Last year, when the Israel-Hamas conflict started, this place witnessed a lot of chaos.
New Delhi: A group of people is standing in front of a large statue of Jesus Christ, praying for the peace of the souls of the people killed in the recent attacks in Israel. On the other hand, many Israelis can be seen on the streets of Dharamkot. Even as Israel is embroiled in a fierce battle at several fronts, the Mini Israel in Himachal Pradesh is bustling.
This Mini Israel in Himachal Pradesh is Dharamkot village of Dharamshala. It is a small village which is throbbing with fun and frolic these days even as the West Asia region is on a boil. The Dharamkot area is full of Israeli tourists. Being one of Israeli tourists most favoured destinations, the area is now recognized at the international level.
Last year, when the Israel-Hamas conflict started, this place witnessed a lot of chaos among the Israelis living here and many Israeli citizens suddenly went back to their homes. However, currently, as the conflict is still going on, there is huge increase in the number of Israelis here and it is surprising.
Sanjeev Gandhi, general secretary of the Hotel Association Dharamshala and owner of a three-star hotel in Dharamkot, said that many old and young people from Israel have stayed in this area this year. Most of them returned to Dharamkot about two months ago. He said that when the war broke out in Israel last year, most Israeli tourists left. However, for the last two months, they have returned in large numbers, reports news18.
Significantly, the dominance of Israeli tourists in this area is evident from the fact that most restaurants in this area serve Israeli cuisine and the restaurant’s sign boards and menus are also written in Hebrew language and whatever is written on the walls is in Hebrew.
Israeli tourists started visiting Dharamkot about three decades ago and have made a huge contribution in developing Dharamkot as a tourist destination among international tourists.
Israeli tourists are present in the village almost throughout the year and this has helped in boosting tourism and generating revenue for the local residents.