Brrr! Unexpected Cold Hits Dharamsala As Tourists Flock For Test

English Conditions Surprise Locals, Indian Cricketers Bundle Up

Mar 6, 2024 - 11:01
Brrr! Unexpected Cold Hits Dharamsala As Tourists Flock For Test
Indian players during a practice session ahead of the fifth Test cricket match between India and England, at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, Tuesday, March 5, 2024.

Temperatures in this mountainous region have dropped dramatically due to a powerful gust of bitter cold wind that is coming from the snow-capped mountains of the Dhauladhar range, which overlook the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.

To the amazement of the locals, the chilly and windy weather has persisted even though it is only the beginning of March. Nonetheless, English supporters have felt at home thanks to a dip in temperature to 5–6 degrees in the early evening and much lower at night.


Few members of England's renowned cricket supporters, known as the Barmy Army, have arrived in Dharamsala yet. They are too busy finishing their tours of the nation's tourism sites before returning to their original destinations.

Their favorite spots have been the historical forts and monuments of Jaipur, coupled with the Taj Mahal, which is located just a few hundred kilometers from Dharamsala.

Even if the fifth Test, which begins on Thursday, is a meaningless match, foreign visitors will nonetheless travel from New Delhi or take a plane there to be enthralled by the majestic mountain range and its romanticism. Locals advise travelers to "be ready for traffic jams and skyrocketing hotel rates."

When dusk falls and clouds swallow the mountain summits, the air takes on a mysterious and erratic beauty. It will be more captivating because of the various shades of blue that exist throughout the day.

However, the domestic cricket players are worried about the falling temperatures. Few on this young Indian squad have experienced such "English" conditions, best summed up by Jonny Bairstow as "just like Leeds." Trent Bridge in Nottingham or the Rose Bowl in Southampton could have potentially been the location.

The energy drink that athletes frequently drink to stay hydrated during practice has been replaced by hot tea and coffee. There was also a lot of thermal clothing on.

After rain and thunderstorms over the weekend, Tuesday was mostly sunny and bright, but the frigid conditions persisted.

"I played U-19 cricket here for two months twenty-one years ago. This place is quite chilly. The fingers will need some time to get used to it. This March weather is a tad colder than typical. The beauty lies in it, stated Ravichandran Ashwin.

It goes without saying that during the Test, international visitors will outnumber their Indian counterparts. The Englishmen have also been fascinated by the opportunity to meet the Dalai Lama, who has made his home approximately 10 km from Dharamsala, in the upper parts of the Kangra Valley outside of McLeod Ganj since 1959.

Even the most hardened traveler will be mesmerized by the pilgrims' resting area.

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Punam Shaw I am a versatile full-stack developer skilled in both front-end and back-end technologies, creating comprehensive web applications and solutions. I have done B.com in Accountancy hons.