Located
in the upper part of Dharamsala, the British established town of
McLeodganj is amongst one of the most popular tourist hill stations in
India these days. Located at a high altitude, the place is quite popular
among spiritual people, for its peaceful environs. The place also serves
as the headquarters of exile Tibetan government and the residence of the
Dalai Lama. Mcleodganj is often called the ‘Little Lhasa’, for
looking like a small replica of Lhasa, the capital city of erstwhile
Tibet, mainly because of its refugee Tibetan population.McLeod Ganj, being inhabited by exiled Tibetan, is full of Tibetan lifestyle and culture. A place ideal for chilling out and shopping, it offers everything to a tourist. Tourists can buy handmade shawls, souvenirs, pendants, and many other locally handmade products, available at reasonable price. The place has historical linkage with Buddhism and the same peace can be observed here too. Even people like Richard Gere have come here to attain peace and solace. People come here, do meditation, and feel relaxed.
The Namgyal Monastery siatuted here houses ‘larger than life’ images of Padmasambhava and Avalokteshwara. The architecture of the place is impressive, as it has been largely influenced by Tibetan style and craft. A host of Tibetan handicrafts and garments are available here. McLeodganj has snowy peaks and a versatile range of flora and fauna. It is some full of pine, oak, and rhododendron and deodar forests. Buddhists, particularly Tibetans, come here to receive blessings from spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
McLeodganj has a stupa which is surrounded by prayer wheels, erected as a memorial to those Tibetans who lost their lives fighting for a free Tibet. The place has another Stupa which is symbolical of the determination of the Tibetan people, to save their distinctive way of life and culture. These stupas are built in the style of third century BC stupa built by Ashoka the great, a Buddhist monarch. Tourists can feel the same spirit of Buddhist monks which was present in early stage of Buddhism. The same quest for true and mysterious knowledge can be observe here in McLeodganj.
