Footloose in Dharamshala

We were lead actors in a fairy tale, we felt, as we woke up to a new dawn at the juSTa Birding Resort and Spa, a half hour drive from Dharamshala.  The scenic hill town of Dharamshala that languishes in the shadow of the mighty snow-dusted Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh sprawled in the distance, beyond our private balcony. 

Just then the plaintive strains of a flute rode on the soft mountain breeze even as a flautist serenaded early risers at our hotel who had headed to the restaurant for breakfast. Those sweet moments were the stuff of our magical stay in Dharmshala, located at 1,457 metres in the Kangra valley. 

Fun things to do in Dharamshala and its surrounds

• If you want that sweet sense of peace to continue to cling to you, head for St. John in the Wilderness Church, an Anglican church built in 1852 and dedicated to St John the Baptist. Mighty cedar trees soar above and that green glade where the church stands is an island of peace unto itself. Built as a place of worship for British soldiers who lived here, the church is replete with memorials to those who died in Dharamshala from natural causes as well as not-so-natural ones like a bear attack! The most elaborate memorial belongs to Lord Elgin who was the viceroy of India (1862-63). Two magnificent Belgian stained-glass panels allow golden sunlight to stream into the church which is built in the neo-Gothic style.
  

  

• Five kilometres up hill and north of Dharamshala proper lies McLeodganj. Home of his Holiness, the Dalai Lama, this is an important Buddhist centre and the site of the Tibetan government in exile since the time of the Tibetan uprising of 1959 when His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama fled Lhasa, Tibet.
  
  
• For a dash of colour and retail therapy, amble around McLeodganj market, specifically Temple Road, where tourists on a combo of retail and spiritual therapy mill around. Buy a thangka or two, Tibetan jewellery, prayer wheels, singing bowls, lucky birth stones and Tibetan attire at the market.  This is where Tibetan refugees, local Indians and nirvana-seeking tourists mingle in comfortable amity …  Motley groups chill in cosy Tibetan restaurants that brim with camaraderie and the fragrance of epicurean delights. Golgappa and papdi chaat stalls rub shoulders with cafes hawking coffee and momos and hole-in -the-wall outfits that sell adventure tourism – trekking, mountaineering, para gliding, river rafting etc. 
• Stop by the Dalai Lama Temple Complex nearby, a capsule of Tibetan culture, built in 1959. It is linked to the out-of-bounds private residence of the Dalai Lama and consists of a monastery and temple. Everywhere burgundy-robed monks, eyes downcast, heads bowed in prayer and meditation, pass one by or sit on benches encased in the green of deodar trees that soar beyond like totem poles. The main shrine houses an enormous gilded statue of the Buddha, surrounded by murals that describe his life and teachings. Outside the main shrine, monks spin giant prayer wheels and prayer flags flutter their prayers to the wind. Fragments of Buddhist chants float on the air, often drowned out by the beeps and groans of traffic and tourist chatter that emanate from outside the complex. 
• Located 6 km southeast of Dharamshala, the Norbulingka Institute, is suffused with the sound of rushing water emanating from multiple cascades and fountains. Stop and meditate in a quiet little nook which has the quality of a held breath. At the Institute, we felt like we had stumbled on little Tibet; shaded by bamboo stands and soaring trees, where serene-faced monks passed by, prayer wheels in hand. This soothing sanctuary was established in 1988 to teach and preserve Tibetan art forms. 
• Check out the doll museum and watch artisans work their magic on metal statues, wood carving and thangkas (except on Sundays). Tourists may apply for these workshops, too. Shop for handcrafted products at the shop. The spiritual core of the complex, however, is the Seat of Happiness temple, smothered in murals including likenesses of all 14 Dalai Lamas and 1,173 images of the Buddha which adorn the 13 m high temple hall. The gilded copper Buddha Sakyamuni is one of the largest of its kind outside Tibet and wows visitors with its sheer size and girth. A charming restaurant serves Tibetan delicacies and a cosy wood-panelled guest house offers accommodation to tourists.
  
• The Himachal Cricket Association Stadium, located at 1,457 m, is backdropped by the jagged peaks of the Dhauladhars. Constructed in colourful Tibetan style, the bright hues contrast with the stark, cloud-snagged whiteness of the peaks that encircle the highest cricket venue in the world. 
• Perched on a crest of a hill near McLeodganj is the mountain village of Dharamkot where you can base yourself for a day or two and hunker up Triund Hill (2,850 m), which is a four-to-five-hour trek.
• A short walk away from McLeodganj is the little village of Bhagsu, famed for its waterfall and crammed with cafes, shops and restaurants. The uphill route to the cascade is strung with prayer flags and engaging mountain views.
• Around 17 km away from Dharamshala is the Chamunda Devi Temple which reels in glorious views of the mountains. 
• About 45 km away from Dharamshala are the eighth century Masroor rock-cut temples, a cluster of 15 shrines in the Indo-Aryan style. Said to have been built by the Pandavas when they were traversing this region, the temples awe as much by their size and other-worldly aura as the intricate carvings they contain. Sculptures of various deities including Surya, Shiva, Kartikeya and Indra adorn the shrines.
• Paraglide in Bir Billing, 50 km from Dharamshala. These are in reality two villages – Billing is the take- off site and Bir is for landing. 
• Set some time aside to just hang loose and enjoy the ambiance at the 44-room juSTa Birding Resort and Spa whose wood-panelled interiors have a vintage vibe and an aura of charming rusticity. Kickback and relax in the private balcony of your room with mountain views an arm’s stretch away. Click photos of the feathered beauties that flit and swoop in the blue skies above.  
• Or dine in the hotel’s Sabor restaurant whose woodsy setting complemented by large windows invite the outdoors into the charmed space. Dip into global flavours and local Himachali delicacies that meld and create delightful duets for the palate. Ingredients are locally sourced and organic, and the menu spans the spectrum from grilled meats to vegetarian and gluten-free options. 
• Dharamshala and its surrounds are blessed with some soul-enlarging vistas… of the blinding white of the Himalayas which draws the eye upward to icy heights. Below the mountains, glisten green meadows, pine forests and mighty oaks and some wild untouched swathes where man may not intrude.

Gustasp and Jeroo Irani are travel companions for whom life is a never-ending journey. Over the last 25 years they have travelled extensively across India and the globe, taking the rough with the smooth; sampling different cultures and cuisines. In the process they have trekked in the Australian Outback, slurped snake soup in HongKong, have danced with the Samburus in Africa, stayed with a local family in a Malay village, cracked the Da Vinci Code in Paris… For them, writing and photography are more than just freezing moments of that journey; it’s a passion.