About Dharamsala

Picturesque Dharamsala, one of the major Buddhist centres in India, lies in Kangra valley of Himachal Pradesh. Known for its pristine beauty, Dharamshala reflects the colonial influence by the means of its monuments, markets and lifestyle. Dharamsala is a main hill station in the Kangra Valley - a fertile, undulating valley, lying between the gentle Shivalik hills and the foothills of the mighty Dhauladhars, noted for the beauty of its scenery. Lush terraces, wooded hills, tea gardens and sparkling streams are in plenty in the range.

Dharamshala was established by the British in 1849, as a cantonment. The place was selected to form a base for the armymen of local origin. Lord Elgin, a British viceroy of India, loved this place so much that he wished to be buried here after his death. His body rests in peace in the yard of St. Johns Church. A major turn in history of Dharamshala came in 1959, the year of Chinese invasion in Tibet. Thousands of natives of Tibet fled from there land, but there leader, His Holiness Dalai Lama, didn't gave up his hopes and made Mcleodganj, a suburb of Dharamshala, as his base to continue the struggle for independent Tibet. Today there are more than 3000 Tibetans living in Mcleodganj and nearby places. Dalali Lama has made his residence in Mcleodganj. There are few monasteries, institutes and art centres, which not only promote Tibetan culture, but also provide jobs to the Tibetas in exile

How to Reach

Air
The nearest airport is at Gaggal, which is situated at a distance of 13 km from Dharamsala connecting to Delhi, Kullu and Shimla. Jagson airlines flies at regular interval to Gaggal airport, however it totally depends on the weather condition. A private taxi can be hired from the airport to reach Dharamsala.

Rail
The nearest railway station is Kangra Mandir, located at a distance of 22 km from Dharamsala. But the main broad-gauge railhead is at Pathankot (90 km). It is a twelve-hour trip from Delhi to Pathankot and then a four-hour bus or three-hour taxi ride to Dharamsala.

Road
National Highway no.1 connects Dharamsala to Pathankot and Jalandhar. Dharamsala is also well connected by road to other places in Himachal Pradesh. Apart from this there are three main routes to Dharamsala: Delhi - Chandigarh - Dharamsala (510 km), Shimla -Manali - Palampur - Dharamsala Route (130 km) and Pathankot - Gaggal - Palampur route(105 km)

Internal Transport
To move in and around the city, one has to hire private taxi. Generally the rates are fixed by the taxi union and does not require further bargaining.