Things to do and Main places to visit around Mcleodganj || One of the popular hill Stations in Himachal Pradesh, India
![Idea of this Photo Journey came after a brief discussion with one of my office friends, who want to go on a road-trip to Mcleodganj and other places around. During the discussion it came that they have approximately 4 days in hand and want to make best of this time. This Photo Journey is to help in planning such Road Trip around Palampur region of Himachal Pradesh. (Declaimer - This plan is made purely for Nature Lovers and Adventurous people)Please note that, if you want to know more about any of the places being discussed here; just click on photographs of appropriate links shared in between. So this discussion started with an idea of Road Journey to Mcledoganj and what other things can be approached if we have 4 days in hand. So what we planned is to hit Mcledoganj in morning or by noon.. Have some rest at your Hotel/Resort and have your breakfast/lunch... and move out to feel the place, as per your preference. Main places you may want to do around Mcledoganj Streets - a Visit to Temple near residence of His Holiness Dalai Lama, a small walk till St. John Church (This is a wonderful walk through high cedar trees around the road), Bhagsu Waterfalls & a temple near it and don't miss interesting eating options in Mcledoganj streets. Shopping is something you will figure out yourself :Next Day again can be spent around Mcleodganj for trekking around Triund or general walks around the place to better feel it and enjoy the nature around Dharmshala/Mcledoganj..Next day, we planned to move towards Barot. We planned to leave Mcleodganj by 7am in the morning and expect to reach Barot by 12:00 noon, which is reasonable estimate. Barot is least known place but wonderful place for nature lover. No commercialization, peaceful and isolated from tourist movements. The only challenge is place to stay. There are very simple Guest-Houses to stay, but not bad at all unless you are looking for good service with luxury arrangements in your room. Simple & clean rooms with basic stuff can be found across the river at Barot. While going to Barot, lot many things may compel you to stop and spend some time, but ignore while going to Barot and enjoy them during back journey. Don't think twice before stopping if you find something very interesting, which may not be possible to experience during back journey :)Spend one night at Barot and start back journey to Palampur in the morning... Now, it's time to chill on the way and take your time wherever you feel like. There is a cut on the way which takes us to Bir Billing. Distance-wise it's just 14 kilometers from main road but takes around 1-1.5 hr because of steep hill and bad road. Bir-Billing is one of the world popular place for Paragliding and World Cuo happens at this place only. From top, whole valley can be seen where everything looks very tiny. This is one of the best place to experience Paragliding and it can't be compared with paragliding options at Solang Valley or other hill stations. It takes 45 minimum to land in the valley if wind favors you, otherwise 1 hr to 1.5 hrs is average time to land after you fly from top. But please note that Bir Billing is at least one day affair, so need to be planned accordingly. So here I have put it as an optional place because you may not find anybody on top who can provide paragliding services to you.There is an interesting and huge Monastery on the way. It's just 2 kilometers away from main road which connects Barot with Palampur. There is a cut near Chuantra town which takes to us to Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche Institute. You can choose to visit this Tibetan colony and Monastery. After spending some time here, we can further towards Baijnath, which is our next destinationBaijnath is one of the main important town with a popular Shiva Temple made up of rocks. This temple is on right side of the road and comes just in the beginning of Baijnath Market. Nice place to spend some time and go to it's back side which has well maintained garden with an amazing view to river flowing in the valley with snow capped hills in background.Drive from Baijnath to Palampur is simply amazing with wonderful road, scenic beauty and tea gardens on both sides of the road. If you haven't stopped your car for lunch, take a break at Taragarh Palace, which is a Welcome Heritage Hotel on the way to Palampur. This can also be a decent place to stay...As you come near to Palampur, don't miss to stop and see Kayakalp Health Resort... This area is generally very beautiful... A round inside Agricultural university can be a good idea, if you want to see how hybrid seeds are produced in their local fields and how they actually maintain all these things...As you enter into Palampur Town, just move up towards Chuapati and Neugal Cafe which is one of the beautiful place in Palampur. Huge Tea Gardens surrounded by beautiful cottages and colorful houses. Have a cup of tea at Neagul Cafe and enjoy wonderful view of Dhauladhar Mountain Ranges, which can be best