Best Local Experiences in Mcleodganj

The church of St. John in the wilderness is an old Anglican church situated in the beautiful valley of McLeodganj, which is at a distance of about 8 kilometres from Dharamshala. The church was built in the year 1852. It was dedicated to John the Baptist and also one of the viceroys of India, Lord Elgin was buried here in 1863. With its neo-gothic architecture, the church, known for its stunning design is set amidst deodar forests and is full of memorial stones of the British soldiers who were posted here.Nestled in the beautiful picturesque location, St. John Wilderness Church with its quiet and serene surroundings will definitely give you a sense of peace and calm. On the outside, it may look like an old and abandoned structure but the insides are still very well maintained and quite active. The church is known to attract a lot of tourists and visitors on almost all days and especially on Sundays. On the outside, the Belgian stained glass windows are the main attractions of the church while on the inside, the polished wood of the altar railing and old brass oil lamps which are now converted into electric light holders, make it very appealing.Along the walking path in the church, the holy cross symbols are artistically made with colourful stones. The church is usually under close watch by security guards to make sure no damage is caused by tourists and visitors.

Located in Dharamshala, the spiritual dwelling of a huge number of Tibetan monks have come and carved out the heavenly Namgyal Monastery in Himachal. This place was originally a monastery from the palace of Lhasa, which found its new incarnation in Dharamshala. The monastery is known to perform all important Tibetan ceremonies and host Tibetan monks from around the world.It accommodates around 200 monks who are involved in preserving the rare skills, rituals, tantric practices, Buddhist scriptures and culture which they brought from Tibet. The new version of this monastery is also known as Namgyal Tantric College. Known as “the Dalai Lama Temple”, the monastery now acts as a personal monastery for the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. This beautiful monastery built in a calm scenic hilltop in McLeod Ganj has grown in reputation as a tourist hotspot of Dharamshala. Apart from serving as a private place of worship for the Dalai Lama, the serene ambience of the place and the rich history produce a mesmerizing effect on the visitors from around the world. Namgyal had already earned its fame in Lhasa and since its restoration in India, the monastery has spread its wings across the Atlantic. In 1992 the Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies was built in New York, Ithaca, which is directly under the influence of the Namgyal Monastery of Dharamshala.

If you too love to witness the snow-capped nature atop the beautiful scenic mountains, you must add the Indrahar Pass on your bucket list right away! Indrahar Pass acts as a border between the vividly known Chamba and Kangra districts of Himachal Pradesh. It is also amongst the most popular trekking routes from the tourist destinations of Dharamshala. Indrahar Pass offers you the picture-perfect views of the Dhauladhar range amidst the small vernacular settlements in the region.The distinctly varying altitudes of the trekking trail to this mesmerizing location allow you to witness the scenic beauty of various forest ranges. Moreover, you would also be able to spot the Pir Panjal range along with various other smaller ranges which make this trek worth the hard work. Once you reach your ultimate destination, the view from the top would be one of its kind and make you feel out of the world.Indrahar Pass receives a lot of trekking enthusiasts during the trekking season due to the indomitable views of the conifer ranges and the pleasant weather of the region all throughout the trekking season.Moreover, this overwhelming trek also allows you to experience and indulge with some of the tribal settlements of Himachal, introducing you to a whole new face of Himachal's culture, food, and hospitality. Additionally, you need not be a hardcore trekking professional to be able to visit Indrahar pass. It only involves easy to moderate level trekking, allowing even the beginners to enjoy it to the fullest.