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You'll also find princely riches in Rajasthan's bazaars, from miniature paintings to traditional puppets.
pilgrims converge on Amarnath's ice lingam
Lodi Gardens at dusk, the qawwali (Islamic devotional singing) at Nizamuddin or the great fort of Purana Qila.
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topped by a dome gilded with 750kg of gold.
The ceremony takes place at 5am and 9.40pm in winter, and 4am and 10.30pm in summer. Inside the Akal Takhat, you can view a collection of sacred Sikh
Inside the main entrance clock tower, the Sikh Museum ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h7am-7pm summer, 8am-6pm winter) shows the persecution suffered by the Sikhs at the hands
They took the name Namgyal (Victorious) in 1470 when their progenitor Lhachen Bhagan, ruling from Basgo, conquered a competing Ladakhi kingdom based at Leh/Shey.
Buddhism originally arrived in an Indian form that’s visible in ancient temple artisanship at Alchi.
Tibetan pilgrim Tsongkhapa (who left a curious relic at Spituk).
Tantric Buddhist societies on Earth. When
Though they use the same script, the Tibetan and Ladakhi languages are significantly different.
A popular destination is 6121m Stok Kangri (Kanglha-jhal ), the triangular snow-capped ‘trekking peak’ usually visible straight across the valley from Leh.
Five-day agency packages from Stok or Zingchen, cost around ₹15,000 per person in a large group (permits and gear extra).
IMF (www.indmount.org) peak fees apply for climbing mountains over 6000m, starting from US$50 per person (Stok Kangri), but varying according to summit altitude.
You’ll need photocopies of your passport/visa plus details of your guide. Agencies can apply on your behalf.
Far nicer Chumathang village is hidden from the road, but worth the 2km detour to admire panoramic views from its gompa. At Mahe Bridge, foreigners
spotting super-rare black-necked cranes,
Nearby a 33m-high pink statue of Hanuman looms above the treetops and is visible
The Scandal Point tourist office is helpful with routes and the current condition of tracks.
Dussehra (hOct) Intense and spectacular week-long celebration of the defeat of the demon Ravana, at Kullu.
The Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) runs five comfortable Volvo AC buses to Delhi (₹842, 10 hours) each day,
Other HRTC AC buses head to Manali (₹550, nine hours) at 9.30am and Dharamsala (₹926, nine hours) at 5.30pm.
One of the little joys of Shimla is getting to or from it by the narrow-gauge toy train from Kalka, just north of Chandigarh, along the Kalka–Shimla Railway, which has been operating since 1906 and is one of the World Heritage–listed
The most comfortable option is the Shivalik Express (train 52451 from Kalka at 5.30am, train 52452 from Shimla at 5.40pm) with AC chair cars only, costing ₹415/500
The Himalayan Queen service runs from/to Delhi Sarai Rohilla, with comfortable connection times at Kalka and fares of ₹435/120 (chair car/2nd class) for the Delhi–Kalka (or vice-versa) leg.
A quicker alternative (4¼ hours) for the Delhi–Kalka (or vice-versa) leg is the Kalka Shatabdi: train 12011 departs New Delhi station for Kalka (chair car ₹635) at 7.40am and train 12012 leaves Kalka for New Delhi (₹720) at 5.45pm.
in October it stages the area's most colourful and fascinating festival, the Kullu Dussehra.
Dussehra grounds (two large, adjoining, open spaces)
Raghunath Ji (Rama)
The Tibetan government-in-exile is based just uphill in Gangchen Kyishong, and travellers make a beeline further uphill to the busy little traveller town of McLeod Ganj, also known as Upper Dharamsala.
like a mini-Kathmandu.
Named after Donald McLeod, Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab, McLeod began life in the 1850s as a civilian settlement outside the British garrison of Dharamsala.
The revered Tsuglagkhang is the exiles’ concrete equivalent of the Jokhang temple in Lhasa
The silver Avalokitesvara is a replica of the 7th-century Avalokitesvara image in the Jokhang temple that was destroyed in 1966
The Dalai Lama's residence, not open to the public, is on the south side of the courtyard.
The museum tells the story of Tibetan history, the Chinese occupation and the subsequent Tibetan resistance and exodus, through photographs, video and clear English-language display panels. A visit here is a must.
with statues, old Tibetan artefacts and books, and some astonishing three-dimensional
an astrological institute rolled into one. The astrological folk can do you a 45-minute oral consultation (₹2000; arrange at least two hours ahead),
Men-Tsee-Khang also runs occasional short courses in the basics of Tibetan medicine.
The most popular amchi (Tibetan doctor) in town is the former physician to the Dalai Lama,
but travellers must make do with the occasional public teachings held at the Tsuglagkhang, normally in September or October and after Losar (Tibetan New Year) in February or March, and on other occasions depending on his schedule.
It's advisable to do this three or four days before the teaching for the best chance of getting in. To
Om Yoga Centre offers daily two-hour Hindi classes (₹300).
McLeod undoubtedly has the highest bookshop-to-population ratio in India.
Dharamkot and Bhagsu have many of the area's best options for learning yoga, meditation, Buddhist philosophy and ayurveda.
Intensive and teacher-training courses are held at their ashram west of McLeod.
drop-in meditation at 9.30am every day except Sunday.
For 130 years this was the centre of India’s great Mughal empire,
Hiring a rickshaw for the day,
