India Travel

Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Hmachal Pradesh

Related Properties from Gurgaon

Other routes from Dharamsala to Chamba in Himachal Pradesh

Several other routes cross the Dhauladhar Range, including the Toral Pass (4575m) which starts from Tang Narwana (1150m), 10km from Dharamsala. The most difficult route north is the five- or six-day trek across Bhimghasutri Pass (4580m), covering near-vertical rocky ascents, sharp cliffs and dangerous gorges. A much easier four- of five-day trek from Dharamsala crosses Bleni Pass (3710m) in the milder ranges to the northwest, weaving through alpine pastures and woods and crossing a few streams, before terminating at Dunali, on the Chamba road. Courses Numerous courses are available in McLeod Ganj including lyengarYoga, Dharma teachings, Tibetan language, Hindi, ancient Thai

Cinemas in Calcutta

Cinemas that show English-language films three or four times each day can be found along Chowringhee near Esplanade and New Market. All are air-conditioned; some, like the Lighthouse on Humayan Place, are fine examples of Art Deco. Names to look for include Elite, SN Banerjee Road; Globe, Lindsay Street; and Chaplin, Chowringhee Place. Nandan, behind Rabindra Sadan on Arc Bose Road, is the city's leading art-house cinema with library, archives and three auditoria.The Jamuna on Marquis Street, and the Globe on Madge Lane are the closest cinemas to Sudder Street.

McLeod Ganj Accommodation in Himachal Pradesh

Most visitors stay in the upper town McLeod Ganj. However if you have an early bus to catch, or arrive late, you might prefer to stay the night in Dharamsala, although options are fewer and the standards lower. Hotel accommodation tends to fill up during the Tibetan New Year (Feb/March). Those planning long-term stays often head to Bhagsu or Dharamkot, where you can rent rooms or huts on a self-catering basis. A handful of rooms in the Tibetan Library are available to students taking courses here, and for dedicated Buddhists, there's always the possibility of staying at a monastery or

Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj in Himachal Pradesh

Home to the Dalai Lama and Tibetan government in exile, and starting point tor some exhilarating treks into the high Himalayas, DHARAMSALA. or more correctly, its upper town McLEOD GANJ, is one of Himachal's most irresistible destinations. Spread across wooded ridges, beneath the stark rock faces of the Dhauladhar Range, 150km east of Pathankot and 160km northwest of Mandi, the town is divided into two distinct and separate sectioW almost a thousand metres apart in altitude. Originally a British hill station, McLEOD GANJ has been transformed by the influx of Tibetan refugees fleeing Chinese oppression in their homeland. Monks and

North and east of McLeod Ganj Eating in Himachal Pradesh

McLeod Ganj is one of those places where sitting, chatting and philosophic in restaurants is the favoured activity.Tibetan dishes such as thukpa and tna are prominent, along with Chinese egg noodles, chow inein and stir fry’s Frp h baked Tibetan bread and cakes are widely available, and you'll also come arm omelettes, chips, toast, veggie-burgers and plenty of Israeli dishes I Dharamsala, there's no shortage of snack stalls, but less choice of cuisine

Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts in Himachal Pradesh

The Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (01892/21478, 21033) was founded in 1959 to preserve the Tibetan identity jn exile. Around 120 people live on its campus in the forests above McLeod Gam overlooking Bhagsunath, including artists, teachers, musicians and administrators. The TIPA troupe perform traditional lhamo operas (see box opposite) and have played a morale-building role at Tibetan refugee camps throughout India, while also sharing Tibet's rich cultural heritage with international audiences. Information on upcoming events and tours can be sought at its office (Mon-Sat 9am-12 & lpm-5pm, closed 2nd & 4th Sat of month). Lhamo instructors from

