Things to do in Mcleodganj: The Kora Circuit

I have been visiting Mcleodganj since the year 1987 but somehow had been unaware of one important facet of the Buddhist tradition – the Kora. Kora is a form of pilgrimage wherein you circumambulate a holy site (Parikrama in the Hindu tradition). In Mcleodganj Buddhist, young and old, take the Kora circuit around the hill that has the residence of Dalai Lama and the monastery and therefore considered holy. Surprisingly it is little known.

The Kora in Mcleodganj

This tradition on circumambulation is common in both Buddhism and Bon. However, in Buddhism the walk in a circle is clockwise whereas in Bon it is counter clockwise. Two famous Kora are the Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar.

Huge prayer flags on the Kora route, Mcleodganj

The route in Mcleodganj is well paved and away from the town’s honking traffic amidst pine and deodar forest. The route has stringed prayer flags small and large. Buddhists believe that the fluttering of the flags carries the prayers written on them onwards.

The Kora route has benches placed all along for people to take rest

If one gets tired then one can sit down on one of the benches lined up along the route. The older people do sit down to take rest and chant prayers.

Prayer wheels of all sizes on the Kora route in Mcleodganj

The path is lined with prayer wheels in different sizes. Some are made of metal; others are of wood. Some are very small and look antique as if they have been brought from Tibet while there are others that maybe be 8-10 feet in height. The prayer wheels are always on the right side of the devotee.

A Tibetan lady at the prayer wheels on the Kora in Mcleodganj

On the Kora route there are stones carved with the Buddhist prayer Om Mani Padme Hum. The stones are in various sizes and some of them are brightly painted.

Artistically carved stones with Om Mani Padme Hum written on them on the Kora in Mcleodganj

Apart from the serenity and the beauty of the path, the dense forest is a paradise for the birdwatchers. I saw several birds and one could spend several hours just observing them.

Kora route in Mcleodganj is a Birdwatchers paradise 

Langurs come down the mountains in winters and one comes across them in this area. Unlike monkeys they do not trouble people. They are busy with themselves.

Langurs preening each other on the Kora route in Mcleodganj

I liked the Kora circuit so much that I performed the Kora twice in three days. I thank my Tibetan friend who introduced the Kora to me and took me around explaining things on the first visit.

Prayer flags and prayer wheels on the Kora in Mcleodganj 

This route is, fortunately, little known to most tourists and therefore not crowded.  There is something special about it.

Wind carrying the prayers written on the flags

The cleanliness is impressive. Jute bags function as dustbins.

The serene Kora route in Mcleodganj

All in all the best part of McLeodganj, for the devout as well as the curious tourist.

Also read:
Bon Monastery in Himachal
Places to visit in McLeodganj: Bhagsunag Waterfall
McLeodganj, Dharamshala, Himachal
Why I love to go to McLeodganj
Skywatch Friday - Sunset at McLeodganj, Himachal
Places to visit in McLeodganj: The Church of St John-in-the-Wilderness

Visit to a Tea Estate in Kangra

I have visited tea gardens in the Palampur area in Kangra earlier also but this time I was able to see the process of making tea as well. Kangra is the tea capital of North India.

A Tea Garden in Palampur, Kangra, Himachal

I was staying at the Himachal Heritage Village which is on one side of the town whereas the tea garden that I visited was on another side of the town and we passed through pristine pine forests to reach the gardens and factory of the Himalayan Brew.

Green tea leaves being processed

This is a 150 year old tea estate that has its own tea plantations, processing and blending unit where the tea is produced under strict quality controls. They mainly produce the green tea with various flavours.

A woman sorting tea leaves at the tea factory

After reaching the tea estate we were welcomed by Mr Rajiv Sud, the owner of the estate and Himalayan Brew. In fact Mr Sud is a Singaporean national but came back to take care of his family’s tea business. He showed us around the processing factory and explained how the blending and processing is done right from green leaves to the steaming, pressing, retention of the flavour etc to the final product. Most of the staff at the factory was female and he explained that the work done by them was better than the males.

Various stages of process of tea making at the Himalayan Brew factory

Later on he took us around his estate including the meadows where he sometimes camp. From the meadows the view of the surrounding area was majestic. After this we went to one part of the tea garden where some women were plucking the leaves.

