Dharamshala is a small town situated in the Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh. It is also widely known as the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh with the summer capital as Shimla.

Situated at the average elevation of 1447 m above sea level, it is the perfect getaway for people with families as the temperature will be cold in winters but not as cold as places like Shimla and Manali which can sometimes be uncomforting for elders and children.

Not only to families but this can also be a perfect adventure spot for youngsters as it offers a range of treks and trails for those interested in climbing the mountains and experiencing the mountains to their fullest.

It is situated at the elevation of 1447m but the peaks of the mountain range of Dhauladhar go as long as 4500m which means during daytime when the clouds are clear, you’ll be left with breathtaking views of Dhauladhar which will surely make you wonder about the size of Himalayas as Dhauladhar is the smallest range in the Himalayas.

 

Etymology:

The origin of Dharamshala is very simple, it consists of mainly two words meaning Dharam- and Shala. Dharma means religion and Shala means house, which basically means house of religion.

Some also believe that Dharamshala adopted its name from an old hindu sanctuary called Dharamshala which was situated there during the british time in 1800s.

History:

After the establishment of the town in the 1800s, it was the cantonment for troops stationed in Kangra.
The town remained a low profile town until the influx of the Tibetan government in exile along with the Dalai Lama in October 1959.
Since 1959, a number of Tibetan people have sought refuge in McLeodganj situated at the distance of 10 km from Dharamshala. McLeodganj has emerged as one of the most popular places for Tibetan culture as well as Buddhism.

In the 1960s, his holiness established a library in Mcleodganj where thousands of the manuscripts of Tibetan culture have been kept.

 

Culture:

Dharamshala is culturally one of the most diverse towns you’ll find in India. According to the demographics, less than 70% of people living in Dharamshala are Hindu, whereas more than 25% of population is buddhist.

Geography:

Dharamshala is situated at an average elevation of 1447m, however the mountain peaks around it go as high as 4500m so you’ll be mesmerised by the snow covered peaks of Dhauladhars most time of the year.

Dharamshala basically consists of two parts, lower Dharamshala and Upper Dharamshala.

Lower area of the region consists of the area below Kotwali Bazaar. Whereas upper Dharamshala consists of regions like Naddi, Dharamkot and Mcleodganj.

During the winter season, snowfall rarely occurs in lower regions of Dharamshala whereas snowfall in upper regions is pretty common in the months of January and February. What is much better is that it only takes 10-20 minutes to reach the upper regions so you’ll find no difficulty in reaching there whatsoever.

 

Conclusion:

There are a lot of things that make Dharamshala a perfect destination for both Adults and Elders.

First is obviously its accessibility, it is much more easily accessible than other areas like Manali and other upper areas of Himachal Pradesh. Not only that but it also has an airport for those in a hurry to get here.

Second is its diversity. Unlike Shimla which doesn’t offer much more than snowfall and beautiful views, Dharamshala is much more diverse in things that it can offer to tourists. From a variety of treks to adventures like paragliding as well as the rich culture of Tibet. Dharamshala is without a doubt a better place than Shimla if you’re into adventures.