National Gallery of Modern Art in Central New Delhi

Once the residence of the Maharaja ofjaipur, the extensive National Gallery (daily 10am-5pm; Rs5) housed in Jaipur House, near India Gate, is a rich showcase of Indian contemporary art. The permanent displays, focusing on post-1930s work, have many of the best exhibits, including pieces by the "Bengali Renaissance" artists Abanendranath Tagore and Nandalal Bose, the great poet and artist, Rabindranath Tagore, and Januni Roy, whose work, reminiscent of Modigliani, reflects the influence of Indian folk art. Also on show are the romantic paintings and etchings of Thomas Daniell and his nephew William, British artists of the Bombay or Company

Eating in Bodhgaya

There are several small cafes in the Mahabodhi temple market complex. The friendly and informative Ginza restaurant opposite the Thai temple serves standard traveller’s favourites as well as Tibetan bread and Japanese food. Opposite the Burmese Vihar, you'll find excellent cinnamon rolls and apple strudel at the Gautam tent restaurant. The various Pole Pole restaurants nearby have similar Western-oriented menus and all claim to have been the first; the Original Pole Pole is the most pleasant, with good coffee. Om Restaurant opposite the Deer Park has standard traveller food and does a good veg Manchurian. During the Tibetan influx (Nov-Feb),

Internet in Calcutta

Internet access (from Rs30 an hour) is easily available but the smaller hole-in-the-wall places do not always have fast leased lines or ISDN; in some cases their connections are also suspect. The British Council library. 5 Shakespeare Sarani, is the most reliable and The Amazone, 8 Bowbazar St, with its rainforest theme, is friendly with free tea and coffee. Of the many around Sudder Street, try the Hotel Palace on Chowringhee Lane, while Hotel Maria is one of the best. Around the corner on Free School Street, near the Kyd Street intersection, try Cyber World. A little further, BQ's, 53D

The Daulat Khana and Panch Mahal at Fatehpur Sikri in the Uttar Pradesh

Facing the Turkish Sultana's house from the other side of the gardens are Akbars private quarters, the Daulat Khana (Abode of Fortune).These comprise a series of buildings distinguished by exquisite stone jali screens, elaborate brackets, broad eaves, and columns mounted on carved bell-shaped pedestals. The room on the ground floor with alcoves in its walls was the emperor's library, where he would be read to (he himself was illiterate) from a collection of 50,000 manuscripts he allegedly took everywhere with him. Behind the library, the beautiful imperial sleeping chamber, the Khwabgah (House of Dreams), is decorated with faded inscriptions of

Practicalities to the Mussoorie in Uttaranchal

As Mussoorie's two-kilometre-long Mall is closed to motor vehicles during the tourist season, its two ends - the Library area at the west end, and the Kulri area in the east - serve as distinct transport hubs. Buses and shared taxis from Dehra Dun (about Rs50), the plains and the rest of Garhwal arrive either at the Library Bus Stand at Gandhi Chowkh, or the Kulri or Masonic Lodge Bus Stand. At the smaller Tehri Bus Stand, east of Landour 5km from the Mall, buses pull in from Tehri, Chamba and points east. Shared taxis and cars are available at

Listings of McLeod Ganj in Himachal Pradesh

Banks and exchange The State Bank of India in McLeod Ganj has ceased foreign exchange transactions. There's another branch in lower Dharamsala (Mon-Fri 10am-2pm, Sat 10am-noon). The Bank of Baroda. in the lower town, issues money to Visa card holders, with one or two days' delay. There are several authorized private foreign exchange agencies in McLeod Ganj. Bookshops The Tibetan Bookshop and Information Office is a good place to browse for books on Tibetan Buddhism, as is the friendly and informative Charitable Trust Shop, both on Jogibara Road in the main bazaar. Bookworm, opposite the Tourist Office, South End, is small