Women plucking tea leaves at a tea estate in Palampur, Kangra

The background of snow capped Dhauladhar Mountains did produce a magical effect and I wished that I could own a small house in that surrounding. Some of the plucking is done by hand though he has some Japanese machines also which does the plucking and pruning.

Mr Rajiv Sud, Ownder Himalayan Brew at his tea estate

Mr Sud prefers the hand plucking systems as it generates employment in the region. One thing I did notice was the fact that the persons employed at the factory were the locals whereas the ones doing the plucking work were mainly migrants. The migrants though were provided housing facility on the estate itself. There is of course division of labour with plucking at the lower end, in terms of wages, and the factory workers at the upper end.

The Himalayan Brew products

After this we went and saw the packing process and also bought some of the tea flavours like the Kangra Masala tea, Malouthi tea, Pinewood smoked Tea. I am even now enjoying a cup of the Kangra tea that I had bought from my visit.

Also read:

In the Lap of Nature – Himachal Heritage Village Palampur
When I flew Like a Bird
McLeodganj, Dharamshala, Himachal
Why I love to go to McLeodganj
Skywatch Friday - Sunset at McLeodganj, Himachal
Places to visit in McLeodganj: Bhagsunag Waterfall
Places to visit in McLeodganj: The Church of St John-in-the-Wilderness

When I flew Like a Bird

Paragliding - a lifetime experience at Bir-Billing, Himachal. PC: Akanksha Dureja 

On the recent trip to Palampur in Kangra, Himachal I was very keen to do paragliding. So the moment I reached Himachal Heritage Village in Palampur where I was staying for couple of days I immediately headed to Bir-Billing. By the time I reached Bir it was already lunch time and on inquiry I was told that the weather conditions are not right for flying. For paragliding the wind speed, direction, thermals which provide uplift to a parachute and cloud cover do play a crucial role. In fact some of the fellow bloggers who had reached Palampur the day earlier were able to do paragliding in the morning but later on the conditions deteriorated. Listening to their accounts I was all the more interested to do it as well. I was disappointed but not defeated.

My team unloading the parachutes from the Jeep at Billing

Next day when we inquired about the weather conditions we were told that it is perfect to fly. So we headed to Bir. At Bir we shifted to a Jeep of the Paragliding agency to go up to Billing which is the takeoff point for the paragliding.

The takeoff point at Billing is among the best in the world

From Bir it is 14 kms of narrow, steep road along the flowering rhododendrons all the way up to 8000 feet (2400 meters). Billing is an excellent takeoff site.

A small video of takeoff at Billing

When it was my time to get ready I wore the seat harness and locked the karabiners. Being a mountaineer I am familiar with this equipment. Next the parachute was spread out fully at the back and the strings were checked that they were not entangled. Then I and my pilot fastened to each other. Once done we ran a very short distance together and were airborne in only 5-6 running steps. In this sense the Billing takeoff site is among the best in the world. The thermals lifted us immediately several hundred feet above the takeoff site. I was also filming the whole ride using the GoPro camera with selfie stick as well as using my own camera as and when possible.

I got amazing bird's eye-view of the valley below from my parachute

You get the adrenaline rush in the beginning and it is definitely an experience of a lifetime. Within seconds you can sit down in your bucket seat harness and soak in the scenery containing the mighty snow capped Dhauladhars, terraced farms, monasteries and villages 4500 feet below you. In fact taking advantage of thermals an experienced pilot can go up several times higher and higher instead of descending.

Another view of Bir and surrounding area from my paraglide ride

Now I realise what the bird’s eye view is and what fun they have up in the air!

Steppped fields as I approach the landing site at Bir

It was smooth ride that day as the wind conditions were very favourable. But when the pilot asked me whether I would like to get some ‘real experience’ of turbulent conditions and some wild swings I said why not. Then the pilot made the parachute swing like a pendulum and it did become a bit scary but I enjoyed that experience as well. We were up in the air for about 35 minutes and now it was time to land. 

Watch my short video as I land at Bir

I straightened my legs and had a super smooth landing. (I did notice one landing which was kind of a thumping abrupt landing). Again Bir as a landing site is very good as there is no obstruction nearby.