seen form this place. If still you have time in hand, take a small detour to go near to Neugal River which flows just below the hill where Cafe is located. I know this day can be very tiring but rewarding as well. Now it's upto you where you want to stay. Going to Dharmshala/Mcledoganj doesn't make sense if you plan to leave back for Delhi/Chandigarh in morning. If still there is some desire to explore more around Mcleodganj, go to Dharmshala and spend your night there. In case interested in staying at Palampur, there is a nice hotel by HPDTC- Tea Bud. btw Palampur is known as Tea City of North India. Next morning, if you leave early I strongly recommend to go via Masroor Temples and hit Una, which will be 25-30 kilometers extra. But this temple is worth seeing. There are some series of Monolithic temples which are carved out of a huge hill. Temple is located at a very isolated village. This overall plan share details about some of the main places. To know more options, check out links shared in this Photo Journey which have more detailed information about each places discussed here.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWZmNoJRALy6NnyoFnvusqp3kKYrFuFdW26KgjNq_HtRIWbbgfo4ft1zl-1vGAMq7sZzClDTxwVR61tI7Tif9L5nDCkExn9x-fQi1XaXfrKqVdXqSfDfcj8b31Q_fQg7OdThZuSrDfpY/s1600/Main+Tourist+Places+in+Himalayan+State+of+India+-+Himachal+Pradesh%252C+India+-+Temples%252C+Chruches%252C+Hills%252C+Lakes%252C+Toy+Trains%252C+British+Architecture%252C+Landscapes%252C+Natural+Beauty%252C+Rich+Culture+%25281+of+21%2529.jpg)
![The little Lhasa in India, which is popularly known as Mcledoganj is also know for it's interesting street-walks through a different kind of culture. This Photo Journey is more about some interesting streets around Mcledoganj Town, so let's walk with these photographs...Mcledoganj is the home of the Tibetan Guru and leader His Holiness The Dalai Lama and the Tibetian government in exile. Under the Himalayas, snow covered Dhaluadhar Mountain Ranges, Mcledoganj is a beautiful hill station and a world known destination.Mcledoganj is more about a Tibetian Colony in this part of the country with highest importance. Mcledoganj has many institutions that tell the world about their great culture, medical practices, historical challenges, current way of living life and lot more other things. People from different parts of the world come to this place for learning their culture, Yoga, Meditation and different art forms... Above photograph is clicked inside Tibetian Museum near Residence of Him Holiness Dalai Lama !!!The cultural life in Dharamshala/Mcledoganj is colorful and rich in tradition. The fairs and festivals are occasions for relaxation. To the local Indian traditions, Tibetan refugees have added their own festivals such as Losar (which is Tibetan New Year) and His Holiness Dalai Lama's birthday which is celebrated on July 6 with the performance of Tibetan, Nepali and Gaddi dances revealing the cultural mosaic of Mcleodganj. More recently tourists and students from the west have added rock music, stage musicals and contribute other Western influences to this melting pot of peoples and cultures... These days different kinds of people can be seen on Mcledoganj streets and everyone having their specific styles/approaches...Mcledoganj streets are quite colorful and main color of these streets is Red. It's more because of Red religion of this land. Monks in red dresses can be seen all around and most of them keep doing some prayers, even while walking from one place to other.Mcledoganj is not an ordinary Indian hill sation, but it’s wholly a different place being in touch with the whole world but has an environment of its own. It’s an old British place. Mcleodganj is a world famous tourist destination. Foreigners from all over the world and many other celebrities visit this small hill town... Check out following link to know how Lonely Planet introduces this wonderful town - http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/himachal-pradesh/mcleod-ganjOne of the main road in Mcleodganj is one which connects Bus-Stand with Residence of His Holiness Dalai Lama. Apart from that, there is another street just parallel to this road, which has various restaurants offering Tibetian food and some art galleries.Other popular street is one which connects MCledoganj with Bhagsu Waterfalls. Over the years, this all these streets have changed a lot and can't really comment if this change is positive or not.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdgT0AhegK9AbAO1tR1aypLyf-WZAm7BIbYoecWju_-TqUp1M0w2_38xhvIEueaHMA-aJXjJiIAuNFoIclFgUfUrtJqqFUKHHl-f4pZVlg45OjTMZElh-D6BJVJPIVIhj3W2Edjqskx4/s1600/Walking+Streets+of+Mcleodganj+Town+near+Dharmshala+in+Himachal+Pradesh,+India+-+Monks,+Tourists,+Newly+Married+Couples,+Unmarried+Couples,+Shopping+(2+of+7).jpg)
There is a spiritual soul of the town which can be sensed in every part of the town. Lot of travelers come to Mcleodganj to know more about this culture & religion. Many of the folks who come to Mcleodganj, they start following the religion and at times stay there for a long time.
