Dharamshala Travel Guides

Overview : Welcome to Dharamshala Travel Guides


Dharamshala means a ‘Spiritual Dwelling.’ Generally speaking, Dharamshala is a place where pilgrims or travelers can stay for a night. This beautiful hill station of Himachal Pradesh is one of the oldest hill stations in India. The snow-capped mountain surrounds the place with pine and oak trees, making this place a paradise for nature lovers. Apart from its natural beauty, the place is also considered the temporary of his holiness, the Dalai Lama. The blend of scenic surroundings and the presence of great Buddhism culture make this place popular among travelers. The snowy chilling hill station is classified in two places Lower Dharamshala and Upper Dharamshala. Both the regions are equally beautiful. One gives you the real picture of the bustling city, where the other region offers a picturesque view of the township, constructed in the British colonial style.

This Dharamshala travel guide on Dharamshala tourism will help you explore the city easily and inform you about the places to visit in Dharamshala, Dharamshala tourist places, the history and culture of Dharamshala, and the best time to visit Dharamshala.

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History of Dharamshala


Dharamshala has a rich and fascinating history. One can peak into the charming history of the place, which reveals interesting and often charming aspects of the life of people. The British moved to this city in the late 1840s and made this place the district headquarters. The town you see today was not much as a town when the earthquake of 7.8 magnitudes brought catastrophic disaster to this place on 4th April 1905. The hill station remained low profile until spiritual leader Dalai Lama and Tibetan refugees came to Dharamshala in 1959. Ever since his arrival, the place has become one of the popular tourist destinations in India. Visitors from all over India and around the world visit this spiritual place every year, making this place a vibrant tourist destination.

Culture and Traditions of Dharamshala

This beautiful hill station of Dharamshala has a vibrant culture and is closely linked with the religious practices that the people of this city follow. The tradition of this place is religiously filled with Gaddis, Hinduism, and Buddhism. When spiritual guru Dalai Lama came to Dharamshala in 1959, he brought the rich Tibetan culture and traditions to this charming hill station. The culture and tradition of the place quite resemble the culture and tradition of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. The handmade garments and handicrafts are profusely supplied in the city of Dharamshala. Talking about the music and dance of the place has its own identity. The folk dance of India, which is performed here, is linked with Hinduism. Even you can see a huge influence of Tibetan music in the music of Dharamshala. The theatrical traditions of Tibet are also preserved here where the artist performs at Tibetan opera accompanied by drums, dance, music and especially being influenced by that to Tibet.

People of Dharamshala generally spoke in Hindi and Tibetan. As there’s a large influence of British Raj and tourism, English is also a major dialect that is widely understood here. One can hear other languages like Kangri/Pahari here, which are the local Himachal dialects of Himachal spoken by the indigenous population of Dharamshala.

Travelers in Dharamshala can also witness various festivals and events, making this place the most happening hill station in India. Haldi Festival is celebrated in two days where family come together and sits around bonfire and dancing. The Losar Festival is also known as the Tibetan New Year, is one of the main festivals in Dharamshala. To honor Lord Buddha, Dharamshala celebrates devotional Tibetan festivals Saka Dawa Festivals. Some other major festivals of this place are Prashar Fair, Dal Fair, and International Himalayan Festival.

Cuisine of Dharamshala

Dharamshala or Dhasa ( in local dialect) is a melting pot with the generation of Tibetan refugees, indigenous Gaddi folk, Kashmiri and Nepali business people, migrant workers from Bihar, and thousands of tourist devotees from around the world. This diversity can easily be seen in the cuisine of Dharamshala. The travelers are served with lip-smacking Tibetan delicacies such as steamed or fried/stuffed spicy potato, cabbage, and a mixture of spinach, radish/carrot with a dollop of chilly sauce on the side. Some other delicacies which you would like to savor are Tibetan Noodle, a turmeric pancake, The Korean Cafe RI, and many more.

Shopping in Dharamshala

The city has many shopping areas that offer travelers a great Tibetan handicraft, carpets, and mats, and that would be at a reasonable cost. Some of the popular markets that draw your attention are –

  • Kotwali Bazar – A perfect place to buy Tibetan accessories like trinkets, traditional jewelry, mandala paintings, woolen shawls, prayer flags, and gift items.
  • Mcleodganj – It is a place for Tibetan handicrafts, local goods, and carpets. Divine Buddha handicrafts are the main attraction of this market.
  • The Green Shop – The Tibetan Welfare Office runs the market, and it offers recycled goods.

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Dharamshala Weather


Language Spoken

Hindi, English

Places to Visit Dharamshala


Naam Art Gallery:

This place is purely dedicated to artists and art lovers, making it one of the best Dharamshala travel places. One can enjoy a number of art shows organized in this art gallery during the year. This art gallery’s motto is to promote new and young talents so that they get the desired opportunity to display their artwork.

Triund Trek 9:

It is a peak in the Dhauladhar range of the majestic Himalayas. If you love camping, then this is the perfect place for you. This unpolluted place is one of the few eco-friendly sites in India.

Kangra Art Museum:

This museum was designed to preserve, conserve and revive the rich cultural heritage of the Kangra region. The museum has a grand display of Tibetan and Buddhist cultures, and it is one of the best Dharamshala travel places.

Best Time to Visit Dharamshala


Being a hill station, the daytime of Dharamshala is as pleasant as ever, and the nights are cool and chilling. If you wish to visit this place, the best time to visit Dharamshala will be March and June. This is the time when the place doesn’t get too cold or too hot.

If you want to expect snowfall, winter is the right time for you to visit this place. The temperature drops to 0 degrees C in the month between December and February, and then you would be able to see snowfall.

Getting In Dharamshala

BY AIR

This hill station can be approached by air from Delhi and the nearest Airport Gaggla, which is 13 km from the town.

BY ROAD

You can catch a bus from Manali to this city. One can also drive from Delhi via Chandigarh, Kiratpur, and Bilaspur, which takes 8 hours to reach Dharamshala.

BY RAIL

The nearest major railway station if of Pathankot, which is 85 km from the place.

Packing

The place is boon with the natural beauty and is also the temporary headquarters of Dalai Lama. If you ever visit this beautiful place, you will not be able to resist falling in love with this peaceful, calm, and charismatic hill station and Dharamshala tourist places. 

You will love your Dharamshala trip, and our Dharamshala travel guide will help you out to explore the city and Dharamshala tourist destinations.

Customer Reviews

Hoteldekho.com Reviews

  • ( 5 - Excellent Based on 1 review )
  • jeevanc207
  • Jaipur
  • ( On january 10, 2022 )
  • 5 - Excellent

Great service and friendly team

Our Rajasthan trip was very unorganized and from day 1 we need to argue for each committed hotel and details. Driver and hotel were not informed in advance and we need to pay 12000/- for the forceful event at the hotel which was never informed to us.

Hoteldekho.com Reviews

  • ( 5 - Excellent Based on 1 review )
  • jeevanc207
  • Jaipur
  • ( On january 10, 2022 )
  • 5 - Excellent

Great service and friendly team

Our Rajasthan trip was very unorganized and from day 1 we need to argue for each committed hotel and details. Driver and hotel were not informed in advance and we need to pay 12000/- for the forceful event at the hotel which was never informed to us.

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