, share your experience.