Cultural centres and libraries in Delhi

There is nearly always some cultural activity going on in Delhi - check at the tourist office, or get hold of local newspapers and publications like First City and Delhi Diary. Alliance Franchise, D13 NDSE Part II. Hosts film shows and has an art gallery. British Council, 17 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Talks, film shows and concerts, plus a good library and reading room and internet. India International Centre, 40 Lodi Estate. Daily films, lectures, dance, and music performances; look up listings magazines or enquire by phone, Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, 35 Firoz Shah Rd. Delhi's premier art academy, with an extensive

Important Telephone Numbers : Hyderabad

Cycles Bicycles can be rented for Rs 20 per day at a friendly stall on the right as you approach Hyderabad station from Nampally High Road. Hospitals : The government-run Gandhi Hospital is in Secunderabad; the private CDR Hospital is in Himayataagari and there's a Tropical Diseases Hospital in Nallakunta. Internet access : The most convenient internet access is available from Satyam Online at Modern Xerox (daily 9am-10pm: s 040/460 3894, near the Ek-minar mosque, behind Nampally station, for Rs 35 per hour. Other outlets are to be found in the Abids area. Library : The British Library at Secretariat Road (Tues-Sat 11

The museum in Himachal Pradesh

Tucked away on the western edge of town, the HP state museum (Tues-Sun 10am-1.30pm & 2-5pm, closed 2nd Sat of month; free) is a 1500-metre hike west from the centre, but well worth the effort; its diverse collection includes contemporary and antique works of art, well displayed in an elegant colonial mansion. The ground floor is given over largely to temple sculpture, and a gallery of magnificent Pahari miniatures - examples of the last great Hindu art form to flourish in northern India before the deadening impact of Western culture in the early nineteenth century. An offspring of the Moghul painting

Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri in North Bengal

A major commercial hub and Bengal's second city, the bustling and dusty town ot SILIGURI has a thriving tea-auction centre and serves as the gateway to Darjeeling. Kalimpong, Sikkim arid Bhutan. Together with its main railway station. NEW JALPAIGURI - commonly referred to as NJP - and the airport at Bagdogra. it forms an unavoidable link between the rail and air connections to Calcutta and Delhi, and the roads up into the mountains. The border with Nepal at Kakarbitta nearby is open to tourists, though the bus journey from there to Kathmandu is an arduous one. Most tourists pass straight through

Ambulance in Calcutta

Ambulance services are provided by Dhanwantary Clinic, 1 National Library Ave and Emergency Doctors' Service, A165 Lake Gardens.

New Manali The gompas Himachal Pradesh

Manali harbours the highest concentration of Tibetan refugees in the Kullu Valley, hence the numer of prayer flags stringed and fluttering over the approach roads into town, and the presence, on its southern edge, of two shiny new gompas. Capped with polished golden finials, the distinctive yellow corrugated-iron pagoda roof of the Gadhan The kchhokling gompa is an exotic splash of colour amid the ramshackle huts of the Tibetan quarter. Built in 1969, the monastery is maintained by donations from the local community and through the sale of carpets handwoven in the temple workshop. When they are not looking after the

Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh

Your best bets for Indian and Western dishes are the Hotel Dliauladhar and the City Heart in Kotwali Bazaar. There are several cheap and cheerful dhabas serving decent Indian food including Rajinder at the main crossroads. For Tibetan food around Kotwali Bazaar, try the Potala, a small but clean cafe with a sins pie menu.

Listings of Madhya Pradesh

Airlines Indian Airlines has an office in the Gangotri complex on Bhadbada Road. New Market (Mon-Sat 9am-5pm. Sun 9am-noon; 0755/550480), and a booking counter at the airport. Banks and exchange Apart from the top hotels, only the main New Market branches of some banks do foreign exchange. Banks such as IBIB bank in New Market have ATMs which accept Visa and Mastercard. The most efficient and convenient place is the State Bank of India (Mon-Fri 10.30am-2pm, Sat 10.30am-12.30pm), next to the GPO. Bookstores The two English-language bookstores at the top of Bhadbada Road in New Market stock a reasonable range of