Monks at McLeodganj

The Little Lhasa in India. It is the home of the tibetan guru and leader His Holiness The Dalai Lama and the tibetian government in exile. Often called as “Little Lhasa”. Under the Himalayas, the Dhaluadhars, the place is a beautiful hill station and a world known destination. This place is not an ordinary Indian hill station, but it’s wholly a different place being in touch with the whole world but has an environment of its own. It’s an old British place. Mcleodganj-mcllo is a world famous tourist destination. Foreigners from all over the world and many other celebrities visit this small hill town.

McLeodganj a British place. Located in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, Dharamsala received little attention from the outside world for most of its history.

Lying 526-km northwest of New Delhi, Dharamsala is the headquarters of the Kangra District in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Kangra valley is one of the most pleasant, relaxing and spiritual places in the Himalayas. Marvelously scenic, especially upper Dharamsala, is well wooded with oak, cedar, pine and other timber yielding trees and offers some lovely walks and finer views. In 1855, Dharamsala had only two major areas where civilians settled in : McLeod Ganj, named after Lieutenant Governor of Punjab "David McLeod", and Forsyth Ganj, named after a Divisional Commissioner.

Lord Elgin, the British Viceroy of India (1862-63) fell in love with the natural beauty of Dharamsala because of its likeness with Scotland, his home in England. Lord Elgin died in 1863 while on a tour. He now lies buried in the graveyard of St. John's Church-in-Wilderness, which stands in a cozy pine grove between McLeod Ganj and Forsyth Ganj.

A Legend has it that Lord Elgin liked Dharamsala so much that he had sent a proposal to the British monarch to make Dharamsala the summer capital of India. However, the proposal was ignored. By 1904, Forsyth Ganj and McLeod Ganj had become nerve centres of trade , business and official work of Kangra District, But on April 4,1905, as a result of a severe earthquake, whole of the area was devastated. Alarmed at the massive destruction, the British government decided to shift the district headquarter offices to the lower reaches of spur. As a result, the present-day district courts and kotwali bazaar areas came into being which earlier had only a jail, a police station and cobbler's shop to boast of. Until India attained independence from Britain on Aug. 15,1947 McLeod Ganj and Forsyth Ganj continued to serve as health resorts and resting places for the British Rulers. But all this changed when the government of India decided to grant political asylum to the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatsho, in 1959. In 1960, he was allowed to make McLeod Ganj his headquarters. After his arrival, trade, commerce and tourism picked up afresh. This because with the Dalai Lama came thousands of Tibetan refugees, who gradually settled in Mcleod Ganj. During the last three decades, The Tibetans have built many religious, educational and cultural institutions in and around McLeod Ganj, which has helped in preservation of their culture. This has been a keen area of interest for the people around the world and as a result they flock at Dharamsala and mcleodganj at various times.