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Dharamshala is more than just where the Dalai Lama set up his government-in-exile. It?s one of India?s premier summer destinations. Thousands of tourists, especially from West Bengal and Gujarat, and Westerners, flock to this town nestled in the upper ranges of the Kangra valley to trek, meditate, hang-glide and generally take in the pleasures of a hill-station. Dharamshala also has much to offer history and art buffs. For instance, the Kangra Museum in Kotwali Bazaar houses a fabulous collection of artefacts, including ancient Kangra paintings. Here?s a slew of suggestions for family fun and great sightseeing in and around Dharamshala.
Short trips (within 25km one-way):
1)Dharamshala-9km-Mcleodganj- 4km-Naddi-4km-Mcleodganj-2km- Bhagsunath (Shiva) temple = 19 km.
2)Dharamshala-8km-Chetru (good especially for children)
3)Dharamshala-6km-Khanyara-3km-Sidhbari-15km-Kangra Fort = 24 km
4)Dharamshala-15km-Chamunda Devi temple-5km-Brajeshwari Devi temple- 2 km-Kangra Fort = 22 km
Day trips. (Up to 100km one-way): You can cut short your journey at any point and return.
1)Dharamshala-8km-Chetru-40km-Masroor = 48km
2)Dharamshala-6km-Khanyara-3km- Sidhbari-15km-Kangra Fort-70km-Aalampur-5km-Sujanpur Tira and Nadaun = 99 km
3)Dharamshala-15km-Chamunda Devi temple-5km-Kangra-30km-Jwalamukhi temple-10km-Masroor = 60 km
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Masroor: A 7th century masterpiece in pure stone, the temple is straight out of an Indiana Jones film in the wild. The group of 15 monolithic sand rock-cut temples and caves are the oldest in North India. Though it looks like a Shiva shrine, the idols inside are exquisite wooden figures of Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshman. An elderly white-bearded priest is there to help you with obeisance. There’s parking right to the entrance steps, so don’t worry about a climb. Kids and the elderly face no problems.
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Khanyara: A picturesque village of grey-silver slates, Khanyara means slate quarries which still exist. You can find piles of neatly-cut slates and mules carrying them. It’s also the childhood hometown of Capt Ram Singh Thakur of the INA. A close associate of Netaji, Ram Singh set to tune Tagore’s lyrics of Jana Gana Mana and Iqbal’s Sare Jahan Se Achha and wrote and composed the music for Kadam Kadam Badate Chal. His house still stands near the main road. His sister-in-law, Rukmini Devi, and her daughter live there now. On the way to Khanyara, stop at Le Kabab Corner run by Sangita Gurung. She is from Lucknow and her kebabs are truly Nawabi.
Mcleodganj: You?ll definitely want to see the monastery of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. If he?s in residence, he gives a short darshan after leaving his office for lunch. Within walking distance is the Gothic-styled church of St John in the Wilderness built in 1852. Of note is the grave of Lord Elgin, Viceroy of British India, who died in 1863. He wanted to be buried here amongst the beautiful deodar trees because it reminded him of his Scottish home. A two-km drive from Mcleodganj brings you to Naddi and the snow-covered Dhauladhar Mountains.
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Sidhbari: Just off the main road is Norbulinka, a unique Buddhist Japanese-styled monastery where Tibetan arts are preserved and taught. Further along the road after Yol camp look out for the monastery of the young and controversial Karmapa. Remember his flight from Tibet some years ago, hoodwinking the Chinese authorities. Also worth a visit is the Chinmaya Ashram as it houses the remains of Swami Chinmaya.
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Himalayan Wonderland, Chetru: Children’s day out. Opened in April 2005, the amusement park is a five- acre, multi-terraced complex on a hillside above a gorge. With children’s rides, mini-trains, a cascading river, revolving towers, swimming pool and video games parlour, there are delights for all. The complex has been thoughtfully built with ramps for comfortable walking. Boasting an attentive 60-member staff, there are shaded refreshment spots to enjoy a meal or sip beverages. There are also plush rooms to lodge if you want to stay which isn’t a bad idea as it cuts your journey time to Masroor. The park is a lovely place to spend some quiet time in the early evening or morning. For Buddhist history enthusiasts, a little ahead on the right side of the main road lies a third-century Buddhist Stupa.
Sujanpura Tira. Overlooking the town and Beas River are the remains of the fort palace of the Katoch dynasty. The king who lived here was Raja Sansar Chand II, patron of the renowned Kangra School of Paintings. The most famous of these is the Gita Govinda series, based on the immortal poems of the Bengali poet Jaydev. The complex is in part ruins, but what will take your breath away is the ancient temple housing a life-size asthadhathu figure of Shiva and Parvati. The Garuda figure stands inside the beautiful Vishnu temple at Alampur just before reaching Sujanpur Tira.
