Never mind if you can't visit Tibet. Head to McLeod Ganj for a taste of the mystic country u00a0 Au00a0lot of people prefer to watch the forts and experience the Rajput culture only in Rajasthan. But the oldest existing fort in India is situated in Dharmshala in Himachal Pradesh. This got me intrigued and I decided to check the place out. There was an occasion too. The inauguration of a museum dedicated to kangra culture by His Holiness Dalai Lama recently. <img alt="" src="/imagedata/2011/may/19McLeod.jpg" border="5" /> The museum is adjacent to the Kangra Fort that belongs to the Royal Katoch family. This is one of the few forts which were reconquered by the Rajputs from Mughals and British. The Maharaja of Kangra, Tikaraj Aishwarya, is trying to revive the lost culture of the Royal Katoch family. The museum has artefacts showcasing the Kangra culture. The museum is dedicated to the Royal Kangra culture and it is situated adjacent to the Fort. According to the Archaeological Survey of India, this is the oldest existing fort in the country. Visitors can see the antiques belongs to the Katoch family, especially weapons and coins. <img alt="" src="/imagedata/2011/may/19shimla.jpg" border="5" /> u00a0 The invulnerable fort This fort is one of its kind. It has been built very scientifically. The deadliest warrior in the history of this fort was the great Maharaja Sansar Chand. Though it is comparatively smaller than other Rajput forts, it's location is awesome. From the top, visitors can see the peaks of Dhauladhar range. One must-do thing while visiting the fort is the audio guide. It makes you relive history and the visitors can hear Tikaraj's and the Maharani's voices. u00a0 <img alt="" src="/imagedata/2011/may/19krangi.jpg" border="5" /> The Kangra Fort is said to be one of the oldest in the country The valley of wars The Katoch family fought almost every invader in India. This fort is also finds mention in The Mahabharata as Nagarkot. According to Tikaraj, Porus, who fought the famous battle against Greek warrior Alexander, was their ancestor. The gun slits in the walls are a proof of how many wars have been fought for this fort. Historians say that whenmahmud of Ghazni looted this fort, his camels were not able to carry the gold, so huge was the amount they looted from the fort.u00a0 <img alt="" src="/imagedata/2011/may/19dalai.jpg" border="5" /> The Dalai Lama at the inauguration of the museum; A wrestling match in progress u00a0 The land of exile Kangra became famous after the Dalai Lama took shelter in Dharamshala. The Dalai Lama's official residence is in Mcleodganj in Dharmshala. The markets in Mcleodganj are full of Tibetan exiles. There is nothing extraordinary about the markets except for the fact that here, you will find a strange silence even in the markets. The shopkeepers barely speak or plead with you to buy something because all of them are always busy praying. You will find them with prayer beads in their hands always.u00a0It is not for anything that Dharamsala is called Little Lhasa. Here, you will find the exact replicas of monasteries and universities that you could see in Tibet. The must see places are Norbulingka Institute and Buddhist University which houses theu00a0 Karmapa's residence. The beautiful and artistic temples are the main attractions of the place. Best way to reach: Take a train to Chakki Bank and then drive up for two and a half hours Where to stay: The Bhagsu, Mcleodganj, Dharamsala Ring: 01892-221091 Tariff: Rs 2,000 onwards

Never mind if you can't visit Tibet. Head to McLeod Ganj for a taste of the mystic country

Kingdom in the valley of Dhauladar

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Kingdom in the valley of Dhauladar

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