Monks, music and the mountains
~Dharamshala travel diaries
A break from work was long overdue and after a few weeks of indecision, discussions and going back and forth, with choices of destinations ranging from Kuala Lumpur to the friendly neighbourhood mall, the eleven of us finally zeroed in and booked our tickets to Dharamshala.
The Bombardier Q400 landed in Kangra Airport at 1 pm, on time. It was drizzling constantly which made the 20 km drive to the hotel pleasant, a complete change from the hot and humid Chennai.
We checked into our hotel in Mcleodganj, exactly an hour later, and were welcomed with a cup of amazing Kashmiri Kahwa tea and views of the Dauladhar ranges.
The Temple, rain and music in the Cafe
After a simple lunch of roti, dal and subzi, we strolled leisurely towards the Dalai Lama temple passing by the market on the way. The calm and peaceful aura of temple was a contrast to the bustling market.
The Tsuglag Khang (Dalai Lama) temple is huge and very well maintained. It had beautifully and intricately decorated idols of Avalokteshwara, Kalachakra and Vishwamata (photography wasn’t allowed). The paintings at different points of the temple were stunning. We also got a chance to spin prayer wheels, which a monk explained, had mantras engraved on them and had the same effect as orally reciting them.
The rain was pouring when we walked out of the temple. We found shelter in a small tea shop playing the classic ‘Mere Sapno Ki Rani’. After thirty minutes and a few Kishore Kumar numbers, we started walking downhill to Illiterati cafe, amidst a mild drizzle.
Illiterati is one of the best cafe’s in Mcleodganj, owned by a Belgian couple. Located a little far away from town, it has a valley facing library, guitars and mouth-watering food. The wooden furniture and candle lights highlighted the tastefully done interiors.
We ordered food and settled down on the balcony enjoying views of the small houses below the mountains. One of my friends casually picked up the guitar and started playing, another started singing and all of us joined in chorus. It turned into a full blown music session for over an hour with random strangers joining us.
The magical evening ended with us doing an encore of A R Rahman’s ‘Dil se re’ and bidding goodbye to all the new people we met.
The Drive to Khajjiar, Maggi in the middle of nowhere and new socks
A trek to Triund seemed impossible since the skies showed no sign of clearing. Our hotel manager suggested a drive to Khajjiar and we reluctantly hired a car and three bikes for the ride.
We got going at around 8 am with ‘Ambarsariya’ playing on the car stereo. Khajjiar, proclaimed the mini Switzerland of India, and located around 6500 feet above sea level, was six hours away, a drive amidst mountains and valleys.
One thing I observed was that people in the hills followed road rules better. They had to.
The scenery once we crossed Dharamshala was a treat to the eyes. We drove up and down numerous hills and passed a number of small waterfalls along the route. The views of the Western Himalayan peaks as we drove along were mind blowing, and when we looked down, the heights were scary. It was one of those drives where we realised that no camera can capture what the eyes can see and the mind can process.
The five of us in the car reached Joth point around noon, after a couple 0f stops en-route. A fifteen minute walk up a small hill and we were treated to panoramic views of the mountains around and the valley below. A couple of photographs later, we strolled down.
The bikes were yet to catch up. We sat down in a roadside joint that was playing ‘O Hansini’, and just when we ordered Maggi, we received a phone call that one of the bikes had broken down. We went downhill again and found the bikes parked adjacent to a small roadside shop. Finding a mechanic would take some time as the nearest town was an hour away. We decided to get some food first.
This small shop stocked everything one could think of getting in a supermarket. In an attempt to troll the owner, we asked if he had a pair of socks, and he came back with two boxes of different designs and colours.
It took us a couple of hours to get started again after repairs and refuelling. We were running late. It was around 5 pm and Khajjiar was 20 km away. We reached in an hour when the dark clouds were just clearing away and were welcomed to views of the Deodhar forests that surrounded the grassy fields. There was a small lake in the centre and a few shops around.
The sun going behind the trees and the little dollops of light that came through them were stunning to view. We played football for sometime till it became dark.
The drive back was another six hours. I was really sleepy and the last thing I remember was listening to ‘Annul Maelae’ while looking into the valley that was brightly lit up by the homes below, through the car window.
Sport, Art and the cafe above the waterfall
‘Podhuvaga En Manasu Thangam’ blared my phone’s alarm at 7 am, hardly 5 hours after I had slept. I looked around and no one was up. We did not have any specific plans for the day. This was my chance to do a solo walk around Mcleodganj and probably try the quaint cafes along the way for breakfast.
It was a good decision. The breakfast of Tibetian Homemade bread with honey, butter tea, tomato and cheese sandwich, fries and veggie salad in olive oil was a great start to the day.
Everyone was up by the time I was back and we started towards the Dharamshala Cricket Stadium on five bikes.
The HPCA stadium is located around 5000 feet above sea level. It has snow capped Himalayan peaks in the background, and seemed straight out of a painting. Are the cricketers not distracted by such beauty when they play here ?
After an hour of admiring the stadium’s beauty , we headed towards the Norbulingka Institute, in the small town of Sidhwari. The Institute is dedicated to the preservation of Tibetian art, culture and literature. It provides training and employment to the community. The forms of art taught include painting, intricate metal work, woodwork and paper making.
The campus also houses a beautiful temple amidst a garden. The walls of the temple are painted with murals depicting the life of Dalai Lama and it houses a 4 feet high Buddha idol. There is also a doll house nearby that displays miniature dolls in traditional Tibetian costumes.
After an excellent lunch at Tibet Kitchen in the McLeodganj market, we started walking to the Bhagsu waterfall, and the much hyped Shiva Cafe, which was located above it.
The mouth of the waterfall is a 45 minute trek along a winding stone path which rises gradually. A further ten minute hike along steps takes you to Shiva’s cafe from where you get mesmerising views.
The cafe itself is done up beautifully with a small pool, paintings and lighting. They serve really good chai and hot chocolate.
We spent more than an hour in Shiva’s cafe before walking back down and settling for dinner at a restaurant nearby.
A little shopping and back home again
The final day started off with breakfast at Four Seasons cafe, a small four-tabled family owned place, which served the delicious pancakes, waffles and milkshakes.
We then spent an hour going in and out of numerous stores and buying small gifts for friends and family. It was pack up time at noon and we headed back to Kangra airport, with a zillion memories and ‘Mustafa Mustafa’ playing in the car.
The Dalai Lama once said
Once a year, go someplace you have never been before.
We chose his place this year!
