Travel North India 2.0

Hola peeps! I apologise for my prolonged absence as I was not well for a few days. But I am back and ready to roll. So hers’s the post that was long due, “Travel North India part 2”. So in this post, I will be talking about two places, namely: Dharamshala and Dalhousie both in the beautiful city of Himachal Pradesh, India.

Destination 2:   DHARAMSHALA

Dharamshala is the second capital city of Himachal Pradesh. It also serves as the district headquarters and was formerly known as Bhagsu. Dharamshala is the center of the Tibetan exile world in India. 

THE PLACES TO VISIT IN DHARAMSHALA:

• Dharamshala International Cricket Stadium (HPCA): The Dharamshala Cricket Stadium of international reputation serves as the home ground to the Himachal Pradesh state cricket team. I had never seen a cricket stadium until this trip and I was surprised after seeing the ground, it looks really big on T.V. More than it actually is.

• Tea Garden: Well the name says it all, we visited a tea garden. There is not much to do there but it was so peaceful out there, so serene. There is also a tea factory which you can visit to see how different type of tea is manufactured there, the processing, the fermentation and the machinery used. Photography was not allowed inside the factory, so sadly no photos of the inside. I did not know there was so much variety in tea, it is mind boggling. You can buy them from the retail shop of the factory. We bought loads as my parents are a huge fan of chai. Black tea, black tea with rose, with sandalwood, green tea, 1st-grade green tea and what not!

• War Memorial: War Memorial is located at the entry point of the Dharamshala town and it was built to commemorate the memory of those who fought valiantly for the honor of their motherland. The War Memorial is a tribute to those brave souls who sacrificed their lives for the country and this signifies that these soldiers will always be alive in our thoughts. During the operations of 1947-48, 1962, 1965, and 1971 and various peacekeeping missions, many soldiers lost their lives, and it was in their memory that the War Memorial was built with the names of those many heroes inscribed on the stone.

Destination 3:  DALHOUSIE

Dalhousie is a hill station in Chamba district, in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh. It is built on and around five hills. This hill region is a repository of ancient Hindu culture, art, temples, and handicrafts preserved under the longest-running single dynasty since the mid-6th century. Dalhousie was established in 1854 by the British Empire’s government in India as a summer retreat for its troops and officials.

THE PLACES TO VISIT IN DALHOUSIE:   

• Khajjiar: Khajjiar is a small town near Dalhousie and personally this was the best place out of the lot that I had been too. The mesmerising beauty of this place makes it a must see location for all.  The picturesque landscape, the lush green, the beautiful lake leaves an ever-lasting impression on all those who visit.

• Panchpula: Panchpula is the place which should be visited only in the monsoons. The reason being, this is the place where there was supposed to be “sat-dhara falls” which gets its name that flows in the Chamba valley.  What we expected was this-

Looks beautiful, no? But when we went there, guess what, THERE WAS NO WATER ANYWHERE. No streams or river or falls to be seen anywhere for miles. There was this place they had built for boating but no boating is possible without water obviously so they built a few amusement rides for the kids and started adventure sports for others. We clicked a few photos and came back.

So please ask someone before going there. I did not know a thing such as seasonal waterfall exists but now I do. You learn something new each day I guess.

This was a fun trip. See you guys soon with another post. Do let me know if you found my post interesting and don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comment section xD.

Here’s the link to my earlier post for those who missed it. It is about yet another beautiful place: Mcleodganj, the official residence of Dalai Lama. Hope you give it a read too. Travel- North India