Dhaulandhar mountains, road-side momos, larger than life monasteries, maroon-robed monks and nuns, they all come down to one word- Mcleod Ganj. It all started during the 1959 uprising in Tibet to overthrow the rule of the communists. Lhasa, the capital city, faced most of the losses and Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama and a political leader, had to flee and take shelter in India. He not only brought with him the people but the monasteries, the tourism industry, the cuisine and the holy vibe.
When people talk about going to Dharamsala to see the Dalai Lama, this is where they mean they are headed. Mcleod Ganj was named after Sir Donald Friell Mcleod, a Lieutenant Governor of Punjab. A city that is home to 200 monasteries has a population of 11,000 people. It is often referred to as “Little Lhasa” by the local residents. Apart from the Tibetan language, the locals here are adapted to speaking in English due to the mix of travellers. Tibetans have always been warm and welcoming and are masters at providing the best hospitality. Although tourism is an important industry in Mcleod Ganj, people also come here to take courses in Buddhism, meditation and yoga. You can also sign up for voluntarily teaching English to the monks.
The place is a photographer’s paradise but if you’re trying to click a monk, you better be fast because they disappear in no time. A monk only gets a bowl of food for a meal. The cafes here provide the same home cooked food that you would find in local households. The dogs of Mcleodganj are as cooperative as the humans. They sit during the entire prayer sessions that happen daily, in the monasteries . Prayer is a private matter for the Tibetans. You won’t find any loud speakers or noise while they are praying.
There are certain rules in the ganj, if a vehicle is driving down the mountains, it has to make way for a vehicle that is headed to the mountains no matter how urgent it is to go down. You will never find any beggars on the streets. On the occasion of Buddh Purnima, people who are below the poverty line sit outside monasteries and people from a well-to-do background donate clothes and food. The markets remain shut on this occasion. A day in Mcleod Ganj is twice as cheap as a day in Mumbai. There is no such thing as greed in the Tibetans. Vendors here only charge an amount that is necessary for their survival. The charges are same for every tourist.
India has always been that friend, who comes to the rescue in crisis situations. We have always welcomed anyone who wants to be a part of our nation and these refugees, be it the Iranis or the Tibetans have only added to what we have. Recently, the trump government refused to accept the contribution that refugees have in terms of revenue. People from all over the world come to Mcleod Ganj to experience peace and be a part of the monk lifestyle.
Mcleod Ganj is not just a bus journey from Chandigarh, it is an insight into the Tibetan culture. It is a land where Tibet meets India. There are stories of this place that will make you fall in love with it. It is a part of the same country where everything is seen as a commercial opportunity yet remains undiscovered. Visiting Mcleod Ganj will make you question your existence and will allow you to discover your true self, who has been lost in the chaotic cities.
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