Mcleodganj - Destination for Mental Peace

Welcome To Mcleodganj

When travelers talk of heading up to Dharamshala (to see the Dalai Lama…), this is where they mean. Three kilometres north of Dharamshala town (or 10km via the looping bus route), McLeod Ganj is the residence of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and home to a large Tibetan population, including many monks and nuns. The Tibetan government-in-exile is based just downhill at Gangchen Kyishong. McLeod attracts thousands of international visitors each year to volunteer with the Tibetan community, take courses in Buddhism, meditation or yoga, trek in the Dhauladhar mountains, shop for Tibetan crafts, or just hang out and enjoy the low-budget spiritual/alternative vibe and the many good cafes and restaurants dishing up Indo-Italo-Israeli-Tibetan food.

With an interesting mix of travelers, volunteers, maroon-robed monks and nuns, the international dharma crowd and an increasing flow of Indian tourists, you're never far from an interesting conversation here.

Nearby Places 


Tsuglagkhang Complex     Central Tibetan Secretariat                                     Tsuglagkhang

Men-Tsee-Khang                Library of Tibetan Works & Archives                   Tibet Museum

Kalachakra Temple             Dal Lake                                                                 Triund

Bhagsunath Temple            Bhagsu Waterfall                                                     Dharamkot
                           
Namgyalma Stupa               St John’s Church in the Wilderness



1- Tsuglagkhang Complex

The main focus of visiting pilgrims, monks and many tourists, the Tsuglagkhang complex includes the Tsuglagkhang itself (the main Tibetan temple), the Namgyal Gompa and the excellent Tibet Museum.
Photos are normally allowed inside, except in the Kalachakra Temple.

2 - Central Tibetan Secretariat     

Inside the government-in-exile compound, nearly 2km downhill from the Tsuglagkhang Complex, the Library of Tibetan Works & Archivesbegan life as a collection of sacred manuscripts saved from the Cultural Revolution. Today it has over 120,000 manuscripts and books in Tibetan, and over 15,000 books on Tibet, Buddhism and the Himalayan region in English and other languages.

Upstairs is a fascinating cultural museum with statues, old Tibetan artefacts and books, and some astonishing three-dimensional mandalas in wood and sand.

Regular library visitors can become temporary members (Rs. 100 per month for reading; Rs.300 per month plus Rs. 1000 deposit for borrowing; passport photocopy needed for ID) to access the foreign-language collection.

Also worth a visit is the colourful Nechung Gompa below the library building, seat of the Tibetan state oracle. Nearby, Nechung Cafe is an excellent spot for lunch.

Taxis from the Secretariat entrance charge Rs. 100 to McLeod or Dharamsala.

3 -  Tsuglagkhang

The revered Tsuglagkhang is the exiles’ concrete equivalent of the Jokhang temple in Lhasa and was built in 1969. The central image is a gilded statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha. To its left are gilded statues of Avalokitesvara (the bodhisattva of compassion, Tibet's patron deity) and Padmasambhava, the Indian sage believed to have helped spread Buddhism in 8th-century Tibet, and a wooden 'starving Buddha' representing the Buddha near the end of his six years of ascetic meditation at Bodhgaya.

   The Avalokitesvara (Chenrezig in Tibetan) is a replica of the 7th-century Avalokitesvara image in the Jokhang temple that was destroyed in 1966 during the Cultural Revolution. It contains relics rescued from the destruction and smuggled out of Tibet. The central Sakyamuni (the name refers to the Buddha's birthplace Sakya) is flanked by collections of sacred texts, and on the right-hand wall are paintings of the three early kings credited with bringing Buddhism to Tibet.

4 - Men-Tsee-Khang 

Established to preserve the traditional arts of Tibetan medicine and astrology, Men-Tsee-Khang is a 

college, clinic, museum, research centre and astrological institute rolled into one. The astrological folk can do you a 45-minute oral consultation (Rs 2000; register in person half a day ahead with your birth date, time and place), or a detailed life-horoscope online, which you'll receive by email and a hard copy within four months (US$85 plus US$20 taxes).

