McLeod Ganj

Coordinates: 32°14′19″N 76°19′25″E / 32.23861°N 76.32361°E / 32.23861; 76.32361
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

McLeod Ganj
McLeodganj
suburb
UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
176219
Telephone Code01892

McLeod Ganj or McLeodganj (pronounced

Tibetan government-in-exile is headquartered here and there is a significant population of Tibetans in the region.[1]

Etymology

McLeod Ganj was named after

Punjab during British colonial rule in India; the suffix ganj is a common Persian word used for "neighbourhood".[2][3]

History

Residence of the Dalai Lama
View of Dhalaudhar peak from McLeod Ganj

Early history

The region finds references in ancient

Hindu group who traditionally lived a nomadic or semi-nomadic transhumant lifestyle.[6]

The region was subject to attacks from

jagirdars under the treaty of Jawalamukhi signed between Chand and Singh in 1810. Post the death of Chand, Ranjit singh annexed the region into the Sikh empire.[4]

British occupation

The

Indian Independence movement
.

Post independence

Post

government-in-exile" in 1960 and the Namgyal Monastery.[12] In 1970, Dalai Lama opened the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives which is one of the most important institutions for Tibetology.[13]

Several thousand Tibetan exiles have now settled in the area where monasteries, temples and schools have come up. It has become an important tourist destination with many hotels and restaurants, leading to growth in tourism and commerce.[14] In 2017, Dharamshala was made the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh with the legislative assembly located at Sidhbari.[15]

Geography

McLeod Ganj has an average elevation of 2,082 m (6,831 ft).[16] McLeod Ganj is located in the Kangra Valley, in the shadow of the Dhauladhar mountains and forms a part of the town of Dharamshala.[17]

Transport

Road

NH 503 starts from Dharmashala and connects the town to Hoshiarpur in Punjab via Kangra. State highways link the town with NH 154 running from Pathankot to Mandi, Himachal Pradesh.[18] Buses connect the town with other major locations nearby.

Air

The region is served by Kangra Ghaggal airport located about 12 km to the town's south.[19]

Rail

Pathankot, Punjab to Jogindernagar through the Kangra Valley with the nearest station to Dharamshala being Chamunda Marg, located about 22 km southeast.[21]

Ropeway

A 1.8 km long ropeway connecting Dharamshala and Mcleodganj via cable car was inaugurated in January 2022.[22]

Economy

Kalachakra Temple in the main street of Mcleod Ganj

The region is a major hill station and spiritual center.[23] It hosts a number of trekking trails across the Himalayas into the upper Ravi Valley and Chamba district. Major trekking trails include hikes to Toral Pass (4575m), Bhimghasutri Pass (4580m), Dharamshala—Bleni Pass (3710m), Kareri lake and Triund.[24][25] It is a major center of Tibetan Buddhism and known for its Tibetan handicrafts, thangkas, Tibetan carpets, garments, and other souvenirs.

Tsuglag Khang, the

Gyuto monastery in Sidhbari. St. John in the Wilderness is an Anglican church located near Forsyth Ganj. The neo-Gothic stone building was constructed in 1852 and hosts a graveyard and a memorial to the British Viceroy Lord Elgin. Dal Lake is a small lake about 3 km from McLeod Ganj, next to one of the Tibetan Children's Villages schools. An annual fair is held there and there is a small spring and an old temple near the lake. Bhagsu is an area with a temple dedicated to Bhagsu Nath (Lord Shiva). Bhagsu falls is a waterfall about 20 meters tall near the temple. The Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF)
is held annually.

Notes and references

  1. OCLC 52996458
    .
  2. ^ a b c d e "Dharmsala". The Imperial Gazetteer of India. Vol. XI. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1908. pp. 301–302 – via Digital South Asia Library.
  3. TIME Asia
    . Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b "History of Kangra". Government of Himachal Pradesh. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  5. ISBN 81-85182-03-5
    .
  6. ^ "A journey with Gaddi Pastoralists". Live Mint. 6 October 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Mcledoganj Information". mcllo.com. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  8. ISBN 978-0-7553-1415-7
    .
  9. ^ Chopra, Jaskiran (7 April 2016). "When Dalai lama's date with India began in Mussoorie in one April". The Pioneer (India). Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  10. ^ "How and Why the Dalai Lama Left Tibet". The Time. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  11. OCLC 41431635
    .
  12. ^ Busvine, Douglas (10 May 2017). "U.S. lawmakers not backing down on human rights for Tibet, Pelosi says". Reuters. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  13. ^ "Visit Library of Tibetan Works and Archives on your trip to Dharamsala". inspirock.com. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  14. ^ "Some of the Best Bird Watching Spots in India". Petzenia Blog. 4 December 2016. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  15. ^ "Dharamsala Declared Second Capital of Himachal Pradesh". NDTV India. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  16. ^ Area of Dharamshala Town (PDF) (Report). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 April 2012.
  17. ISBN 978-1-9072-6374-3
    .
  18. Department of Road Transport and Highways. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  19. ^ "Kangra Airport". Airports Authority of India. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  20. ^ "Pathankot Junction railway station". indiarailinfo.com. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  21. ^ "Kangras narrow gauge rail get UNESCO heritage status". India Today. 3 May 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  22. ^ "Dharamshala Skywalk Inaugurated". Outlook. 21 January 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  23. ISBN 9781-0-0082-1444
    .
  24. ISBN 9781843530893 – via Google Books
    .
  25. ^ Watts, Meera (17 April 2019). "Dharamsala: The Full Experience Beyond Yoga". siddhiyoga.com. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  26. ^ "The Tibet Museum". tibetmuseum.org. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014.

External links

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