![McLeodGanj is a suburb of Dharamshala Town in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. Tourism is an important industry in McLeodGanj and many people come here to study Tibetan Buddhism, culture, crafts etc. The town is also known for Tibetan handicrafts, thangkas, Tibetan carpets, garments and other souvenirs. This Photo Journey talks more about shopping at Mcleodganj and what is so special about it...I have been to Mcleodganj many times (most of the times with boys) and was never able to appreciate the fact that Mcleodganj is a good place to buy some specific stuff. Many times, I tried to buy few things for home but high rates made be change my mind :) ... Later I got to know the about some special facts about shopping at Mcledoganj...Stuff for Meditation,Yoga, Trendy cloths and Stone studded jewellery etc. -These are some of the most popular shopping stuff available in Mcleodganj Market. There are some shops of designer woolens, Kashmiri Shawls etc. In Mcledoganj street there are lot shops offer hand-made musical instruments.A Photograph showing different types of Meditation Bowls made up of different types of metals and majorly with Ashtdhatu, which has some significance. Tibetan Singing Bowls, rin gongs, Himalayan bowls or suzu gongs are a type of bell, specifically classified as a standing bell. Rather than hanging inverted or attached to a handle, singing bowls sit with the bottom surface resting. The sides and rim of singing bowls vibrate to produce sound characterized by a fundamental frequency (first harmonic) and usually two audible harmonic overtones (second and third harmonic). Check out following link to know about these Singing Bowls - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singing_bowKeep reading to know more about pricing and negotiations at Mcleodganj Market.Different types of Budha Statutes can bought and huge range of sizes is available at Mcledoganj. Varous types include Health Budha, Sleeping Budha, Peace Budha etc. Apart from variation is sizes, some of the metallic Budhas are also studded with stones. We were evaluating them w.r.. visual beauty of the statues rather than the value of those stones or importance of Budha's postureAfter spending 1.5 hours in Mcleodganj Market we realized that there is huge difference between prices offered by various shops for almost similar stuff. Since none of us had any information about this stuff, we thought of buying some stuff from road-side kiosks which were comparitively cheaper than bigger shops. Although we were not sure if there was any different is stuff or not.At the same time, we saw huge difference in offering price and started negotiating with them. It was unbelievable to buy some stuff at 1/3rd of originally quotes price. Some of the stuff was bought at half price. After some shopping we were in big doubt about actual pricing, because final pricing was also a good amount. Anyways, we didn't think much about it but it seems there is huge scope of bargaining at Mcleodganj Market. Also we realized that extended market towards Bhagsu was unnecessarily expensive than the main market near to Dalai Lama's ResidenceSinging bowls are used worldwide for meditation, music, relaxation, personal well-being. They are used by a wide range of professionals, including health professionals, school teachers, musicians and spiritual teachers. Singing bowls are used in health care by psychotherapists, massage therapists, cancer specialists, stress and meditation specialists. They are used to help treat cancer patients and also for post traumatic stress disorder. They are popular in classrooms to help facilitate group activities and focus students' attention. This was first time when we were knowing about these Meditation Bowls and we bought few in a belief that whatever we bought is authentic. Anyways, I like the vibration and sound it makes on rubbing a wooden stick against it's top partIt has an average elevation of 2000 metres. Mcleodganj os situated on the Dhauladhar Range, whose highest peak, 'Hanuman Ka Tibba' at about 5700 metres..The Tibetan government-in-exile is headquartered in McLeodGanj.Apart from metallic stuff, Mcledoganj Market is also popular among foreigners for cloths. Even urban Indians also like the kind of cloths Mcleodganj Markets offer. I wish I had a photograph to show some samples. There are some art & craft galleries in different streets of Mcleodganj.Apart from some unique shopping opportunities, there are some decent eating places inside Mcleodganj Streets. It's a great place to try authentic Tibetian food. Also there are some decent cafes to enjoy different flavors of tea and coffee. We shall try to share more about Eating options at McleodganjMcleodganj streets can usually be seen with lot of foreigners like we seen in Rajasthani towns like Pushkar. Market is usually full of tourists and Monks who keep walking on main road which connects main chowk of Mcleodganj with Dalai Lama's Residence. There is anothr market near to Mcledoganj, which is situated near Bhagsu Temple and Waterfall.So best way of shopping at Mcleodganj is to know what exactly you want, set your upper limit, negotiate hard to get right price. But of course, how to best price? If you already have any experience, please share with others through comments :)To know more about Mcleodganj, check out - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLeod_Ganj](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvaEfnZZLv_nD8YWSI9pAXCfVj-RsfPREmvdAPIkGX2304gtrKatBp8nWPysFrA1nkoIBZCnbJu_op3Jge4w5iUYISjdDllpjCoTpzzdKNzyL10ZUNSYxgPqAmC1BBErx0o0g_llkJ9GM/s1600/Shopping+in+Markets+of+Tibetian+Town+in+Himachal+Pradesh+-+Mcleodganj+-+Budha+Statutes+made+up+of+Ashtadhatu+%2526+Stones%252C+Meditation+stuff%252C+Jewellery+etc+%252811+of+15%2529.jpg)