I approach the landing site at Bir. PC:Akanksha Dureja

And finally I land at Bir. PC:Akanksha Dureja

After the exhilarating experience I reached the software shop where they downloaded the GoPro video and gave it to me on a CD. Then I headed back to the Himachal Heritage Village after this once in a lifetime experience.

Also read:
In the Lap of Nature – Himachal Heritage Village Palampur

In the Lap of Nature – Himachal Heritage Village Palampur

Some days back the Travel Correspondents and Bloggers Group invited me to visit the Palampur area of Himachal so I accepted the invite immediately. It is another thing that due to office work I was unsure of going till the evening of the previous day.

Himachal Heritage Village with Dhauladhar Mountains in the background

I am currently located in Sanghol and from here it was showing 250 kms journey. I decided to go by my own car and left at five in the morning and landed in Palampur at 10. The place, Thala Kandi, where I was to stay was five kms from the town up the valley near Neugal Khad (rivulet). When I reached the Himachal Heritage Village I was amazed to see almost the whole of Himachal, architecture wise, located at one place with the Dhauladhar Mountains providing a beautiful backdrop. As of now there are five buildings and all of them have different architecture representing different regions/villages/towns of Himachal. Four of these are residential buildings for the guests. Una, Kangra, Barot and Khaniara style houses represent these areas while the dining area and office building is made in the Kinnaur style.

The bedroom at the Una House, Himachal Heritage Village

On the first day I stayed in the Una style house which is made completely of sun dried mud bricks and no cement has been used in its construction. The windows are beautifully carved and painted and the roof is made of bamboo whereas the floor is made of mud. Though the basic structure is made of mud but all modern amenities have been provided inside including glass enclosed shower area etc.

The chullah at Una house, also observe the old style switchboards

The first floor where I stayed also had a traditional chullah (earthen fireplace for cooking) for ambiance. The room made of traditional material was cosy and warm and I could sleep in only one blanket comfortably. The management has taken extra pains to ensure that the look of the building reminds one of the old days for example they had to secure the old style switchboards which are no longer used from Old Delhi.

Bonfire at Himachal Heritage Village

In the evening we all sat together with the bonfire giving us warmth and the stars for company as we watched the moon rise above the hills. One can sit for hours in such a beautiful setting!

The dining hall is built in Kinnauri style

After spending a wonderful evening under the stars we all went in the dining hall which has been made as per the architecture of the kinnaur region.

Traditional Kangra food being eaten in Himachli style 

The dinner was a local Himchali affair served on the floor in Pattal (plate made of leaves) and to be eaten with hands. The food was fantastic and truly prepared in the Hiamchali style. I especially liked their Khatta Maas. I am told that they serve the Himachali food at least once to all the guests.

HImachal Heritage Village, Palampur

The next day I had the full attention of the person behind the concept Mr Hem Dogra who narrated to me how they have brought the water from 500 meters away to form a pond as well as creating a waterfall. The project started in 2011 and took four years of painstaking work and skilled labour to make the houses in real traditional style. Nowadays most people even in the hills make concrete cement houses and it is difficult to find skilled labour to make such houses now.

Khaniara style house at the Himachal Heritage Village

The second day I shifted to the Khaniara house so that I can experience it as well. Unlike the Una style this is made completely of stone found in Khaniara near Dharamshala (and that is why the name).

My bedroom in the Khaniara house

Again like the Una house no cement has been used in this house as well. The floor however is made of wooden planks. The bathroom in Khaniara house is luxurious with even a cascading waterfall inside!

The bathroom in the Khaniara house

There are plenty of options to spend your time here. One can go on short or long hikes. There is a naturally formed serene pool, a short walk from this place, which gives the impression of a huge tub in the lap of nature. Palampur and its surrounding area is known for its tea gardens, temples, monasteries and paragliding. But about these things I will write in separate posts.

I had a wonderful, though short, stay at the Himachal Heritage Village. I would like to go and stay there for a longer period.

Also read:
McLeodganj, Dharamshala, Himachal
Why I love to go to McLeodganj
Skywatch Friday - Sunset at McLeodganj, Himachal
Places to visit in McLeodganj: Bhagsunag Waterfall
Places to visit in McLeodganj: The Church of St John-in-the-Wilderness