In the local dialect, "Apani Dhani" means "Our Hamlet", an affectionate name given to the place by Ramesh C. Jangid, founder of the ecolodge and a pioneer of a form of militant tourism in India, especially in Rajasthan and his own native region of Nawalgarh.  

Get off the beaten track in India with a stay at Apani Dhani Ecolodge

For a lot of travelers in India, New Delhi is the capital of everything that they need to get away from as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, the town has some wonderful secrets that I would like to share with you.

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Home to the headquarters of the exiled Tibetan government, next to Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh.

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At an altitude of 2,082m, McLeog Ganj is a suburb of Dharamsala and is nicknamed 'Little Lhasa'. In brief, the town is where the exiled Tibetan government has its headquarters and it's the official residence of the Dalai Lama. McLeog Ganj is the perfect place for a spiritual retreat during <a href="/india/">a trip to India</a> and it will give you the chance to spend a few relaxing days in beautiful surroundings. I remember seeing lots of guest houses with panoramic views of the mountains. Treat yourself to a meal of Tibetan dumplings or 'momos' in one of the numerous downtown restaurants. They're delicious and stuffed with meat or vegetables. I met a lot of Tibetan exiles, as well as Buddhists who had come to visit the monastery, try to meet the Dalai Lama or simply discover Tibetan culture, which is more apparent here than in Chinese ruled Tibet.

Home to the headquarters of the exiled Tibetan government, next to Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh.

My first impressions of McLeod Ganj were not positive; the Dali Lama, when he's here, sometimes holds public meetings, and the town therefore receives a constant flood of visitors. With its restaurant chains and many souvenir shops, it took me some time to learn to like this little mountain town. It was when I left the center of McLeod Ganj and headed downhill to the administrative and residential quarters that I fell under the town's spell. Barely a few kilometers from the frenzy of "up above", I discovered the tranquility of "down below". My visit to McLeod Ganj had finally begun! Here, Tibetans wearing traditional dress walk religiously around the library housing some of the sacred books of Buddhism. Children play at the school gates and monks of all ages engage in casual conversation in the streets; I found everything here that, for me, defines what makes a trip to India so beautiful. This is the beating heart of the town!

"Little Lhasa", residence of the Dalai Lama and Tibetans in exile, attracts large numbers of visitors, as much for its wonderful Himalayan scenery as for the Tibetan community who have found refuge here.

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