![McLeodGanj is a suburb of Dharamshala Town in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. Tourism is an important industry in McLeodGanj and many people come here to study Tibetan Buddhism, culture, crafts etc. The town is also known for Tibetan handicrafts, thangkas, Tibetan carpets, garments and other souvenirs. This Photo Journey talks more about shopping at Mcleodganj and what is so special about it...I have been to Mcleodganj many times (most of the times with boys) and was never able to appreciate the fact that Mcleodganj is a good place to buy some specific stuff. Many times, I tried to buy few things for home but high rates made be change my mind :) ... Later I got to know the about some special facts about shopping at Mcledoganj...Stuff for Meditation,Yoga, Trendy cloths and Stone studded jewellery etc. -These are some of the most popular shopping stuff available in Mcleodganj Market. There are some shops of designer woolens, Kashmiri Shawls etc. In Mcledoganj street there are lot shops offer hand-made musical instruments.A Photograph showing different types of Meditation Bowls made up of different types of metals and majorly with Ashtdhatu, which has some significance. Tibetan Singing Bowls, rin gongs, Himalayan bowls or suzu gongs are a type of bell, specifically classified as a standing bell. Rather than hanging inverted or attached to a handle, singing bowls sit with the bottom surface resting. The sides and rim of singing bowls vibrate to produce sound characterized by a fundamental frequency (first harmonic) and usually two audible harmonic overtones (second and third harmonic). Check out following link to know about these Singing Bowls - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singing_bowKeep reading to know more about pricing and negotiations at Mcleodganj Market.Different types of Budha Statutes can bought and huge range of sizes is available at Mcledoganj. Varous types include Health Budha, Sleeping Budha, Peace Budha etc. Apart from variation is sizes, some of the metallic Budhas are also studded with stones. We were evaluating them w.r.. visual beauty of the statues rather than the value of those stones or importance of Budha's postureAfter spending 1.5 hours in Mcleodganj Market we realized that there is huge difference between prices offered by various shops for almost similar stuff. Since none of us had any information about this stuff, we thought of buying some stuff from road-side kiosks which were comparitively cheaper than bigger shops. Although we were not sure if there was any different is stuff or not.At the same time, we saw huge difference in offering price and started negotiating with them. It was unbelievable to buy some stuff at 1/3rd of originally quotes price. Some of the stuff was bought at half price. After some shopping we were in big doubt about actual pricing, because final pricing was also a good amount. Anyways, we didn't think much about it but it seems there is huge scope of bargaining at Mcleodganj Market. Also we realized that extended market towards Bhagsu was unnecessarily expensive than the main market near to Dalai Lama's ResidenceSinging bowls are used worldwide for meditation, music, relaxation, personal well-being. They are used by a wide range of professionals, including health professionals, school teachers, musicians and spiritual teachers. Singing bowls are used in health care by psychotherapists, massage therapists, cancer specialists, stress and meditation specialists. They are used to help treat cancer patients and also for post traumatic stress disorder. They are popular in classrooms to help facilitate group activities and focus students' attention. This was first time when we were knowing about these Meditation Bowls and we bought few in a belief that whatever we bought is authentic. Anyways, I like the vibration and sound it makes on rubbing a wooden stick against it's top partIt has an average elevation of 2000 metres. Mcleodganj os situated on the Dhauladhar Range, whose highest peak, 'Hanuman Ka Tibba' at about 5700 metres..The Tibetan government-in-exile is headquartered in McLeodGanj.Apart from metallic stuff, Mcledoganj Market is also popular among foreigners for cloths. Even urban Indians also like the kind of cloths Mcleodganj Markets offer. I wish I had a photograph to show some samples. There are some art & craft galleries in different streets of Mcleodganj.Apart from some unique shopping opportunities, there are some decent eating places inside Mcleodganj Streets. It's a great place to try authentic Tibetian food. Also there are some decent cafes to enjoy different flavors of tea and coffee. We shall try to share more about Eating options at McleodganjMcleodganj streets can usually be seen with lot of foreigners like we seen in Rajasthani towns like Pushkar. Market is usually full of tourists and Monks who keep walking on main road which connects main chowk of Mcleodganj with Dalai Lama's Residence. There is anothr market near to Mcledoganj, which is situated near Bhagsu Temple and Waterfall.So best way of shopping at Mcleodganj is to know what exactly you want, set your upper limit, negotiate hard to get right price. But of course, how to best price? If you already have any experience, please share with others through comments :)To know more about Mcleodganj, check out - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLeod_Ganj](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwUHfudTfWaSCwzARIRWQlM63OroyQe8cvbNISyAIThi193b_e8bG-__6Qd5EhyphenhyphenwjtWNECTGMaoWOHTuYvLILXBTChwAl0JRPJCv9g9mcXyk8jL6WdXWN8zX9rBLALepzuLrsUJ8Waxw/s1600/Shopping+in+Markets+of+Tibetian+Town+in+Himachal+Pradesh+-+Mcleodganj+-+Budha+Statutes+made+up+of+Ashtadhatu+%2526+Stones%252C+Meditation+stuff%252C+Jewellery+etc+%252810+of+15%2529.jpg)