The Men-Tsee-Khang Museum has three floors of fascinating displays on the sophisticated sciences of Tibetan astrology and medicine, told via illustrative thangkas as well as samples of medicines, their plant and mineral sources, and instruments that have been used for some treatments – such a brass hammer for treating tumours, insanity and body-ache. Learn useful facts: cinnamon wards against flatulence; cumin and coriander combat anorexia; gold helps longevity. Men-Tsee-Khang also runs occasional short courses on the basics of Tibetan medicine.

5 - Library of Tibetan Works & Archives 

Inside the government-in-exile compound, nearly 2 km downhill from the Tsuglakhang Complex, the Library of Tibetan Works & Archives began life as a repository for sacred manuscripts saved from the Cultural Revolution. Today it has over 120,000 manuscripts and books in Tibetan, and over 15,000 books on Tibet, Buddhism and the Himalayan region in English and other languages.

Upstairs is a fascinating cultural museum with statues, old Tibetan artifacts and books, and some astonishing three-dimensional mandalas in wood and sand.

Regular library visitors can become temporary members (Rs. 100 per month for reading; Rs 300 per month plus Rs. 1000 deposit for borrowing; passport photocopy needed for ID) to access the foreign-language collection.

6 - Tibet Museum

The museum tells the story of Tibetan history, the Chinese occupation and the continuing Tibetan resistance and exodus, through photographs, video and clear English-language display panels. It also covers the Dalai Lama and his life's work. A visit here is a must.

Documentaries are shown at 11 am and 3 pm.

7- Kalachakra Temple 

Before visiting the Tsuglagkhang itself, pilgrims first visit the Kalachakra Temple on its west side, which contains mesmerizing murals of the Kalachakra (Wheel of Time) mandala, specifically linked to Avalokitesvara, of whom the Dalai Lama is a manifestation.

Colored sand mandalas are created here annually on the fifteenth day of the third Tibetan month.

8 - Dal Lake

Dal Lake is a small mid-altitude lake (1,775 m above sea level) near a very beautiful village “Tota Rani”. The lake is surrounded by deodar trees. .

It is considered a sacred spot, and there is small Shiva mandir (shrine) on its bank. A fair and festival dedicated to Shiva is held yearly. Several kinds of fish live in the lake, which has greenish water most of the year.

9 - Triund

Triund is a 9,000-foot ridge behind the Dhauladhar range, and is the goal of a popular nine-kilometre trek for a day or overnight stay. Food is available at tea shops on the way and at the top.

But it is always safer to carry one’s own food and drink, just in case you reach there to find the tea shops closed. There is a Forest Rest House atop the ridge, which can be booked through Himachal Tourist Office in Kotwali Bazaar.

The trail begins from Tushita Road above the main square.

10- Bhagsunath Temple

Bhagsunath Temple is a tranquil medieval temple, with plentiful pools around, considered sacred by Hindu devotees.

It is in Bhagsu village, three km from McLeod Ganj.

11 - Bhagsu Waterfall

During monsoon the Bhagsu Waterfall turns into a 30-foot cascade. It is a good spot for picnics and recreation.

The waterfall is about 500 metres behind Bhagsunath Temple.

12- Dharamkot

The village of Dharamkot is set amidst tall pines and rhododendron forests, with good views of the Dhauladhar range.

It has the Tushita Retreat Centre which gives courses in meditation.

Dharamkot is three kilometres north of McLeod Ganj, past the Mountaineering Institute.

13- St John’s Church in the Wilderness

This small, neo-Gothic style Anglican church, dedicated to John the Baptist, was built in 1852. The church is known for its Belgian stained-glass windows painted by an Italian artist.

In the 1905 earthquake, the belfry of the church was completely destroyed. However, the rest of the building escaped damage. A new bell, weighing 600 kg and made of 9 different metals, was built in England in 1915 and installed outside in the compound of the church. The church witnessed a special event in 1992 when visitors from 39 countries participated in a service there.

The church is situated in a deodar grove, and there is a small graveyard on the grounds. Behind the church is the final resting place of Lord Elgin, who was Governor-General & Viceroy of India in 1861 during the British Raj, and died in McLeod Ganj on 20 November 1863.

The church is about 2 km from McLeod Ganj, towards Forsythe Ganj.

14 - Namgyalma Stupa

This Buddhist stupa is a memorial to those Tibetans who lost their lives fighting for a free Tibet.

A statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha is enshrined in a small chamber at the top.

The stupa is located in the heart of McLeod and surrounded by prayer wheels.