Lalitagiri Travel
The village of Lalitagiri is situated in the state of Orissa. It lies at a distance of approximately 90 km from the city of Bhubaneshwar. Lalitagiri dates back to the first century and is considered to be one of the earliest Buddhist establishments in the world. Even today, the ancient stupas, beautiful sculptures and the caves make the place look like that of an ancient age. The iconographical features of the Lalitagiri sculptures bear a strong resemblance to Java and Southeast Asian prototypes.
A number of excavations have been carried out at Lalitagiri, by the Archeological Survey of India. Among them, the most prominent one is that of an ancient stupa. The stupa is said to contain relics preserved in caskets of stone. Because of the age of the relics, as well as their silver and gold contents, it is alleged that they belong to Lord Buddha. Other excavations include black polished inscribed pieces of pottery of Ashokan Brahmi script, Kushan inscriptions, ornamental Brahmi, etc. All these artifacts have further strengthened the notion that Lalitagiri was once a flourishing Buddhist center. A number of monuments have also been unearthed at Lalitagiri. Of them, the most significant ones consist of the ruins of an apsidal temple, encircled by monasteries and stupas. The recent excavations at Lalitagiri have been linked to the Gandharva School of art.
The town of Dharamsala is situated in Himachal Pradesh, on the high slopes in the upper reaches of Kangra Valley. With the Dhauladhar Mountains serving as its backdrop, the town presents a picturesque sight. Dharamsala is divided into two parts, the Upper Dharamsala and the Lower Dharamsala, differing by approximately 1000 m in altitude. The town serves as the headquarters of the Tibetan government in exile. Dharamshala is also the seat of His Holiness, The 14th Dalai Lama in India.
It houses a large settlement of Tibetan refugee. Monks in their robes and old Tibetans walking with rosaries in their hands or turning the prayer wheels is a common sight here. There are a number of monasteries and temples in Dharamsala, which serves as the major attractions for the tourists coming here. There are also several institutes here, set up to conserve the art, culture and traditions of Tibet.
