Located in the beautiful valley of Kangra and situated against the Dhauladhar mountain ranges in the state of Himachal Pradesh, Dharamsala is the perfect location for those who wish to remain amidst Mother Nature. The faultless ambience with lush green deodar and pine cover is just a view that a true nature lover desires. It may be an already popular fact that Dharamsala is the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh. The geographical location of Dharamsala is separated by 10 minute road transport into two distinct areas of Lower and Upper Dharamsala. In the Lower Dharamsala division consists of schools, local hospitals, commercial areas and government offices. Whereas, the Upper Dharamsala is better known by the name of McLeod Ganj, which is also the seat of ‘Dalai Lama’, the Tibetan spiritual leader. The Upper Dharamsala can be considered as the epicentre to Tibetan Buddhism and religion. Until the British Empire rule, Dharamsala and its surrounding areas were actually ruled by Katoch dynasty that are actually regarded as the oldest of all the royal families present there. The original inhabitants of Dharamsala region were the Gaddis, a Hindu group that were known for leading a nomadic lifestyle. It was in the year 1959 that Tibetans actually started coming here to settle and it was in the same year that Dalai Lama fled Tibet to settle here in McLeodGanj. Indian Prime Minister at that time was Pandit JawaharLal Nehru, who allowed Dalai Lama and his followers to settle here. Now the number comes to be in thousands and the Tibetan exiles here have built several Monasteries, temples and schools over here. Dharamsala today is regarded as the best place for one to learn about Buddhism, culture and about Tibetan struggle to freedom. Moreover, it is the ancient Tibetan architecture, Gompas and Buddhist viharas that actually make it to the main attractions in Dharamsala. Another place that is worth a visit here is the Kotwali Bazar, which is also the busiest place here in Dharamsala. Here one can find several types of souvenirs like carpets, jewelleries and even traditional artefacts. Stay options here in Dharamsala Stay option in a budgeted hotel here can cost upto 200 to 1000 Indian rupees per day depending on the level of facilities available there. Meanwhile if you are planning to stay in a luxury hotel then you may have to shell out something in between 800 to 1600 INR. The mid-budgeted hotels here offer facilities like hot water, internet and fabulous food, while some of them may include options like ayurvedic massage.
