The 13th edition of DIFF will be held at the Tibetan Children’s Village, Upper Dharamshala, from 7 to 10 November 2024.
Passes on sale now.
ABOUT DHARAMSHALA
Located at the foot of the spectacular Dhauladhar range, the town of Dharamshala overlooks the fertile Kangra valley in the north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, renowned for its natural beauty, ancient Hindu temples and tea gardens.
Strung out across a series of ridges that fan out from the lower reaches of the mountains, Dharamshala is made up of several parts. Lower Dharamshala comprises the lively Kotwali shopping bazaar as well as government offices, schools, the local hospital and legal buildings.
McLeod Ganj, sometimes known as Upper Dharamshala, is positioned on a ridge several hundred feet higher up, reached by a steep, narrow road accessible to taxis and small cars, while a longer 9 km road winds around the hills for larger vehicles. McLeod Ganj is home to the Tibetan community and the centre of Dharamshala’s tourist activity. The town is framed by snow-capped mountains and hillsides of pine, Himalayan oak and rhododendron forests. Within walking distance from McLeod Ganj are the smaller settlements of Bhagsu, Dharamkot, Forsyth Ganj and Naddi.
CLIMATE
The upper and lower reaches of Dharamshala extend to altitudes of between 1750 and 1400 metres, lending the town a considerably cooler climate than the plains below. November is usually the sunniest month in Dharamshala but don’t be deceived by the brilliant sunshine and warm days. As soon as the sun goes down, it can get very chilly indeed, so it is essential to layer up. A pair of thermals, a warm jacket, sturdy walking shoes, caps, gloves, shawls and scarves, can make the difference between a pleasant movie watching experience and a teeth-chattering one when temperatures dip and a cold mountain breeze sweeps down from the Dhauladhars!
GETTING TO DHARAMSHALA
McLeod Ganj is easily reached by plane, train, bus and taxi. The nearest airport is officially known as Kangra Airport but you can also find it online as Dharamshala. It is a convenient 15 kilometres away, but flights are limited and tickets can sometimes be exorbitantly priced.
Another option is to fly to Amritsar, which has more frequent air connections. It takes approximately 4.5 hours by taxi from the airport. A quick visit to the magnificent Golden Temple would be an added attraction.
A third option is to fly to Chandigarh, which is around a 6-hour drive from Dharamshala. The route takes you past the towns of Anantpur Sahib and Nangal before climbing the beautiful Shivaliks to McLeod Ganj.
By train, the railheads – Amb Andaura (2h 50 mins away by taxi) and Pathankot (3h 10 mins away by taxi) – are the closest to the venue. There is a convenient Vande Bharat express train that starts from Delhi at 5:50 AM and reaches Amb Andaura at 11:05 AM.
Several luxury buses make the overnight run from Delhi. McLeod Ganj is also well connected by road transport to major destinations in Himachal Pradesh and neighbouring states. The road journey from Delhi takes between 10-11 hours.
For information about buses and taxis from Delhi (and other cities), and also for local transport, contact our travel partners, Bedi Travels: http://beditravels.com
