On a misty afternoon, a group of six men on three motorcycles stop near the link road adjoining Mcleodganj.“Mini Israel kitthe hai? (Which way to the Mini Israel?)” they ask in Punjabi. A local villager looks towards them and raises his finger. “Just park your bikes here and trek upwards. Dharamkot is little ahead.”Separated by two kilometres and joined by the Dhauladhar range, Mcleodganj and Dharamkot are a world apart in many ways. Walking up, the Buddhist prayer flags, the swanky cafes, and the aroma of momo and Laphing in Mcleodganj give way to signboards in Hebrew, home-style bakeries, and the whiff of freshly baked challah bread signalling the arrival of Dharamkot.These days, the administration has intensified vigil in and around Dharamkot. “Although so far, we have not received any request from any Israeli national staying at Dharamkot about their security, we are ensuring a strict vigil in and around Dharamkot,’’ Superintendent of Police of Kangra district, Kulbhushan Verma says. “A patrolling team has been assigned the task to patrol the village streets twice a day. We also have details of every foreign national including Israelis staying there.”SSP Verma says that there was an isolated incident earlier when unknown people made some graffiti on walls nearby Dharamkot to hurt the sentiments of Israeli visitors. “We had lodged an FIR immediately and our investigation concluded that some mischievous elements did this. There was nothing more to it,’’ he says.Dharamkot is around 240 kms from Himachal’s capital Shimla. Its closest city is, however, Dharmshala and the nearest airport – around 20 kms – is in Gaggal, Kangra.No one – neither locals nor the Israelis – can quite put a finger on why this small village in Kangra district became a favourite of the Israeli travellers.Story continues below this adOne such Israeli is Mayya from Yavne. Now 39, Mayya was just 18 when she first visited India in 2008. “I don’t exactly remember where I got the idea to visit Dharamkot during my first trip. I think I had just heard a lot about this place from many people…” she says. “What followed was an inseparable bond that continues even today,” she says as she fondly looks at her husband Gopal Subramanium.Born and raised in Chennai, Gopal too has a Dharamkot story of his own but one he is not willing to part with. “I left my home at the age of 18. I don’t want to get into details of the circumstances in which I left. I came to Dharamkot in the early 2000s,” says the 50-year-old. “Mayya met me in 2008, and later, we decided to get married,” he says matter-of-factly. Couple Mayya and Gopal with their children. (Source: Express Photo)“I think it was my destiny. To come here and meet him,” Mayya chips in. She is clearly the more romantic one.The couple runs a small guest house in Bhagsu Nag, right next to Dharamkot. “We used to run a guest house in Dharamkot too but left it after the lease expired,” explains Gopal.Story continues below this adThe couple are parents to two children: A daughter, Sansa (8), who was born in Israel and a son, Agam (5), born in Kangra.“I do keep visiting Israel and have Israeli citizenship. But now I am no less an Indian,” says Mayya, seated in the verandah of their guesthouse, which doubles as a small bistro, as clouds hang low, signalling an impending spell of rain.To an outsider, Mayya and her family may seem an anomaly but for the locals in Dharamkot, she barely raises an eyebrow.“Mayya is not the only one from Israel who established herself here. There are a number of Israelis, who have made Dharamkot their second home over the years,’’ Gopal says. “They come to India on tourist visas again and again after short intervals. Many have started their own ventures to earn a livelihood”.Story continues below this adFond of IsraelisLocal residents of Dharamkot say they have a special fondness for these Israeli guests and make sure that they feel at home. “They keep to themselves, don’t haggle or create a fuss, and are generally well-behaved,” a local shopkeeper says. “Besides, our livelihood is dependent on the tourists. We get along well”.Hence, the dip in the number of Israeli tourists this season, in the wake of the war with Iran, has left them wistful.The emptiness hangs heavy in a jewellery shop in a congested, narrow lane deep inside Dharamkot.Artist Vrindavan Dass, popularly known as Raju Dadda, who traces his roots to Kolkata, is sitting on a chair, the wall next to him covered with pages carrying instructions written in Hebrew.Story continues below this ad Young couple Yonatan and Daniela. (Source: Express Photo)“Israelis dominate this place. They come here frequently. They want to keep themselves busy and jewellery-designing workshops are one component of this goal,’’ Raju says. “Besides jewellery workshops, you will find music lessons, classes to make musical instruments, and yoga workshops here”.Another shop owner Aditya Singh is from Rajasthan. “My jewellery shop is more of a workshop than a shop, where we train people, especially foreigners, to make different jewellery designs,” he says.Today, though, there is not a single student inside the workshop. Raju attributes this to several factors, including the ongoing Middle East crisis, heavy monsoon and, foremost, the increasing arrival of domestic tourists.“It is common knowledge among locals that Israelis like to keep to themselves. One reason behind their preference for Dharamkot is its secluded nature, which could afford them their own space,’’ a local resident explains. “Hence, the arrival of domestic tourists, many of whom come looking for content for their social media reels, seems to be a downer for many of them”.Story continues below this adMayya is not sure if the war is the major reason for the dwindling number of Israelis visiting Dharamkot.