Dharmshala

Dharamsala is a town and a municipal council in Kangra district in the northern regions of India in the state of Himachal Pradesh.

The town is notable as the capital of the Central Tibetan Administration, a Tibetan government in exile led by Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th and current Dalai Lama. The government's headquarters are located in McLeod Ganj, a suburb that is also referred to as Upper Dharamsala or "Little Lhasa".

When the Dalai Lama left Tibet, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru offered to permit him and his followers to establish a "government-in-exile" in Dharamsala in 1960. Since then, many Tibetan exiles have settled in the town, numbering several thousand. Most of these exiles live in Upper Dharamsala, or McLeod Ganj, where they established monasteries, temples and schools. The town is sometimes known as "Little Lhasa", after the Tibetan capital city, and has become an important tourist destination with many hotels and restaurants, creating a resurgence in tourism and commerce.

Dharamsala has been connected with Hinduism and Buddhism for a long time, with many monasteries having been established there in the past, built by Tibetan immigrants in the 8th century, however, these monasteries are believed to have declined, with traditional Hindu building styles experiencing a revival. The local Gaddi people are now almost all Hindu, and for the most part worship many gods and goddesses, principally Durga and Shiva.

Climate:

During the months of December and January, snow and sleet is common. Summer temperatures range from 22 °C to 38 °C. It is very cold in winter as Dhauladar range of hills, at over 15000 feet, is close by and covered with thick snow during winter and sometimes in Autumn and Spring. The natural features surrounding the town include rich forests of Pine and Deodars. Rice, wheat and tea are grown around Dharamsala.

Dharamsala