Hearing His Holiness, the Dalai Lama give a lecture is awe-inspiring and the experience will remain with you forever. The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader has made Mcleod Ganj, in Northern India, his home.
Mcleod Ganj is the home of the Dalai Lama and his government and all the Tibetan refugees who have escaped Chinese- occupied Tibet. This region is therefore completely populated by Tibetans, meditation centres, Tibetan libraries, monasteries and temples. The Tibet Museum is an excellent place to familiarize yourself with Tibet’s tragic history and the educational, emotive information and imagery will have you in tears. If the Dalai Lama is in town, his lectures are always free to the public. You will need to visit the Tibetan Branch Security Office in McLeod Ganj (near Hotel Tibet) with your passport and 2 passport photo’s to register.
Getting to Mcleod Ganj is no easy feat. One option is to take a train from Delhi to Pathankot then a bus to Dharamshala. This will require long term planning since train tickets get sold out months before. The other ‘last minute’ way is to take the local buses starting from Delhi. First up is the harrowing bus ride to Shimla (approx. 8 hours). Shimla is one of the most famous and popular hill stations here in India. the British ran here to escape the hot, humid summer months in Delhi and nowadays it’s a very popular summer destination. The bus ride will take you on windy roads with steep valleys below and high mountains above- don’t look down! Stay the night at any of the numerous hotels and early the next day take a bus heading to Mandi. For the hardcore, you can go straight from Mandi to Dharamshala. But if you’re not in a rush and suffer from claustrophobia; rather take it easy and spend another night in a typical Indian town doing some food tasting maybe. The final leg from Mandi is just six hours and you will be oh-so-glad to see the ‘Dharamshala’ road signs. The bus will drop you off where you will be able to take a shared jeep to Mcleod Ganj seven kilometres away.
There are numerous places to stay in Mcleod Ganj, but I would recommend staying in the tiny village 3km further up the hill (take an auto rickshaw) called Dharamkot. It’s a peaceful little village sitting at 2200m above sea level and you will get to know your fellow travelers very well, very quickly by chilling out at any of the numerous restaurants. My favourite was Trek n’ Dine because of the friendly, speedy service and free wifi. Accommodation is plentiful, with New Blue Heaven being an option. It is good value for money with great views overlooking the valley and the Himalayas behind.
If you are interested in doing a bit of yoga, Mcleod Ganj, Dharamkot and Bhagsu all have yoga centers focusing on different yoga practices, and instruction is given from beginners to advanced. If you feel the calling to become a yoga instructor there are numerous courses to choose from according to your taste and time. There is also a Vipassana centre which focuses on 10 day silent retreats. Booking is essential.
INFORMATION
Train Information
Himalaya Iyengar Yoga Centre
Himachal Vipassana Centre
http://www.dhamma.org/en/schedules/schsikhara.shtml
New Blue Heaven
www.hotelnewblueheaven.com/about_hotel_new_blue_heaven.php
To find out when the Dalai Lama will speak in Mcleod Ganj:
www.dalailama.com/teachings/schedule