“This situation is quite normal back in Israel now. Indeed, some problems exist. There are no direct flights and tourists have to come through connecting flights. That makes the journey more expensive,” she says.Gopal, however, gives another reason. “A lot of youngsters, who would have otherwise travelled to India, may be busy… the military service is mandatory there,’’ he says.Similar views were expressed by Dor Stroul, 37, who is on his second visit to Dharamkot.Story continues below this ad“Some problems are being faced by people who are still serving in the defence services. Otherwise, I don’t believe there is much of a hurdle despite the ongoing Middle East crisis,” says Stroul, who is a tech professional back home. Asked about his own military experience, he says, “I was not found fit for the defence service during my medical examination.”While Aditya’s jewellery store was bereft of Israeli visitors, a few steps ahead, a musical-instrument shop is echoing with the sound of a lone flute. In one corner of Madan B N Music Workshop, 23-year-old Yoni, a first-time visitor to India, is practising his fingerwork on the instrument.Lone student on the flute“I came here in July. I have been learning the flute for the last fortnight. I would like to learn and practise here for the next three months,” says Yoni, who declines to share his full name and profession in Israel.“I am a native of Nepal, but two generations of my family have settled in Dharamshala. My grandfather and father were also musicians. Our relationship with Israelis goes back a long way…,’’ Music instructor Madan says. “Today, you see only one person sitting in my workshop. But there have been days when it remained crowded with foreign students round-the-clock.”Story continues below this adLike Raju, Madan also attributes the dip in the expected rush to the glut of domestic tourists. It has led to a few unsavoury incidents, he whispers. “War, too, could be a reason,” he shrugs.“You can’t attribute it only to the Middle East conflict, though. I personally believe that when the rush of domestic tourists increases here, the number of Israeli tourists reduces. Apart from this, during the monsoon, Israelis move towards destinations like Leh, Ladakh,” he adds.As the congested trail continues alongside a natural drain (nullah) running through the middle of Dharamkot, a striking red-coloured, three-storey building comes into view. While you can walk into the neighbouring cafes and shops without a hitch, entry here is strictly guarded. It is Dharamkot’s “Chabad House” and a sign announces it in Hebrew and English. Chabad House at Dharamkot. (Source: Express Photo)“The Chabad House is situated on land that was once taken on a long lease by a group of Israelis. We are not allowed to enter this building. But this place is revered by people from Israel,” says Deepu, who runs a cafe, The Bamboo Chick, next door.“They assemble here once or twice a week and pray. This building also serves as a transit point for visiting Israelis. There is a group that arranges everything for anyone, who comes from Israel until the person is able to make their own arrangements,” Deepu explains.Once a remote shepherd villageRaju Raj, 69, a local resident, attempts to explain how Dharamkot transformed from a remote shepherd village into this “Mini Israel”.“Initially, Dharamkot was a village dominated by the shepherd (Gaddi) community. Their main sources of livelihood were rearing livestock, small-scale farming and daily wage jobs. I am also not clear how and when Israelis started reaching this village, but one thing is for sure — it is all due to the presence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Dharamshala (near Mcleodganj) in the 1960s. His presence changed this entire landscape,” says Raj. “Although Jewish people from Israel have no connection with him, the Dalai Lama matters,” he says.“As foreigners started arriving here, they began establishing their own avenues. They can’t purchase land here, so they started taking it on lease. People from other states in India, such as Rajasthan, West Bengal and Goa, have also taken land on lease and are running businesses, especially in the hospitality sector,” he says.The village, too, caught up and made sure to create a hospitable environment for its Israeli guests. A number of locals speak Hebrew, shops have “no photography, videography allowed” signage because Israeli visitors seek complete privacy. A number of outlets double up as money exchange centres too.Kaka Ram, 59, another native of Dharamkot, says the transformation of the village has been such that it would now be difficult to locate a house that depends entirely on agriculture and cattle rearing – their ancestral trade. “Every house in this village has a homestay, guest house, cafe or eating joint, rustling up all kinds of food, especially dishes such as falafel, pita and shakshuka,” he adds.Earlier a gram panchayat, Dharamkot now comes under the Municipal Corporation of Dharamshala.Kangra District Tourism Development Officer Vinay Dhiman says, “Foreigners want to explore more and more. The area around Dharamkot is full of adventure activities. There is the Triund hiking trail, the Laka Glacier… Experienced mountaineers can scale Moon Peak. Even Bir-Billing, a paradise for paragliders, is in Kangra district. All these things attract foreign tourists.”According to information available with the State Tourism Department, approximately 8.26 lakh tourists visited Kangra district in 2025-2026.Nowhere is the quest for calm of these Israeli residents and tourists more evident than it is at Tushita Meditation Centre. “Most of the disciples who come here to undergo short-and long-term courses of 15 to 30 days are from Israel,” Alejandro, 34, a teacher of philosophy from Columbia, tells The Indian Express. “At present, there are 22 students, including me, undertaking a course at Tushita. Around 16 out of 22 are Israelis.”A dream of a simple lifeLike Mayya, Daniela, 29, from Tel Aviv, and her partner Yonatan, 34, are nurturing a dream of making Dharamkot their second home.At a restaurant in the heart of the village, they order Tibetan food while sitting at a low bajot-style table and begin narrating their story. While Daniela is visiting for the second time, it is Yonatan’s first time in both India and Dharamkot.“We first met in Chile in South America in 2018. Since then, we have been friends. I visited Dharamkot in 2021. This place was so beautiful and appealing that I wanted to visit it again and again. This visit is also special because this time, Yonatan is accompanying me,” says Daniela.Yonatan, who works in the technology sector, says, “I had heard a lot about Dharamkot…”The couple says though they have visited many countries — Thailand, Malaysia, Nepal, to name a few – it is in this small Himachal village where their heart seems to have found its destination.“We would never miss an opportunity to settle in Dharamkot,” they say, almost in unison. “It feels like home.”