St.John in the Wilderness Church - Mcleodganj
This pristine church dedicated to John the Baptist was built in 1852 in neo-Gothic architectural style. A church that survived the 1905 Kangra earthquake which had killed 19,800 people and left thousands injured still stands strong amongst tall Deodar trees and doesn't fail to mesmerize you with its magnanimous presence. This is a landmark that you just can't miss while visiting Dharamsala. This vintage architectural embellishment can be located atop a lovely green valley even from a distance.
Eight years ago when we saw the church for the first time we had a jaw dropping experience, it has an old world charm infused in nature that draws your attention the most. You have to walk down to the church complex from the road above where you can park your vehicle as it also has a big parking area at a walking distance.You can spend a few hours at your convenience experiencing the serenity of the place as it offers a pleasant relief from the noisy nearby market area of main Mcleodganj.
Mcleodganj has mixed bag of emotions to offer and everything strikingly different from the other. The meditative Monasteries, the bustling market selling everything from jewelry to books artifacts and what not.The chilled environment of the retro cafes serving mouth watering delicacies is what you can ask for those lazy afternoons, local food stalls serving hotpot dishes to momos for the ones looking at exploring the local flavours, the nearby waterfalls, lakes, temples, it is also the base point for various trekking routes that you can join in.This can easily be a unending list. I have to tell you without a doubt that this place has a soul of it own that you never get tired off.
The moment you step down on this hamlet the charm will just start growing on you. As this blog is dedicated to St. John in the wilderness we will restrict our information to that but I can easily see myself writing another one follow up blog to describe Mcleodganj at length and what it has to offer you. Till then watch the space and brace yourself as the travel restrictions are being lifted , you never know, I might just influence your destination to your next trip.
