McLeod Ganj
McLeod Ganj
McLeodganj | |
|---|---|
suburb | |
     From top, left to right: Triund,Mcleodganjduring winter skyline of Mcleod ganj,BhagsunagTemple,KalachakraTemple | |
| Nickname(s): Little Lhasa, or Dhasa | |
  McLeod Ganj Location in Himachal Pradesh, India  McLeod Ganj McLeod Ganj (India) | |
| Coordinates:32°14′19″N76°19′25″E/ 32.23861°N 76.32361°E | |
| Country |  India |
| State |  Himachal Pradesh |
| District | Kangra |
| Named for | Donald Friell McLeod |
| Elevation | 2,082 m (6,831 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 11,000 (approx) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Hindi,English,Tibetan,Gaddi,Pahari,Nepali,Punjabi |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30(IST) |
| PIN | 176219 |
| Telephone Code | 01892 |
McLeod GanjorMcLeodganj(pronounced/məˈklaʊdˌɡʌndʒ/) is a suburb ofDharamshalainKangra district,Himachal Pradesh,India. It is known as "LittleLhasa"or" Dhasa "as theTibetan government-in-exileis headquartered here and there is a significant population ofTibetansin the region.[1]
Etymology
[edit]McLeod Ganj was named afterDonald Friell McLeod,a Lieutenant Governor ofPunjabduring British colonial rule in India; the suffixganjis a commonPersianword used for "neighbourhood".[2][3]
History
[edit]
Early history
[edit]The region finds references in ancientHindu scripturessuch asRig VedaandMahabharata.[4]There are mentions of the region byPāṇiniin 4th century BC and byChinesetravelerHeun Tsangduring the reign of kingHarshavardhanain 7th century AD.[5]The indigenous people of the Dharamshala area (and the surrounding region) are theGaddis,a predominantlyHindugroup who traditionally lived a nomadic or semi-nomadictranshumantlifestyle.[6]
The region was subject to attacks fromMahmud of Ghazniin 1009 andFiruz Shah Tughlaqin 1360. In 1566,Akbarcaptured the region and brought it under the Mughal rule. As the mughal rule disintegrated,SikhchieftainJai Singhbrought the region to his control and gave it toSansar Chandof Katoch dynasty, legitimateRajputprince in 1785.Gurkhasinvaded and captured the region in 1806 before being defeated byRanjit Singhin 1809. The Katoch dynasty was reduced to status ofjagirdarsunder 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
[edit]TheBritishcaptured the region following theFirst Anglo-Sikh Warof 1846. Under the British Raj, the regions were part ofundivided province of Punjab,and was ruled by thegovernors of PunjabfromLahore.[2]In 1860, the 66thGurkhaLight Infantrywas moved fromKangrato Dharamshala, which was at first made a subsidiarycantonment.[7][2]The Battalion was later renamed1st Gurkha Rifles.[8]Dharamshala became a popularhill stationduring the British.[2]In 1905, theKangra Valleysuffered a majorearthquakedestroying much of the cantonment and the infrastructure in the region killing nearly 20,000 including 1,625 at Dharmasala including 15 foreigners and 112 of the Gurkha garrison. "[2]Many of the Gurkhas were part of theIndian National Armyfounded byNetaji Subhas Chandra Bosetaking part in theIndian Independence movement.
Post independence
[edit]PostIndian Independencein 1947, it remained as a small hill station. On 29 April 1959, the 14thDalai LamaTenzin Gyatsoestablished the Tibetan exile administration inMussooriewhen he had toflee Tibet.[9]In May 1960, theCentral Tibetan Administrationwas moved to Dharamshala whenJawaharlal Nehru,thenPrime Minister of Indiaallowed him and his followers to settle in McLeod Ganj.[10][11]There they established the "government-in-exile"in 1960 and theNamgyal Monastery.[12]In 1970, Dalai Lama opened theLibrary of Tibetan Works and Archiveswhich is one of the most important institutions forTibetology.[13]
Several thousandTibetanexiles 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 atSidhbari.[15]
Geography
[edit]McLeod Ganj has an average elevation of 2,082 m (6,831 ft).[16]McLeod Ganj is located in theKangra Valley,in the shadow of theDhauladharmountains and forms a part of the town ofDharamshala.[17]
Transport
[edit]Road
[edit]NH 503starts from Dharmashala and connects the town toHoshiarpurinPunjabvia Kangra. State highways link the town withNH 154running fromPathankottoMandi, Himachal Pradesh.[18]Buses connect the town with other major locations nearby.
