Development Works Begins in Mcleod Ganj
Mcleod Ganj-known as little Lhasa |
Dharamsala, 23 September 2003: Duke of Gloucester, Duchess of York, Mrs. Mitterand, Peru’s first lady, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Pierce Brosnan, Steven Seagal, Goldie Hawn, Harrison Ford, Anil Ambani, Sunil Dutt, Gulshan Grover, Vinod Khanna……can you read all this in one breathe? The answer is flat no.
From Bollywood’s Raj Kapoor to Hollywood’s Richard Gere, naming all those personalities who have visited this town is never an easy job. The latest in the list is Kungfu star Jet Li.
And all these people share a common thought. The town is rich because His Holiness the Dalai Lama lives here but it is poor since it lacks infrastructure.
the town guarded by the mighty Dhauladhars |
A 9-kilometer drive from lower Dharamsala through a winding and coiled road takes you to the town with a name not so resembling the people who dwell in it. McLeod Ganj, presumably named after an English officer during British Raj, is today no less than Manali or Mussoorie.
Today, McLeod Ganj can boast of any tourism facility available in other popular tourist sites. A first timer has every reason to be surprised at the number of Western Union outlets, Internet cafes, cafeterias, hotels, music classes, cooking classes, masseurs and eateries.
Located in the lap of breathtaking Dhauladhar ranges (5200 metres above sea level), McLeod Ganj (nearly 1800 metres) today is a hub for people who visit this small hill town in search for material and spiritual contentment.
Before the arrival of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his follower Tibetans, only one shop, besides Nowrojees, the only Parsis of the town, existed amid a thick jungle which today has transformed into a cosmopolitan town.
Foreign tourists as well as domestic holidayers have appreciated the beauty of the place but expressed disappointment over the bad roads, dirty streets and traffic jam.
Tourism boom for the host state and the nation is a good news for the Tibetans but not at the cost of the convenience and happiness of the local residents, both Indians and Tibetans.
The roads are, at the moment, of most concern. A project started last year has dug out roads in order to lay pipes underneath the roads. This had let to the deterioration of the roads to a great extent.
McLeod Ganj has all prospect of becoming the hottest tourist spot not only in India but also internationally. But there are lots of works the host government should start, and finish.
With tourism industry flourishing in this once a remote hill-town of India, many buildings have come up, adding more burden on the already landslide-prone geographical nature of the town. The town of Dharamsala receives the second highest rainfall in India and frequent erosion of land is but a natural phenomenon. Moreover, the inefficient drainage system has effected the roads badly causing havoc to the residents and the tourists alike. The state government now gradually realises the importance of the town. It has started to rebuild the roads by bringing in bulldozers and workers.
The issue of utmost concern to the Tibetans is the safety of His Holiness the Dalai Lama who is now 68, and the road leading to His Holiness’ residence today is no good even for pedestrians. The Tibetan Welfare Office, with financial assistance from various organisations and celebrities like Richard Gere and Goldie Hawn, sends its own trucks and three-wheelers boarded by men and women in green uniforms to collect garbage in the town and nearby areas.
But what has already been achieved is too little in comparison to what is left to be done. Better infrastructure is required for a clean and beautiful town. The rate of tourist inflow has gone up in the recent years. But unlike other holiday spots in the world, Dharamsala’s tourists have a spiritual aspiration besides their love of the scenic and natural beauty of the town.