![McLeodGanj is a suburb of Dharamshala Town in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. Tourism is an important industry in McLeodGanj and many people come here to study Tibetan Buddhism, culture, crafts etc. The town is also known for Tibetan handicrafts, thangkas, Tibetan carpets, garments and other souvenirs. This Photo Journey talks more about shopping at Mcleodganj and what is so special about it...I have been to Mcleodganj many times (most of the times with boys) and was never able to appreciate the fact that Mcleodganj is a good place to buy some specific stuff. Many times, I tried to buy few things for home but high rates made be change my mind :) ... Later I got to know the about some special facts about shopping at Mcledoganj...Stuff for Meditation,Yoga, Trendy cloths and Stone studded jewellery etc. -These are some of the most popular shopping stuff available in Mcleodganj Market. There are some shops of designer woolens, Kashmiri Shawls etc. In Mcledoganj street there are lot shops offer hand-made musical instruments.A Photograph showing different types of Meditation Bowls made up of different types of metals and majorly with Ashtdhatu, which has some significance. Tibetan Singing Bowls, rin gongs, Himalayan bowls or suzu gongs are a type of bell, specifically classified as a standing bell. Rather than hanging inverted or attached to a handle, singing bowls sit with the bottom surface resting. The sides and rim of singing bowls vibrate to produce sound characterized by a fundamental frequency (first harmonic) and usually two audible harmonic overtones (second and third harmonic). Check out following link to know about these Singing Bowls - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singing_bowKeep reading to know more about pricing and negotiations at Mcleodganj Market.Different types of Budha Statutes can bought and huge range of sizes is available at Mcledoganj. Varous types include Health Budha, Sleeping Budha, Peace Budha etc. Apart from variation is sizes, some of the metallic Budhas are also studded with stones. We were evaluating them w.r.. visual beauty of the statues rather than the value of those stones or importance of Budha's postureAfter spending 1.5 hours in Mcleodganj Market we realized that there is huge difference between prices offered by various shops for almost similar stuff. Since none of us had any information about this stuff, we thought of buying some stuff from road-side kiosks which were comparitively cheaper than bigger shops. Although we were not sure if there was any different is stuff or not.At the same time, we saw huge difference in offering price and started negotiating with them. It was unbelievable to buy some stuff at 1/3rd of originally quotes price. Some of the stuff was bought at half price. After some shopping we were in big doubt about actual pricing, because final pricing was also a good amount. Anyways, we didn't think much about it but it seems there is huge scope of bargaining at Mcleodganj Market. Also we realized that extended market towards Bhagsu was unnecessarily expensive than the main market near to Dalai Lama's ResidenceSinging bowls are used worldwide for meditation, music, relaxation, personal well-being. They are used by a wide range of professionals, including health professionals, school teachers, musicians and spiritual teachers. Singing bowls are used in health care by psychotherapists, massage therapists, cancer specialists, stress and meditation specialists. They are used to help treat cancer patients and also for post traumatic stress disorder. They are popular in classrooms to help facilitate group activities and focus students' attention. This was first time when we were knowing about these Meditation Bowls and we bought few in a belief that whatever we bought is authentic. Anyways, I like the vibration and sound it makes on rubbing a wooden stick against it's top partIt has an average elevation of 2000 metres. Mcleodganj os situated on the Dhauladhar Range, whose highest peak, 'Hanuman Ka Tibba' at about 5700 metres..The Tibetan government-in-exile is headquartered in McLeodGanj.Apart from metallic stuff, Mcledoganj Market is also popular among foreigners for cloths. Even urban Indians also like the kind of cloths Mcleodganj Markets offer. I wish I had a photograph to show some samples. There are some art & craft galleries in different streets of Mcleodganj.Apart from some unique shopping opportunities, there are some decent eating places inside Mcleodganj Streets. It's a great place to try authentic Tibetian food. Also there are some decent cafes to enjoy different flavors of tea and coffee. We shall try to share more about Eating options at McleodganjMcleodganj streets can usually be seen with lot of foreigners like we seen in Rajasthani towns like Pushkar. Market is usually full of tourists and Monks who keep walking on main road which connects main chowk of Mcleodganj with Dalai Lama's Residence. There is anothr market near to Mcledoganj, which is situated near Bhagsu Temple and Waterfall.So best way of shopping at Mcleodganj is to know what exactly you want, set your upper limit, negotiate hard to get right price. But of course, how to best price? If you already have any experience, please share with others through comments :)To know more about Mcleodganj, check out - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLeod_Ganj](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXeU41XtpwJoZqLPgWshSk7oWYHd11I36pLasU1lVECKiRDmFyWqAvXs0XkuGraS5QChwP3wxzLFmX9LnI9sHPV6XjwVktVAvrZmzt7sljxVzXhtQkGOe3-4GfTK1aLMQEv9zKktlTyho/s1600/Shopping+in+Markets+of+Tibetian+Town+in+Himachal+Pradesh+-+Mcleodganj+-+Budha+Statutes+made+up+of+Ashtadhatu+%2526+Stones%252C+Meditation+stuff%252C+Jewellery+etc+%25288+of+15%2529.jpg)
There is a beautiful church in Mcledoganj which looks different in all the seasons. Second photograph of this Photo Journey is also the same church which you see above. St. John church is must visit place. It's at walkable distance from the town and the road is beautiful for a quick walk under high deodar trees.