Air
[edit]The region is served byKangra Ghaggal airportlocated about 12 km to the town's south.[19]
Rail
[edit]Pathankot,90 km away, is the nearest major rail head.[20]TheKangra Valley Railwayis a2 ft 6 in(762 mm) gauge railway that runs fromPathankot, PunjabtoJogindernagarthrough theKangra Valleywith the nearest station to Dharamshala being Chamunda Marg, located about 22 km southeast.[21]
Ropeway
[edit]A 1.8 km long ropeway connecting Dharamshala and McLeod Ganj via cable car was inaugurated in January 2022.[22]
Economy
[edit]
The region is a major hill station and spiritual center.[23]It hosts a number of trekking trails across theHimalayasinto the upperRaviValley andChamba district.Major trekking trails include hikes to Toral Pass (4575m), Bhimghasutri Pass (4580m), Dharamshala—Bleni Pass (3710m), Kareri lake andTriund.[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, theDalai Lama's temple with the statues ofShakyamuni,AvalokiteśvaraandPadmasambhavais an important Buddhist site in the town. Other Buddhist and Tibetan sites include theNamgyal Monastery,Gompa Dip Tse-Chok Ling monastery,Library of Tibetan Works and Archives,Gangchen Kyishong (Tibetan government-in-exile), Mani Lakhang Stupa,NechungMonastery andNorbulingka Institute.The Tibet Museum, established in 1998 has a collection of Tibetan artifacts and photographs showing Tibetans' struggle and their way of life.[26]Ogyen Trinley Dorje,the 17th Karmapa lives near Dharamshala, inGyutomonastery inSidhbari.St. John in the Wildernessis 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 ViceroyLord Elgin.Dal Lakeis a small lake about 3 km from McLeod Ganj, next to one of theTibetan Children's Villagesschools. An annual fair is held there and there is a small spring and an old temple near the lake.Bhagsuis an area with a temple dedicated to Bhagsu Nath (LordShiva). Bhagsu falls is a waterfall about 20 meters tall near the temple. TheDharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF)is held annually.
Notes and references
[edit]- ^Diehl, Keila (2002).Echoes from Dharamshala Music in the Life of a Tibetan.University of California Press.pp. 45–46.ISBN978-0-585-46878-5.OCLC52996458.
- ^abcde"Dharmsala".The Imperial Gazetteer of India.Vol. XI. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1908. pp. 301–302 – via Digital South Asia Library.
- ^"Experiment in Exile".TIME Asia.Retrieved27 October2023.
- ^ab"History of Kangra".Government of Himachal Pradesh.Retrieved22 October2023.
- ^Hāṇḍā, Omacanda (2001).Buddhist Western Himalaya: A politico-religious history.Indus Publishing Company. p. 43.ISBN81-85182-03-5.
- ^"A journey with Gaddi Pastoralists".Live Mint.6 October 2016.Retrieved20 October2023.
- ^"Mcledoganj Information".mcllo.com.Retrieved22 October2023.
- ^Parker, John (2005).The Gurkhas: The Inside Story of the World's Most Feared Soldiers.London: Headline Book Publishing. p. 45.ISBN978-0-7553-1415-7.
- ^Chopra, Jaskiran (7 April 2016)."When Dalai lama's date with India began in Mussoorie in one April".The Pioneer (India).Retrieved17 May2019.
- ^"How and Why the Dalai Lama Left Tibet".The Time.Retrieved22 October2023.
- ^Craig, Mary (1999).Tears of Blood: a Cry for Tibet.Washington, D.C.: Counterpoint. p. 142.ISBN978-1-5824-3025-6.OCLC41431635.
- ^Busvine, Douglas (10 May 2017)."U.S. lawmakers not backing down on human rights for Tibet, Pelosi says".Reuters.Retrieved17 May2019.
- ^"Visit Library of Tibetan Works and Archives on your trip to Dharamsala".inspirock.com.Retrieved22 October2023.
- ^"Some of the Best Bird Watching Spots in India".Petzenia Blog.4 December 2016. Archived fromthe originalon 10 October 2017.Retrieved10 October2017.
- ^"Dharamsala Declared Second Capital of Himachal Pradesh".NDTV India.19 January 2017.Retrieved17 May2019.
- ^Area of Dharamshala Town(PDF)(Report). Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 24 April 2012.
- ^Betts, Vanessa; McCulloch, Victoria (2013).India Forts, Palaces, the Himalaya.Footprint. p. 240.ISBN978-1-9072-6374-3.
- ^"Rationalisation of Numbering Systems of National Highways"(PDF).New Delhi:Department of Road Transport and Highways.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 1 February 2016.Retrieved3 April2012.
- ^"Kangra Airport".Airports Authority of India.Retrieved28 October2017.
- ^"Pathankot Junction railway station".indiarailinfo.com.Retrieved10 February2014.
- ^"Kangras narrow gauge rail get UNESCO heritage status".India Today.3 May 2015.Retrieved23 October2023.
- ^"Dharamshala Skywalk Inaugurated".Outlook. 21 January 2022.Retrieved22 October2023.
- ^Adams, Kathleen M.; Bloch, Natalia (2022).Intersections of Tourism, Migration, and Exile.Taylor & Francis.ISBN9781-0-0082-1444.
- ^Abram, David (2003).The Rough Guide to India.Rough Guide Travel Guides.ISBN9781843530893– viaGoogle Books.
- ^Watts, Meera (17 April 2019)."Dharamsala: The Full Experience Beyond Yoga".siddhiyoga.com.Retrieved17 May2019.
- ^"The Tibet Museum".tibetmuseum.org.Archived fromthe originalon 26 October 2014.
External links
[edit]
McLeod Ganjtravel guide from Wikivoyage
