| Dharamsala |
| Population 19,034 Altitude 1700 meters Area 29 sq km Languages Himachali, Hindi and English |
| Dharamsala is a popular hill station located in the Kangra district known for its idyllic surroundings amidst pine trees, tea gardens and snow capped mountains. It is also home to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The word Dharamsala means an inn attached to a temple. Dharamsala's history has been influenced greatly by both Hinduism and Buddhism. Several monasteries were built in the 8th century by the Tibetan immigrants who settled here, though some slowly gave way to Hindu structures. The Hindu inhabitants of the region are the Gaddis who worship Shiva and Durga. Dharamshala was developed as a summer retreat for the British and their troops, who had seized control of the town in 1848. It later became the administrative capital of Kangra in 1852. However, its days of glory were short lived as the town suffered a serious setback and the loss of many lives with the earthquake of 1905. Dharamsala is divided into two parts. Kotwali Bazaar and the regions further down the valley, which is at an average height of 1250 meters, are known as Lower Dharamsala, while McLeod Gunj (1,800 meters in height) and surrounding areas are known as Upper Dharamsala. Lower Dharamsala is mainly populated by Indians, while McLeod Gunj is teeming with Tibetans. Dharamsala has been replicated to resemble a mini Tibet. When His Holiness The Dalai Lama had to flee Tibet to continue the Tibetan struggle from Chinese oppression, he was granted asylum in Dharamsala. During and after this time in 1959 about 80,000 Tibetan followers followed their leader into India and many of them settled down in this area, thereby giving it a unique identity. Banks and Internet The State Bank of India near the chorten has an ATM accepting most foreign cards. There are also several money changers around. There are numerous internet cafes in McLeod ganj. |