![Mcleodganj is different kind of hill station in Himachal Pradesh, with different type of culture and environment. This Photo Journey will try to express the main things you notice in this small town near Dharmshala. Let's check out this colorful Photo Journey from Mcleodganj...During your journey towards Mcledoganj, you may not need to reach Mcledoganj for seeing Monks in their interesting dresses. Monks can usually be seen roaming around various places and some of them keep doing some prayers in parallel to other regular activities. Above photograph is shot on road which connects Mcledoganj with Bahgsu Nag Waterfalls. It's sort of mulch-religion shot...Apart from large number of Monks, foreign tourists can be seen in abundance. Most of the street of Mcleodganj can be seen full of tourists from different parts of the world !Colorful cloths, different fashions, innovative hair-styles & lot of different styles can be seen in the streets of Mcledoganj. Overall environment in these streets in quite different.All the streets of this town keep walking most of the time, even when it's drizzling in hills of Mcledoodganj !Many of the tourists come here for different purposes around Yoga, Meditation, Budha etc. During various activities in the town, they got to meet different people and then they enjoy the journey together. You can see many tourists staying in various streets of Mcleodganj for multiple weeks. by looking at them conversing, it seems that they know each other for a long time... A good destination for tourists !Trying various musical forms of India is another big motivation for tourists to come to these hills stations. This girl was standing in front of this shop for around 2 hours and kept playing different flutes. There was no one on shop and she kept waiting that someone would come and she will buy few for her. There are lot of such interesting shops in the streets of Mcleodganj !There are various cloth markets at Mcleodganj, but different styled cloths can be seen in most of them. So it again becomes a good destination for people interested in shopping and especially shopping for trendy cloths.Prayers all around the streets of Mcledoganj !One part of Mcleodganj gives wonderful view of snow capped dhauladhar mountain ranges.Mcledoganj is also a main station in the list birders and peope love to trek Triund which is one of the popular trek around Mcleodganj. Triund is moderate trek, which takes one day only. Sometimes people go uphill with tents and spend one night there.Apart from main temple near Residence of His Holiness Dalai Lama, there is another temple in the middle of Mcledoganj Market. Above photograph is shot at the temple in market.Mcleodganj is also a good place for finding decent range of warm cloths and winter-wear. Above photograph shows a road-side shop with various options of Shawls, sweaters etc.Also there are many art shops, where tourists can step-in and can try thier artistic ideas. Here you see one of the tourist doing some painting and trying to sell these in the street...](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ4SC61hdBolQdFbEuE4r-vaiCjj59C7ZAiIPDrLqlk_jSJBJr1LcNIoJtMT7BA-Zfp3w9vfOVdsgcCsSIX7ojiG9dMeTjXJaAEx74DcmHcPpoaegxDtUcyWw2czwq88i1ZfuhFtBoWbs/s1600/Streets+of+Mcledoganj+-+Foreigners%252C+Colorful+People%252C+Couples%252C+Monks%252C+Tibetian+Food%252C+Budhism%252C+Meditation+and+Yoga%252C+Prayer+Wheels%252C+Monestary%252C+His+Holiness+Dalai+Lama%252C+Shopping%252C+Music%252C+Fun%252C+Wierd+Hairstyles+%252811+of+14%2529.jpg)
![Mcleodganj is different kind of hill station in Himachal Pradesh, with different type of culture and environment. This Photo Journey will try to express the main things you notice in this small town near Dharmshala. Let's check out this colorful Photo Journey from Mcleodganj...During your journey towards Mcledoganj, you may not need to reach Mcledoganj for seeing Monks in their interesting dresses. Monks can usually be seen roaming around various places and some of them keep doing some prayers in parallel to other regular activities. Above photograph is shot on road which connects Mcledoganj with Bahgsu Nag Waterfalls. It's sort of mulch-religion shot...Apart from large number of Monks, foreign tourists can be seen in abundance. Most of the street of Mcleodganj can be seen full of tourists from different parts of the world !Colorful cloths, different fashions, innovative hair-styles & lot of different styles can be seen in the streets of Mcledoganj. Overall environment in these streets in quite different.All the streets of this town keep walking most of the time, even when it's drizzling in hills of Mcledoodganj !Many of the tourists come here for different purposes around Yoga, Meditation, Budha etc. During various activities in the town, they got to meet different people and then they enjoy the journey together. You can see many tourists staying in various streets of Mcleodganj for multiple weeks. by looking at them conversing, it seems that