Located 223 km from Manali, Himachal Pradesh, this is a place where you can experience more about Tibetan culture and people. The suburb is also known as “Dhasa” because of large population of Tibetan people. It is famous for the Dalai Lama Monastery located near the market place. There are monks moving around the monastery in red robes, prayer wheels are installed at various places, people are seen meditating at white stupa and there’s more to observe. As I was totally unknown to this culture, I requested a monk to explain about the whole monastery and to my surprise I got information which was worth listening.The history of the monastery, there daily schedules, various programmes arranged in the monastery, the importance of the things placed before Buddha and what not. The same day I decided to attend the meditation session early morning at the monastery. Next day, the session was arranged on the foothills of a mountain located nearby and the experience of meditating peacefully between the mountains and seeing the sunrise was worth living. The calmness and the enlightened state I experienced that day was overwhelming.
Also known for it’s market place, it definitely introduces you more to the Tibetan culture. There are small stalls installed along the roadside and there are women selling out the products. When asked, the women told that each handicraft present in the stall was handmade. And to my amusement the bead necklaces, wall hanging, articles carved in wood,were all very fabulous. Along with this talent they very well knew how to do business. But one thing that was common was that each lady was busy doing her art and that made a impression.
The restaurants and cafe’s here are the best. All of these have great Tibetan cuisines to offer and believe me if you go to a local, simple restaurant you can get the original Tibetan cuisine. Even though the suburb is a bit undeveloped, the restaurants here are modern with great scenic views. There are various types of tourists visiting MCleod Ganj and this is the best place to interact with them! I met a lot of people in these restaurants and cafe’s and listened to various life experiences each one had to say. These interactions are gifts that I carried back home and cherish till date.
The locals here are sweet and helpful. The day I reached McLeod, I was extremely late and there were no outlets or restaurants open. But the landlord was so helpful that she herself cooked a delicious meal for all of us. Over the dinner she shared that how the town has changed since her childhood.These small talks full of lessons and the great scenic views I experienced are the treasures which McLeod Ganj gave me and I’m so great full to experience it.








