Explore Mcleod-Ganj

McLeodganj gets its name from the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab, Sir Donald Friell McLeod who in 1848, discovered this place as a resting resort from the heat of the north Indian planes. The mighty Gorkha regiment had set their army base here in the 18th century before being taken over by the British. The devastating earthquake in 1905 brought this place to a standstill, it was an important centre for trade, commerce and official work in Kangra district earlier. From 30 April 1960, this is the home of the exiled Tibetan people from China and their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. The central Tibetan administration was established here thereafter.

We are happy and proud to announce the launch of McLeodGanj.com on 27 May 2013. The website will have everything about McLeod Ganj. Right now the site is in beta, and we are at the developing stage. We hope you will find it enjoyable and useful. Your suggestions and feedback will be much appreciated.

McLeod Ganj is a village in the suburbs of Dharamshala, in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It has an average elevation of 2,082 metres (6,831 feet). It is situated in the lap of Dhauladhar Range, a branch of the southern outer Himalayas. The village is named after Lord David McLeod, the English lieutenant governor of Punjab, who founded it in 1848 as a retreat from the heat of the plains. The suffix Ganj is a common Hindi word for neighbourhood.

By the early 1900s it had become an important centre of trade, commerce, and official work of Kangra District. But in 1905 the area was destroyed by a devastating earthquake, leaving the area without any significant activity for almost half a century.

McLeod Ganj has a population of about 10,000 people, including local Indians, Nepalese, exile Tibetans, and foreign expats. It is predominantly inhabited by a hill tribe, the Gaddis. The Nepalese community began after a Gurkha regiment was moved here by the British in the late 1800s.

After the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1959, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, fled to India with thousands of followers. He was initially sheltered in Mussoorie, but on 30 April 1960 he came to McLeod Ganj, where he established the Central Tibetan Administration. Since then McLeod Ganj has risen to an important international destination.

Read more about McLeod Ganj at Wikipedia

Recommendations

• It is recommended that the authorities concerned complete the McLeod bus station on a priority basis. The project was started 10 years ago.
• The big garbage dump box in front of the Dalai Lama temple should be moved to a different place.
• The taxis standing in front of Dalai Lama Temple is making the Temple circle very congested, and is also not respectful to the Dalai Lama and the community.

Dos and Don’ts

• People in McLeod Ganj like peace. Locals here don’t like all the noise of horns. Please refrain from sounding your vehicle horn. McLeod Ganj has only narrow lanes, and people walking also need to use them. Please consider people more important than your car.
• Locals here are simple yet fashionable. They feel alright with tourists who look cool and sexy. It will be appreciated if tourists will not look shabby.
• Tourists are encouraged not to support beggars. The street beggars have been provided facilities by different organisations, such as Tonglen, with the aim to make them self-sufficient.
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