they know each other for a long time... A good destination for tourists !Trying various musical forms of India is another big motivation for tourists to come to these hills stations. This girl was standing in front of this shop for around 2 hours and kept playing different flutes. There was no one on shop and she kept waiting that someone would come and she will buy few for her. There are lot of such interesting shops in the streets of Mcleodganj !There are various cloth markets at Mcleodganj, but different styled cloths can be seen in most of them. So it again becomes a good destination for people interested in shopping and especially shopping for trendy cloths.Prayers all around the streets of Mcledoganj !One part of Mcleodganj gives wonderful view of snow capped dhauladhar mountain ranges.Mcledoganj is also a main station in the list birders and peope love to trek Triund which is one of the popular trek around Mcleodganj. Triund is moderate trek, which takes one day only. Sometimes people go uphill with tents and spend one night there.Apart from main temple near Residence of His Holiness Dalai Lama, there is another temple in the middle of Mcledoganj Market. Above photograph is shot at the temple in market.Mcleodganj is also a good place for finding decent range of warm cloths and winter-wear. Above photograph shows a road-side shop with various options of Shawls, sweaters etc.Also there are many art shops, where tourists can step-in and can try thier artistic ideas. Here you see one of the tourist doing some painting and trying to sell these in the street...](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtylL7UbWOAs709vDK2acEOa4wz3XcXiDKjCXV4HKTtS4jhVxbFwdlfZuDp8YKPzK1vr6nbOTsL-vSo89hjM8XbEf_0SYAEVCYHfJgEH_d3_1C1XuTajrXicIxwX-EfMi6D0KIK4CSaM/s1600/Streets+of+Mcledoganj+-+Foreigners%252C+Colorful+People%252C+Couples%252C+Monks%252C+Tibetian+Food%252C+Budhism%252C+Meditation+and+Yoga%252C+Prayer+Wheels%252C+Monestary%252C+His+Holiness+Dalai+Lama%252C+Shopping%252C+Music%252C+Fun%252C+Wierd+Hairstyles+%25288+of+14%2529.jpg)
![McLeodGanj is a suburb of Dharamshala Town in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. Tourism is an important industry in McLeodGanj and many people come here to study Tibetan Buddhism, culture, crafts etc. The town is also known for Tibetan handicrafts, thangkas, Tibetan carpets, garments and other souvenirs. This Photo Journey talks more about shopping at Mcleodganj and what is so special about it...I have been to Mcleodganj many times (most of the times with boys) and was never able to appreciate the fact that Mcleodganj is a good place to buy some specific stuff. Many times, I tried to buy few things for home but high rates made be change my mind :) ... Later I got to know the about some special facts about shopping at Mcledoganj...Stuff for Meditation,Yoga, Trendy cloths and Stone studded jewellery etc. -These are some of the most popular shopping stuff available in Mcleodganj Market. There are some shops of designer woolens, Kashmiri Shawls etc. In Mcledoganj street there are lot shops offer hand-made musical instruments.A Photograph showing different types of Meditation Bowls made up of different types of metals and majorly with Ashtdhatu, which has some significance. Tibetan Singing Bowls, rin gongs, Himalayan bowls or suzu gongs are a type of bell, specifically classified as a standing bell. Rather than hanging inverted or attached to a handle, singing bowls sit with the bottom surface resting. The sides and rim of singing bowls vibrate to produce sound characterized by a fundamental frequency (first harmonic) and usually two audible harmonic overtones (second and third harmonic). Check out following link to know about these Singing Bowls - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singing_bowKeep reading to know more about pricing and negotiations at Mcleodganj Market.Different types of Budha Statutes can bought and huge range of sizes is available at Mcledoganj. Varous types include Health Budha, Sleeping Budha, Peace Budha etc. Apart from variation is sizes, some of the metallic Budhas are also studded with stones. We were evaluating them w.r.. visual beauty of the statues rather than the value of those stones or importance of Budha's postureAfter spending 1.5 hours in Mcleodganj Market we realized that there is huge difference between prices offered by various shops for almost similar stuff. Since none of us had any information about this stuff, we thought of buying some stuff from road-side kiosks which were comparitively cheaper than bigger shops. Although we were not sure if there was any different is stuff or not.At the same time, we saw huge difference in offering price and started negotiating with them. It was unbelievable to buy some stuff at 1/3rd of originally quotes price. Some of the stuff was bought at half price. After some shopping we were in big doubt about actual pricing, because final pricing was also a good amount. Anyways, we