Dharamshala
Dharamshala
Dharamsala | |
|---|---|
Town | |
From top, left to right: Skyline of Dharamsala, Mcleodganj during winter, Triund, Bhagsunag Temple, Kalachakra Temple, HPCA Stadium | |
| Nickname: Dhasa | |
Dharamshala Location within the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh Dharamshala Location within India | |
| Coordinates: 32°12′55″N 76°19′07″E / 32.21528°N 76.31861°E | |
| Country | India |
| State | Himachal Pradesh |
| District | Kangra |
| Named after | Derives its name from an old Hindu sanctuary, called Dharamsàla which once stood there.[1] |
| Member of legislative Assembly | Sudhir Sharma[2] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal Corporation |
| • Body | Dharamshala Municipal Corporation[3] |
| • Mayor | Onkar Singh Nehria |
| Area | |
• Total | 81.60 km2 (31.51 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,457 m (4,780 ft) |
| Population (2024)[4] | |
• Total | 53,543 |
| • Rank | 2nd in HP |
| • Density | 660/km2 (1,700/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 176 215 |
| Telephone code | +91- 01892 |
| Vehicle registration | HP- 39(RLA), 68(RTO), 01D/02D(Taxi) |
| Climate | Cwa |
| Website | edharamshala |
Dharamshala (/ˈdɑːrəmʃɑːlə/, Hindi: [d̪ʱərmʃaːlaː]; also spelled Dharamsala) is a town in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It serves as the winter capital of the state and the administrative headquarters of the Kangra district since 1855.[5][6][7] The town also hosts the Tibetan Government-in-exile. Dharamshala was a municipal council until 2015, when it was upgraded to a municipal corporation.
The town is located in the Kangra Valley, in the shadow of the Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas at an altitude of 1,457 metres (4,780 ft). References to Dharamshala and its surrounding areas are found in ancient Hindu scriptures such as Rig Veda and Mahabharata. The region was under Mughal influence before it was captured by the Sikh Empire in 1785. The East India Company captured the region for the British following the First Anglo-Sikh War of 1846, from when it became part of the British Indian province of the Punjab. Post Indian Independence in 1947, it remained as a small hill station. In 1960, the Central Tibetan Administration was moved to Dharamshala when the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso established the Tibetan administration-in-exile after he had to flee Tibet.
In 2015 Dharamshala was included in the Smart Cities Mission[8][9] and hence will soon have smart solutions implemented for infrastructure and clean environment.
Dharamshala can be viewed as a twin settlement, Upper Dharamshala, located at an elevation of approximately 1,830 metres, is home to the official residence and headquarters of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. This area, which includes the well-known suburbs of McLeod Ganj and Forsyth Ganj, still reflects a distinctly colonial character, echoing its British-era legacy. In contrast, Lower Dharamshala, situated at around 1,380 metres, has evolved into a bustling commercial hub, serving as the town's primary centre for trade and business.[10]
The economy of the region is highly dependent on agriculture and tourism. The town is now a major hill station and spiritual centre.
As of 2024, Dharamshala is the second most populous city in Himachal Pradesh, with a population of approximately 53,543, ranking only after the state capital, Shimla.[11][12]
- ^ "Gazetteer of the Kangra District" (PDF). Calcutta Central Press. 1883–1884.
- ^ "Details | eVidhan- Himachal Pradesh". hpvidhansabha.nic.in.
- ^ "Home". edharamshala.in.
- ^ "Demographics – MCD-Dashboard-Document Management System".
- ^ "Notification, Government of Himachal Pradesh" (PDF).
- ^ "It's official, Dharamshala is second capital of Himachal Pradesh". 2 March 2017.
- ^ Sharma, Arvind (20 January 2017). "Dharamshala Declared Second Capital of Himachal". hillpost.in. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
- ^ "Smart Cities".
- ^ "Dharamshala Smart City".
- ^ "Dharamshala – Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC)". hptdc.in. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ^ "About Us". Dharamshala Municipal Corporation. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
- ^ "Urban Agglomerations/Cities having population 1 lakh and above" (PDF). Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2012.