Kangra Fort: This legendary 1,600-year-old fort built by the Katoch dynasty has been attacked by the Afghans, Mughals, Gurkhas, Sikhs and lastly the British. Now it?s beautifully renovated and there?s a Jain temple inside. In Kangra town is the temple of Brajeshwari Devi raided for its immense treasures 14 times by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1009. The entrance is guarded by a pair of life-size lion statues. There?s a story of how millions of bees swarmed from the end of their tails and stung the plundering army away.
Taxis here are mostly Maruti vans or Indicas, the latter being more comfortable. Don?t forget to take along anti-UV cream, sunglasses and a peak cap. For good taxi service, contact Rohit Gurung at 01892-222105; Tejuram: 9418130645.
Photographs by Jyoti Thapa Mani
Talking shop!
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The Great Singapore Sale is on and Bangkok is... well... Bangkok. Who needs an excuse to visits either of these two cities? Seductive Bangkok and swinging Singapore have everything going for Indian wayfarers: proximity, pocket-friendly airfares, killer deals at hotels and more stuff to buy than bags can ever carry (Sightseeing? What’s that?). While both cities offer something for everyone — let’s take a look at what there is for the never-say-die shopper.
Singapore
While you can go dizzy shopping in Singapore, the island nation is not as inexpensive as you might have believed. However, it makes up in quality and incredible variety. But with the Great Singapore Sale in progress till July 24, most shops offer discounts (some insignificant, others hefty), though it’s always safer to keep an eye out for stores that boldly display something called the Merlion insignia. This tells you that the store is recognised by Singapore Tourism.
Orchard Road is to Singapore what Oxford Street is to London. There are two MRT stations on the stretch of the road, so getting there is no problem. It’s the hub for shopaholics what with its tony signature stores, bustling supermarkets, restaurants, hotels and a maze of mammoth shopping plazas where you can lose yourself for days on end.
The Orchard Road-Somerset Road shopping streets are filled with as many tourists as Singaporeans. The shopping plazas that you must hit include Centrepoint, Ngee Ann City, Wisma Atria and Far East Plaza (this one alone has some 600 stores). The Indian shopper still makes a beeline for high-fashion garments, sports goods, cameras, electronics and more electronics. Down this road (and along its arteries) Versace, DKNY, Dunhill, Charles Jourdan, Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Liz Claiborne -- and-any-other-label-that-you-could-think-of beckon.
Move away from this area and you can’t miss Marina Square — about the size of seven football fields. If you are setting up home, visit Habitat. Just next to it is Suntec City Mall — more crowds, and plenty more to buy.
For more earthy flavours wind your way to Chinatown that was set up by migrants from China in the late 19th century. Here you can nab some basement bargains. Nose around and you may just come up with some Peranakan antiques — that are a happy blend of Malay and Chinese styles. And should you get homesick, visit Little India for ... well... what else but gold, jewellery, readymades and handicrafts that might look like something you could buy back home. And if you want to go where ALL Indians always end up going — to Mustafa — then you can shop at any time of day or night. For, Mustafa is open 24x7.
Gizmo freaks are advised to head for Sim Lim Square — an entire building of electronic items. But do your homework before landing there in terms of the model of the equipment you require and the price it’s available for in India. Time to give that wallet a heart attack?
Get to Singapore on: Indian Airlines, Air-India, Singapore Airlines, Malaysian Airways, Thai Airways, Myanmar Airlines and Air Lanka.
Pay: Fares between Rs 13,000 to 25,000. (for flights from Delhi).
Stay: For anything between $70 to $100.
Bangkok
In Bangkok, tourists have just one agenda: buy, buy, buy. It’s here that a Rolex watch can cost anywhere between Rs 1 lakh to some Rs 2,000 (loosely converted from the Thai Baht to Indian bucks). Get the drift? The city is a paradise for fake and pirated goods. And that could be anything: watches, shoes, clothes, electronic goods, CDs and DVDs. But if you are a Dollar Store enthusiast, this spells good news.
Shops are open from 10am to 10pm and the night bazars are open late into the night. Bangkok’s nightlife swings (and how) while the highpoints are its night bazars. Begin the night journey with the Patpong night market. Okay, so let’s get this straight. This is a ‘For Adults Only’ kind of place — where watches, clothes and bags (mostly fake) vie for attention with its dance bars that spill bar boys onto the narrow street outside. Don’t be surprised if girlish boys with finely plucked brows and kohl-lined eyes sidle up to you with, “Want to watch show?''