didn't think much about it but it seems there is huge scope of bargaining at Mcleodganj Market. Also we realized that extended market towards Bhagsu was unnecessarily expensive than the main market near to Dalai Lama's ResidenceSinging bowls are used worldwide for meditation, music, relaxation, personal well-being. They are used by a wide range of professionals, including health professionals, school teachers, musicians and spiritual teachers. Singing bowls are used in health care by psychotherapists, massage therapists, cancer specialists, stress and meditation specialists. They are used to help treat cancer patients and also for post traumatic stress disorder. They are popular in classrooms to help facilitate group activities and focus students' attention. This was first time when we were knowing about these Meditation Bowls and we bought few in a belief that whatever we bought is authentic. Anyways, I like the vibration and sound it makes on rubbing a wooden stick against it's top partIt has an average elevation of 2000 metres. Mcleodganj os situated on the Dhauladhar Range, whose highest peak, 'Hanuman Ka Tibba' at about 5700 metres..The Tibetan government-in-exile is headquartered in McLeodGanj.Apart from metallic stuff, Mcledoganj Market is also popular among foreigners for cloths. Even urban Indians also like the kind of cloths Mcleodganj Markets offer. I wish I had a photograph to show some samples. There are some art & craft galleries in different streets of Mcleodganj.Apart from some unique shopping opportunities, there are some decent eating places inside Mcleodganj Streets. It's a great place to try authentic Tibetian food. Also there are some decent cafes to enjoy different flavors of tea and coffee. We shall try to share more about Eating options at McleodganjMcleodganj streets can usually be seen with lot of foreigners like we seen in Rajasthani towns like Pushkar. Market is usually full of tourists and Monks who keep walking on main road which connects main chowk of Mcleodganj with Dalai Lama's Residence. There is anothr market near to Mcledoganj, which is situated near Bhagsu Temple and Waterfall.So best way of shopping at Mcleodganj is to know what exactly you want, set your upper limit, negotiate hard to get right price. But of course, how to best price? If you already have any experience, please share with others through comments :)To know more about Mcleodganj, check out - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLeod_Ganj](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzdbtDii1n0Kp91xmUp990XZdKtVGhKlHEjQxaQMDt6QStVnQLhb1ZlARSe2ubb37Mf8Q951DU_ilkIwYmV5Hnk-zOhu_MotMDGzRQcN0WsIe1D65lolXRje8XmrDdgcXHTnaCkyYZ2Hc/s1600/Shopping+in+Markets+of+Tibetian+Town+in+Himachal+Pradesh+-+Mcleodganj+-+Budha+Statutes+made+up+of+Ashtadhatu+%2526+Stones%252C+Meditation+stuff%252C+Jewellery+etc+%25284+of+15%2529.jpg)
Mcledoganj streets have very interesting options to eat and explore. There are different types of cafes and restaurants with unique styles. It would be difficult for you to locate Indian food in Mcleodganj, but other options are in abundance - Thai, Chinese, Tibetan, Italian, Continental, Japanese etc.
Triund is an interesting trek from Mcleodganj and can be planned in a day. One can hire camping equipment from market and stay at Triund for a night.
Bhagsunag Waterfalls are also quite popular but don't have high expectations. It's a small waterfall for which you need to trek a bit. A good place to hang around with friends when planning to be around Mcleodganj.
Cricket stadium in Dharmshala is one of the most beautiful stadium in the country and one can plan to have a visit there. Dhauladhar mountain ranges with snow cover look amazing from this stadium and a perfect place for you take a selfie with stadium and snow covered hills in the background :).
A drive from Mcledoganj to Naddi through Dal lake is worth exploring. Naddi is another beautiful place in the lap of nature. There are few resorts around Naddi, which are best for folks who want to have a peaceful vacation.
Palampur is another interesting destination around Mcleodganj. Palampur is known as Tea Capital of North India. It's a 1.5 hours drive to Palampur from Mcledoganj, through Dharmshala & Chamunda Devi.
Barot is another destination around this part of Himachal Pradesh, which is a small village having beautiful landscapes and awesome weather. This can only be planned if you have one extra day in hand. There is 3.5 hours drive from Mcleodganj through Palampur, Baijnath & Bir Billing. And it's recommended to spend one night in home stays of Barot.
There is a beautiful Monastery which comes on the way from Mcleodganj to Barot.
There is a famous temple in Baijnath, which is made up of stones and dedicated to Shiva. A drive from Palampur to Baijnath is exceptional.
One of the best paragliding adventure can be experienced at Bir Billing, where Paragliding world cup happens. A beautiful place at a very high hill in this vicinity.