Photo gallery and Travelogue - Part 3 of 4

Contents

Part 1: 21 April - 24 April: Start, Mumbai to Delhi, Chandigarh, Kullu, Manali

Part 2: 25 April - 03 May: Mountain Biking Expedition - Kullu to Jalori pass and back

Part 3: 04 May - 08 May: Dharamshala, McLeod Ganj, Chamunda, Amritsar, Delhi to Mumbai

Part 4: Your Comments

Part 3 of 4

Dharamshala and McLeodganj :: 4 May

Early morning, the bus with only 3 Indians and balance Isreali tourists (who, by the way, were dressed in shabbiest manner and were behaving in an uncivilized way) reached McLeod ganj, which is 9 km from than Dharamshala. The British developed Upper Dharamshala, also known as McLeodganj. It now has the seat of Tibetian government. Indian government extended a welcome reception to the fleeing Tibetians when Tibet was being occupied and devastated by Chinese army. The Tibetian government in exile is run from here. They have local elections too! The Dalai Lama resides here.

We set out in 3 directions to hunt a cheap place to stay, and we did find one. The owner, Tashi Khangsar was leaving for morning prayers at a Tibetian monastery and he was glad to take us with him. While the prayer lasted for an hour, we chatted with the local people and tried to assimilate the Tibetian Buddhist chants. ‘Om mani padme hum’. Rest of the day we spent eating and strolling in McLeod ganj, which is customised for the foreign tourist attracted by Tibetian Buddhism. The famous Namgyal monastery and Dalai Lama’s residence are situated here. Also located is the ancient Bhagasu temple.

Chamunda :: 4 May

Later in the evening we visited the famous Chamunda temple. The last bus that goes from Dharamsala to McLeod ganj is at 21:30 and we reached the bus depot 5 minutes late. That meant there was no public transport available to go to the top. Hiking 9 km at night was too risky, and nobody were willing to give us a lift. Finally we had to hire an expensive taxi.

Dharamshala to Amritsar :: 5 May

We spent this day at Mcleodganj shopping for various Tibetian items, from clothing to prayer flags. A kilometer down towards Dharamshala is this St. John’s church. We worked out all our trip expenses sitting by the graveyard. Later, Gaurav departed to Delhi while Giri and me boarded a bus to Amritsar via Pathankot. It was a brutal six-hour journey through scorching heat. It felt more intense since only few days back we were in the cold Himalayan breeze. Our driver got into a minor scuffle with another bus driver and it was amusing to see them fight.

Amritsar :: 5, 6 May

We reached Amritsar at night and took a cycle rickshaw to the Golden Temple immediately. The rickshaw drivers were fighting bitterly to grab the customer. Maneuvering through narrow streets, we reached the sacred temple. The temple was overcrowded due to many factors - weekend, summer holidays and some celebration. As a result we couldn’t manage a place to stay inside the temple complex and had to settle in a matchbox hotel room adjacent to the temple. At night we visited the holy shrine and were amazed by the sheer size of the complex. The temple was closing and we were lucky to see the winding up ceremony, where all the sacred items are covered and the temple is closed. People were voluntarily dusting the walls, doors, stairs, floor etc with their own piece of cloth. At the other end, a volunteer was collecting glasses after the devotees finish drinking water. The best part was the free kitchen (langar) where delicious food - roti and daal were served in clean utensils. We visited the temple again in the morning, and then again before leaving.

Jalianwaala baug: It is indeed scary to walk through a single narrow lane, which ultimately opens up in a wide area enclosed from all sides. The ground is now covered with a garden and this memorial and the eternal flame erected at that place.

It became burning hot as the sun climbed up. We checked out of the hotel and deposited our luggage with the temple. Then we spent about 2 hours in an a/c hotel eating at slowest possible speed. For siesta, we were back to the Golden temple open halls.

Wagha border: At 16:00, we left for Wagha border to see the Retreat ceremony. It is an unending hassle to argue with the drivers and negotiate a price for this excursion. Outside the swarna jayanti dwar (Golden jubilee gate), were tourists, in overflowing numbers. Virtually the entire country was assembled, a crowd which was apparently difficult for the Border Security Force to handle. We walked close to Pakistan border, probably a meter away from the people on the other side and took our seats in the unscientifically designed audience stands. The temperature was too high and so was the humidity, which resulted in series of sweat baths for me. The ceremony lasted for 25 minutes, but is better seen on TV or a CD. It was just too crowded to understand anything. But the experience was good nonetheless.

Back from Wagha border, we rushed our luggage out and traveled to Amritsar railway station through the free bus service. Night journey was really comfortable.

Amritsar was a depressing city. People are very poor, especially the cycle rickshaw drivers who toil in the burning sun. They will take you to distant places across the town for an insignificant amount, yet the customers were bargaining the price.

Something is strikingly noteworthy about the security at Golden Temple. The temple has multiple entrances and we usually used the side entrance. Just a couple of days back, we read in papers about terrorist threats and security being briefed up. There was however absolutely no sign of any security or police being deployed. The funny thing was, while the side entrances were unprotected, the main entrance was guarded by heavy security! Are the terrorists going to breach inside the temple complex from the main gate? Hmm..

Delhi :: 7 May

Our train reached New Delhi and we were not sure what to do. So we called up Ashutosh’s place, our new friend from the cycling expedition and turned up at his home. His dad (who is with the Air Force) was very generous and took us to a place – Andhra bhavan, that served some refreshing and authentic south Indian breakfast. The two of us had not shaved since ages and it felt nice to be back into civilized (read shaved) world again. After that Giri, Ashutosh and me left for a ride in the Metro to various stations, including Chandani chowk, Red Fort, Mac D and back. I had been to Delhi last year so was not much enthusiastic a tourist. Plus the place felt like an oven running at maximum.

Delhi – Mumbai :: 8 May

At night, we stayed in Youth Hostel Delhi and returned by Air Deccan the next day. It felt pleasant to be back in Mumbai. I was wearing this Himachal cap all the time and inviting strange looks from others, much to my amusement. By the time I returned, I was two shades darker and a couple of kilograms lighter! Welcome break from the otherwise robotic lifestyle featuring key activities namely: wake up - go to office - come home - eat - sleep -

Now I await my next escape to the Himalayas!

Back to Part 2: Mountain Biking Expedition - Kullu to Jalori pass and back «

Contents

Part 1: 21 April - 24 April: Start, Mumbai to Delhi, Chandigarh, Kullu, Manali

Part 2: 25 April - 03 May: Mountain Biking Expedition - Kullu to Jalori pass and back

Part 3: 04 May - 08 May: Dharamshala, McLeod Ganj, Chamunda, Amritsar, Delhi to Mumbai

Part 4: Your Comments

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