Dharamshala (also spelled Dharamsala) is the winter capital city of Himachal Pradesh, India. It has served as the location for the administrative headquarters of the Kangra district after they were relocated from Kangra, a city 18 kilometres (11 mi) away from Dharamshala, in 1855.
The city has been selected as one of the hundred in India to be developed as a smart city under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship Smart Cities Mission. On 19 January 2017, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Virbhadra Singh, declared Dharamshala as the second capital of Himachal Pradesh, making it the third state of India to have two capitals after Maharashtra and the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir
DESCRIPTION
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.[3] The suburbs include McLeod Ganj, Bhagsunag, Dharamkot, Naddi, Forsyth Ganj, Kotwali Bazar (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 McLeod Ganj town, 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 which are prominently at Sheela Chowk that extend upwards towards Khaniyara. The other tea gardens are at Kunal Pathri and Palampur in district Kangra. The tea is 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.
SHOPPING AND ENTERTAINMENT In DHARAMSHALA
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.
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.
