Among the world’s most spectacular cricket venues is Dharamshala’s Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium. Seating 23,000, HPCA opened to the public in 2017. The red flat rooftops of this Tibetan-style building stand in beautiful contrast to the white snow-capped mountains of the Dhauladhar range. This is the scenic backdrop against which several ICC World Cup cricket matches will be played this year.
If you’re making a beeline for this Himalayan town this season, know that there’s much more to do than watch your cricketing heroes knock it out of the park in and around Dharamshala. Once a colonial hill station, Dharamshala has been the official home to the 14th Dalai Lama since the summer of 1960.
What you have today in Dharamshala is a region suffused with layers of history, heritage and modernity; where the past and present, East and West meet at the foothills of the mighty Himalayas. Here’s everything to see, do, eat and drink if you’re in town this month for the ICC World Cup.
What to see and do
If all you have is a day to spare in Dharamshala, you cannot leave without visiting the Tsuglagkhang Complex Dalai Lama Temple — especially the enormous idol of the Buddha sitting on an elevated pedestal. At Norbulingka, the Tibetan cultural centre, you could spend an afternoon roaming the beautifully manicured grounds which also houses a cafe and monastery.
Not to be missed is the Church of St John in the Wilderness in Forsyth Gunj, whose grey stone building has been standing since the 19th century in a grove of wind-washed pine trees. History junkies could make time for the Tibet Museum to understand the series of events that led to one of the biggest mass migrations to India.
Alternatively, take the Dharamshala Skyway to McLeodganj — a 45-minute drive reduced to a mere 5 minutes — for a day of shopping for souvenirs, feasting, walking about town and up to the iconic Shiva Cafe. If a little quiet time in the mountains is what you’re after, head to Dharamkot instead, where you can lounge at cafes with your book to your heart’s content.
Nature lovers will enjoy a trip to the BhagsuNag waterfall or a trek up to Triund valley, great for camping and majestic views of the Dhauladhar range. For a different perspective, take the 2-hour bus to the paragliding destination Bir Billing instead — soaring over these peaks and valleys is just the adrenaline rush you need before heading back into your work week.
If you can, club your trip with the last match of the season with a cinematic sojourn at the Dharamshala International Film Festival, a unique experience for lovers of independent cinema, which is set to take place at the Tibetan Children’s Village in Upper Dharamshala from November 4 to November 7.
What to eat and drink
Keeping up with its young and restless patrons, Dharamshala and McLeodganj have seen a proliferation of cafes offering crowd-pleasers from global cuisines. In the main town, get in a meal with a view at rooftop restaurant and bar, The Cliff; piping hot pasta and crisp pizza at Jimmy’s Italian Kitchen, and momos and coffee at Yellow Llama.
In McLeodganj, more options for the discerning crowd: Including the popular The Other Space (known for its coffee, pizzas and fast wi-fi), Morgan’s Cafe (for good Italian), and the iconic Tibet Kitchen (for authentic ema datshi, shepta, tingmo and more) which is reason alone to visit. In Bir, stop by Ara Cafe or Northern Cafe for long hours spent with coffee and a book. In Dharamkot, you’d be spoilt for choice, but a glass of honey ginger tea at Moonlight Cafe is mandatory.
ICC World Cup 2023 matches at HPCA, Dharamshala in October 2023
October 7: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, 10:30 am October 10: England vs Bangladesh, 10:30 am October 17: South Africa vs Netherlands, 2 pm October 22: India vs New Zealand, 2 pm October 28: Australia vs New Zealand, 10:30 am
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