Dharamshala, set against the dramatic backdrop of the Dhauladhar range, has been home to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile since 1960, giving the town a distinct Tibetan Buddhist cultural identity layered onto its earlier British colonial history. The lower town retains more of its original Indian hill-station character, while the upper area around McLeod Ganj has become the centre of Dharamshala's Tibetan community and associated tourism.
The Kangra Art Museum and the HPCA cricket stadium, one of the most scenically dramatic cricket grounds in the world with the snow-capped Dhauladhar as a backdrop, add further variety, and Dharamshala's role as gateway to the Kangra Valley's tea gardens and forts makes it a useful base for exploring the wider region.
The Dalai Lama established his exile headquarters here in 1960, following his flight from Tibet after the 1959 uprising, and the resulting Tibetan community has since become central to the town's identity, economy and global recognition.
March to June, and September to November.
Kangra Airport (Gaggal) is about 15km away; Dharamshala is roughly 4 hours by road from Chandigarh.
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