Introduction :

Mcleod Ganj was established in the mid-1850s as a british garrison, it was the home of the seminomadic Gaddi tribe. There is still a sizeable number of Gaddi families in the villages around Mcleod Ganj. Today Mcleod Ganj is best known as the headquarters of the Tibetan government in exile, and is the home of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso.

Money :

The State Bank of India Changes American Express and Thomas Cook travellers cheques in US dollars and pounds sterling only.

Bookshops :

There is an excellent selection of new books at the Bookwarm, up the road to the right of the State Bank of India. The Occidental Bookshop, on the Dal Lake road, has a very selection of books. The Tibetan Bookshop & Information Centre on Jogibara road has a comprehensive selection of books on the Tibetan struggle for independence and Tibetan Buddhism.

Entertainment :

There are two video halls in the town centre on Jogibara road. They show new releases each evening, with the programme posted out the front.

Travel Info :

The closest airport to Mcleod Ganj and Dharamsala is at Gaggal, 15 kms south of Dharamsala. The HRTC operates buses to Manali, Dehradun and Delhi. The closest railway station to Mcleod is at the small village of Nagrota, 20 kms south of Dharamsala. Nagrota is on the small narrow-gauge line which serves the Kangra valley, connecting Pathankot with the small settlement of Jogindernagar, 58 kms north-west of Mandi.