Theme Week Tibet – Dharamsala

Wednesday, 23 October 2019 - 12:00 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination:
Category/Kategorie: General
Reading Time:  6 minutes

Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration © Bernard Gagnon/cc-by-sa-4.0

Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration © Bernard Gagnon/cc-by-sa-4.0

Dharamshala is the district headquarters of Kangra district in India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu. The Dalai Lama‘s residence and the headquarters of the Central Tibetan Administration (the Tibetan government in exile) are in Dharamshala. Dharamshala is 18 km (11 mi) from Kangra. Dharamshala has been selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under PM Narendra Modi’s flagship Smart Cities Mission. On 19 January 2017, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh declared Dharamshala as the second capital of Himachal Pradesh state, making Himachal Pradesh the third state of India with two capitals after Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra.

Dharamshala is a municipal corporation city in the upper reaches of the Kangra Valley and is surrounded by dense coniferous forest consisting mainly of stately Deodar cedar trees. The suburbs include McLeod Ganj, Bhagsunath, Dharamkot, Naddi, Forsyth Ganj, Kotwali Bazaar (the main market), Kaccheri Adda (government offices such as the court, police, post, etc.), Dari, Ramnagar, Sidhpur, and Sidhbari (where the Karmapa is based). This place is also famous for its Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium (2003), which offers opportunities to the youth of state to prepare for their future in the game. The village of McLeod Ganj, lying in the upper reaches, is known worldwide for the presence of the Dalai Lama.On 29 April 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) established the Tibetan exile administration in the north Indian hill station of Mussoorie. In May 1960, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) was moved to Dharamshala, making it the centre of the Tibetan exile world in India. Following the 1959 Tibetan uprising there was an influx of Tibetan refugees who followed the 14th Dalai Lama. His presence and the Tibetan population have made Dharamshala a destination for Indian and foreign tourists, including students studying Tibet. Dharamshala also has several tea gardens and its tea, known as Dharamsala or Kangra tea, is very popular across India and the rest of the world. Traditionally known for Kangra green tea, Dharamshala now produces all teas including black tea, green tea, oolong tea and white teas, in addition to the popular Kashmiri Kahwa and Masala Chai.

Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration © Bernard Gagnon/cc-by-sa-4.0 Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration © Bernard Gagnon/cc-by-sa-4.0 St John in the Wilderness © Gerd Eichmann/cc-by-sa-4.0 Tibetian Library © John Hill/cc-by-sa-3.0 © Unstable.atom/cc-by-sa-4.0 McLeodganj street szene in Upper Dharamsala © John Hill/cc-by-sa-3.0
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Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration © Bernard Gagnon/cc-by-sa-4.0
Several thousand Tibetan exiles have now settled in the area; most live in and around McLeodGanj in Upper Dharamshala, where they have built monasteries, temples and schools. It has become an important tourist destination with many hotels and restaurants, leading to growth in tourism and commerce. Dharamshala is the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh. The Legislative Assembly is at Sidhbari, near the Chinmaya Tapovan Ashram, and the winter sessions of the government are held there. Dharamshala is also one of the famous bird watching spots in India.

The city is divided into two distinct sections. Kotwali Bazaar and the surrounding markets are referred to as “Lower Dharamshala” or just “Dharamshala” and upper Dharamshala or places such as McLeodganj, Dharamkot, etc. In the city of Dharamshala, Maximus Mall and Gold Multiplex Cinema are open now on the National Highway Road in the Chilgari area, near Kotwali Bazaar and the main bus stand in Lower Dharamshala, in addition to the traditional shopping street called as Kotwali Bazaar. Maximus mall is the second biggest mall in the state after Purnam Mall, Bilaspur. It has Cafe Coffee Day, Moti Mahal Food Chain, Pizza Hut, Gold Cinemas and many reputed international brands. Another mall The Hillside Mall is situated in the Kotwal. The HPCA International Cricket Stadium is located near the Government Degree College, Dharmashala.

Dharamshala also has lush tea gardens which produce its popular Kangra tea. Traditionally known for Kangra green tea, Dharamshala now produces a variety of teas, including black, green, oolong and white teas, along with Kashmiri Kahwa and Masala Chai. Tea gardens at Mann Tea Estate are owned and operated by the Dharmsala Tea Company, which conducts guided tours of the tea gardens and factory, and offers tea tastings. Kangra green tea is considered to be among the best in India, and has also been found to contain the highest anti-oxidant levels of all green teas produced in India.

Here you can find the complete Overview of all Theme Weeks.

Read more on Central Tibetan Administration, TransIndiaTravels.com – Top 10 paces to visit in Dharamshala, LonelyPlanet.com – Dharamsala, Wikitravel Dharamsala, Wikivoyage Dharamsala and Wikipedia Dharamshala. Learn more about the use of photos. To inform you about latest news most of the city, town or tourism websites offer a newsletter service and/or operate Facebook pages/Twitter accounts. In addition more and more destinations, tourist organizations and cultural institutions offer Apps for your Smart Phone or Tablet, to provide you with a mobile tourist guide (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Global Passport Power Rank - Travel Risk Map - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.








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