But fun for the entire family can be had at the Suam Lum night bazar that has shops selling a variety of goods while offering entertainment (streetside cafés, bars and discos) and great street food. The bazar opens at 6pm and buzzes till midnight.
When you hit a night bazar or streetside shopping area or the famed Chatuchak Weekend Market, bargain furiously. Though most shopowners speak English, they tend to rely more on their calculators, on which they type out the amount at which they are willing to make the sale. Usually the calculator changes hands between the buyer (the plea is “I come from so far”) and vendor (the litany is “I no sell”) several times before the deal is struck.
Topping the list of must-buys in Bangkok are its fabulous silks (a must-visit is Jim Thompson’s store), gemstones and jewellery, pottery items, masks, while antiques too are known to fly off the racks. VCDs and DVDs of the latest films are great buys. A VCD can cost 50 Baht while DVDs can cost upto 100 Baht.
But if malls are more your scene, try shopping centres like Emporium Sukhumvit Soi 26, Central Chidlom and the World Trade Centre or what is now called the Central World Plaza. If lucky, it’s possible to get amazing discounts of anywhere between 15 per cent to 80 per cent at sales. If silver is what you want to buy, head for Siam Square and Chinatown. And there’s Pantip Plaza on Phetburi Road for hundreds of shops selling hardware and software. Bangkok is not called a shoppers’ paradise for nothing.
Get to Bangkok on: Indian Airlines, Air-India, Thai Airways, Myanmar Airlines.
Pay: Fares between Rs 11,500-18,000 (for flight sfrom Delhi).
Stay: For anything between $50 to $80.
Route map
• It’s that blistering time of year when hotels are desperate to sell their rooms at any price — well almost. So, the Trident Hilton has cut tariffs in places like Agra, Jaipur and Udaipur where the sun is beating down mercilessly. On offer are 2-night and 3-day packages priced at Rs 4,500 in Agra, Rs 6,100 in Jaipur and Rs 6,900 in Udaipur. Besides accommodation for a couple and two kids, the package throws in a buffet breakfast. Also, the hotels promise that parents can do everything from taking part in special cricket matches or even learn pottery. Alternatively, they can loll about by the hotel pool. Meanwhile, the company’s hyperactive event managers will ensure that kids between four and 12 can be packed off to the Kids Club. The offers are on till September 30.
• The Taj is going one better on the competition. It is offering summer season deals in India and in the chain’s hotels in places like Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles or Dubai. So, you could dine at a village home in Kerala, visit a haveli or enjoy a desert safari in Rajasthan. Or, you might try rock-climbing in North Goa, deep-sea fishing in Chennai and more. Children can stay busy with indoor and outdoor games and magic shows. (Call: 1600111825. The offers are on till September 30.
• If you want to wander slightly off the beaten track, how about trying Vizag? Manor Travels is offering a package for Rs 8,000 per couple for three nights and four days (inclusive of taxes). You get to stay in a three- or four-star hotel and a pick-up and drop to and from the station is included in the price as is breakfast and one more meal.
What can you do in Vizag? Well, there the city’s two beautiful beaches, Rishikonda and Ram Krishna and the harbour. If you head away from the sea, you can can go into the nearby mountains. Trekking up to the Kailashgiri hill top or driving down to the Araku Valley are other options on offer. Sight-seeing though will cost you extra, and travel to Vizag is also not included in the package price. For more, call 2280 1903/4.
My favourite holiday
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Indrani Dutta,
actress
Being a complete travel junkie, my trips have taken me all over the country and even abroad. From Rajasthan and Kashmir to Paris and Switzerland, I’ve been everywhere, though my all-time favourite holiday has to be the one I spent in Honololu.
I went to Honolulu with my husband Janardan about six years ago, and the experience was absolutely incredible. Beautiful scenery, warm locals, great shopping, Honolulu has it all and we made the most of our stay there.
Besides exploring all over, Janardan and I took in all the local attractions. We watched the Hawaiian dancers in action in their short little grass skirts and even went for a ride in a submarine! The memory of that ride itself will stay with me forever — the crystal-clear waters, watching the shoals of fish swim by in these amazing formations and getting a glimpse of the magnificent world that lies under water.
During our trip there, I really got into the spirit of things. Janardan and I tried the local cuisine and even togged up in their traditional costumes, though I have to admit that my skirts weren’t quite as short as theirs! Before returning, I made it a point to stock up on loads of summer dresses and straw hats, just to bring a flavour of Honolulu back home with me.
