"Ooh La La !...Dharamsala India !" Share the Healing Energy of the India Himalayas in Dharamshala Himachal Pradesh, Feel Inner Energy in Dharamsala, Earn Karma Credit in India !!

April 1993, as I first arrived in Dharamsala India..I was surprised to see a road hoarding " Ooh La La...Dharamshala !" From that day on, I have been surprised many times, simply by what this small Dalai Lama abode in Himachal Pradesh in India, can do to my senses and my soul...Dharamsala, Dharamshala..A destination which will always be my passion, my pain and my pleasure !

July 2007...Mcleodganj, Dharamshala, some where some Music shop...CD playing in deep voice 'Tibetan Monk Chant'.. suddenly I see a Tibetan Lama shopkeeper clear the road, stop all of us in our tracks, shoo away a big black tibetan spaniel ! Whats happening??! A small blind shrew-mouse was crossing the road and was being guided and protected by this Lama..! In Dharamsala this compassionate gesture, spoke volumes about the Dalai Lama mentoring in this small Himalayan town of India..! I wanted to share this experience with you from Dharamshala...!!

Crossing Barriers..personal growth ! Receiving Dharma blessings at Ghanjar Mahadev in Dharamshala !

Approaching the end of 2005 in Dharamsala India , I get up to the sound of breaking stones near our Himalayan Home 'Vidya Niwas'in Kandi, 02 Kms from the main town Dharamshala, I found some illegal stone mining going on in the nearby hill and the adjacent waterfall. The hill had already seen years of soil erosion by constant digging by the villagers and taking out these stones would have been dangerous to the neighbourhood. I had to fight hard and take the help of the local administration who tried and finally stopped this mining in Dharamsala.

This was the fourth time I was doing this and I pray it does not happen again as this has been an ongoing drive from my side to save the fragile Mountain ecology in Dharamsala India.

Our State Government has a good policy on illegal mining but it has to be implemented right down to the village local authority and the common people, who have to rise above themselves and save the environment in this town of North India, which hosts the sacred Dharma teachings and Blessings to the whole world by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala.

Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh, gave me the energy and passion to fight for a cause irrespective of time,financial and practical constraints. This unique experience from Dharamsala, I want to share with all my friends all over the world...young and old...this special energy which exists in this unusual spiritual Himalayan town of North India !!

This website is a small endeavour to expand our global horizons for promoting more International travellers to Dharamshala India.

I hope the Blessings of Buddha in India will bring more Travellers to Dharamshala. Dharamsala will become better in the near future with more Global participation and better Travel infrastructure. There is a lot of sustainable Trends in Dharamsala which are good for the environment and the economy in Dharamshala India. There are many Volunteering activities by different people and associations in the India Himalayas in Dharamsala!

Thought of the Day..Dharamsala India, Dharamshala !

" Most of us talk about morality till the time we dont get a chance to lose it !"

Enjoy connecting Communities in Dharamsala India

I hope to improve on every Mini-Guide I do on India and the Himalayas. This effort is..for Dharamsala India which has given me a vision ! For my children who have been my best mentors ! For my guests and all those who have painted my dreams ! For His Holiness the Dalai Lama who has been my best Karmic Guru !

Before I sign off...I believe there will be days in our lives when we will be defeated in our efforts but not in our intentions because for me...there is no bigger God than the one within us, No bigger Dharma than Good Karma and No bigger Buddha than that of Universal Peace and Compassion !!

If you find our website interesting, then do recommend it to your near and dear ones.

When we came to Dharamsala India with my wife, Sangeeta and my family..I wanted to promote my beautiful home town which inspired me to come back.

During these 14 years as Travel and Hotel professionals in Dharamsala India, we have had many moments of learning in India Himalaya Dharamshala...many moments of satisfaction by the response we got from the International communities. When I first got my blessings from His Holiness, the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala, I realised that there was so much to do in the Himalayas of India.

I got a lot of opportunities to travel with my Groups and friends in the INDIA Himalayas ..even to the remote areas of Kinnaur and Spiti and witness the Kalachakra teachings of His Holiness at the 1000 years old Tabo Monastery..to the Hills of Uttranchal to attend the Ganga Arti Ceremonies ! We had to do a lot of research for the intensive Television units from all over the world. The ancient Himalayan Art and Craft in Dharamshala always fascinated Sangeeta and me..and our vision of creating a Community Development Himalayan Art Center - "Sanskriti was born in this small township of Dharamsala in North India..!"

In 'Vidya Niwas'...our Himalayan Home in Dharamsala India, a part of our project- Sanskriti, one of our guests was a Korean TV team - ARIRANG TV from Seoul. They shot the documentary on Budhhist Thangka Paintings. I was surprised to learn from them that Buddhist Art in Korea had similar paintings also. What surprised me the most that a private collector in Seoul had 4000 Tibetan Thangka Paintings with him...! Our interest and learning is increasing everyday and we hope we can share this knowledge with our friends around the globe and India from Dharamshala.

'Vidya Niwas' also has an Animal Care Center..this Buddhist influence in our lives for animal care has brought in a lot of happiness and joy to us. We hope to complete this center in Dharamsala India by Buddha's grace and blessings in North India.

