When summer arrive, hill stations become the favourite destination to escape from the scorching heat. The calm atmosphere and cool climate lures tourists to these beautiful hill stations. Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh became my gateway to escape from the dust and heat of city where I reside that is Delhi. This town is popularly known as 'Little Lhasa' as it is the capital of Tibetan government in exile. Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama also lives here along with a large number of Tibetan refugee community.
Dharamshala totally mesmerized me where I had seen three different cultures merge together – Local Indian culture, the Tibetan culture and the Western culture. The last is brought in by the presence of many foreign tourists. The place is absolutely enchanting. People there go about their business without caring much about the nationality of the person. They seem to have immense respect for each other’s culture. As I roamed around, I could sense that there is always buzz around in the main Mcleodganj market. Hordes of foreign tourists could be seen moving around looking out for something in the market. There are many shops selling traditional Tibetan items and Indian products. Most of these Tibetan items are brought from Tibet. Best thing about this place is its beautiful mountains which are covered with snow
for major part of the year. Snow covered Dhauladhar range forms a magnificent backdrop of this hill town. Sitting in a tea stall and viewing these stunning mountains gave plenty of joy to my eyes. One thing which stand out in Dharamshala is the religious nature of this town. Dalai Lama's monastery located at the tip of Mcleodganj is a place where I had peaceful time. Seeing those monks praying and chanting Buddhist prayers truly touched my soul. St. John's Church and Bhagsu Temple also gives it more religious look.
As I concluded my fourth visit to this hill town, I can't wait to pack my bag again and head towards Dharamshala once again.