Difficult to say good-bye...with all the shooting crew of Arirang TV from Seoul in Vidya Niwas, Dharamsala in North India ! 25th Oct,2004

Good Karma in Dharamsala India...Arvind feeding the hungry monkeys !!

"Dharamsala India ,is a beautiful place with very interesting Tibetan Buddhism and the scenic views of Himalaya and natural energy around. We had a comfortable stay at Kashmir Cottage and local Himachal lunch at Gurungs home, Vidya Niwas..The guide was fantastic. Thank you for your guidance in your lovely himalayan town of India in Dharamsala!"

Dr Charlotte Group -Switzerland (June,2005)

Hydro - Energy Wheat Grinder in Kandi,Dharamsala.

DHARAMSALA TOURS & TRAVELS..in North India, Dharamshala!

April 1993 in Dharamsala India we realised that both of us had been born in the India Himalayas...Sangeeta in the Holy City of 'Hardwar' and me..Arvind in the hills of 'Chakrata' above it. Both our birthplaces are in the Hills of Uttranchal in North India. However we felt that while we were in Nepal for ten to twelve years of our professional lives where we knew so much about the magic of the 'Everest' and the 'Yeti' along with the exotic Himalayan culture of Tibet, we still had to come back to our roots in the India Himalayas to Dharamshala..my hometown !

Our experience in the Travel and Hotel industry helped us to open our small Tour Company - 'Dharamsala Tours & Travels'...which is a 14 year old company recognised by the State Government of Himachal Pradesh in North India, Dharamshala. Initially, we started promoting Dharamshala travel and then Himachal Pradesh, the India Himalayas, Nepal, Bhutan , Tibet and finally encouraged by the execellent guest reviews and because there were so many childhood memories of different parts of India , we started organising special "Energizing Tours" for this truelly..Incredible Country - India, Dharamsala !

It was challenging for us to open Dharamsala, this town in North India to the International Travel World...although there was a lot of International interest, but there was no organised Tourism. Our first Tour brochure "Buddha 2000 AD" was the beginning of our journey! Looking back there were many memories..there was just two Hotels - Bhagsu Hotel and Hotel Tibet. Over the years, there are many standard Hotels and beautiful Guest Houses like Chonor House and it has been rewarding teaching them basic Hospitality and Tourism traditions. We grew along with them and now our Tour company has a set of trained buddhist guides, escorts and yoga and meditation instructors who help us.

As a small organisation in Dharamsala India, we are commited to promoting Sustainable Tourism, Social and Cultural community development and local Economy. We also feel greatly responsible for the Fragile Mountain Ecology and the natural Environment. Due to this commitment, a major part of our earnings today goes towards our project - 'Sanskriti' the TransHimalayan Art & Craft Community Development Center. 'Vidya Niwas' depicting Hill Culture in all its guest rooms is a part of this project which will also feature an Art Studio and Accomodation for Hill Artists, Rain water harvesting and Soil erosion conservation. This center will also have Himalayan Health facilities...Yoga, Meditation, Ayurveda, Tibetan Medicine & Massage. For the 'healing of the heart' there is an Animal Care Center - Noah's Ark.

We hope with Buddha's kind grace we can finish this dream project of ours. For Dharamsala India 'Every guest is special!'

Guest Comments from Body & Spirit Group, USA (August, 2005 - Vidya Niwas, Dharamsala India)

"With appreciation with all you have done and provided for us, the peacefulness, joy and scenic beauty of the Himalayas and your beautiful retreat will live forever in my heart. Namaste" - Linda Kearney

"You have provided an incredible place to rest in peace, enjoy great food, tibetan culture and wonderful hospitality. I have much gratitude and thank you" - S. Senshin Steven

During the teachings of His Holiness The Dalai Lama over six thousand people from all over the world come to attend it. Today, Dharamsala India has a relatively wider variety of accomodation available from Hotels, Guest Houses, Retreats and Himalayan Homes. It is accessible by air through daily flights, by trains from all parts of India and by road through air-conditioned and standard buses and smaller vehicles.

You can contact us for any services in Dharamsala..Dharamshala OR The Himalayan regions of INDIA, BHUTAN, NEPAL & TIBET, at the following address:

Sangeeta and Arvind Gurung, Founders, Dharamsala Tours and Travels Kandi, Khanyara Road Dharamsala - 176218 Himachal Pradesh India

Land Line No: +91-1892-223040/203112/225549

Fax No:+91-1892-223040/224713

Email: dharamsalatours@gmail.com

"Your Choice of Spiritual Travel to the India Himalayas !"

You can mail us also at this Email ID ...click here

Our Children, Prakram..young Marine Engineer and Naintara..studying in School !

" A Hindu Sadhu, A Migrant Beggar & A Tibetan Monk..they all share a common feeling in Dharamsala India !"

"Somewhere in a different Eden, Denial and acceptance live in harmony.A world between the possible and the impossible,Where suffering, spirituality and a soft caress are all Human bondage!"

- Sangeeta Gurung