Editing Dharamshala (section)

{{Short description|Winter capital of Himachal Pradesh, India}}
{{About|the town in Himachal Pradesh|other uses|Dharamshala (disambiguation)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Dharamshala
| other_name         = Dharamsala
| settlement_type    = Town
| image_skyline      = {{Photomontage
|photo1a=Dharamshala 03 (Cropped).jpg

|photo2b=McLeod Ganj Dharamkot Dharmsala Himachal Pradesh India April 2014.jpg
|photo2a=Panoramic view of McLeod Ganj during winters, 2005.jpg
|photo3a=Bhagsu nag temple.jpg
|photo3b=Main Street Temple - McLeod Ganj - Himachal Pradesh - India (26207379983).jpg
|photo4a=Dharamshala stadium,himachal pradesh.jpg
|size=300
|position=center
|spacing=2
|color=#FFFFFF
|border=1
|color_border = white
}}
| image_alt          = 
| image_caption      = <div style="background:#CEE0F2;"> '''From top, left to right:<br />''' Skyline of Dharamsala, [[Mcleodganj]] during winter, [[Triund]], [[Bhagsu]]nag Temple, [[Kalachakra]] Temple, [[Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium|HPCA Stadium]]</div>
| nickname           = Dhasa
| pushpin_map        = India Himachal Pradesh#India
| pushpin_label_position = right
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh##Location within India
| coordinates        = {{coord|32|12|55|N|76|19|07|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1  = State
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of districts of India|District]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Himachal Pradesh]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Kangra district|Kangra]]
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = 
| named_for          = Derives its name from an old Hindu sanctuary, called ''Dharamsàla'' which once stood there.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cdn.s3waas.gov.in/s348aedb8880cab8c45637abc7493ecddd/uploads/2018/03/2018032931.pdf#page=104 |title=Gazetteer of the Kangra District |date=1883–1884 |publisher=Calcutta Central Press}}</ref>
| seat_type          = [[Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly|Member of legislative Assembly]]
| seat               = Sudhir Sharma<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hpvidhansabha.nic.in/Member/Details/491|title=Details {{!}} eVidhan- Himachal Pradesh|website=hpvidhansabha.nic.in}}</ref>
| government_type    = [[Municipal corporation (India)|Municipal Corporation]]
| governing_body     = Dharamshala Municipal Corporation<ref>{{cite web |url=https://edharamshala.in/ |title=Home |website=edharamshala.in}}</ref>
| unit_pref          = Metric
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_total_km2     = 81.60
| area_rank          = 
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 1457
| population_total   = 53,543
| population_as_of   = 2024
| population_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://edharamshala.in/Content/Demographics |title=Demographics – MCD-Dashboard-Document Management System}}</ref>
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_rank    = [[List of cities in Himachal Pradesh by population|2nd in HP]]
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| timezone1          = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1        = +5:30
| postal_code_type   = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]]
| postal_code        = 176 215
| area_code          = +91-  01892
| area_code_type     = Telephone code
| registration_plate = [[List of RTO districts in India#HP.E2.80.94Himachal Pradesh|HP]]- 39(RLA), 68(RTO), 01D/02D(Taxi)
| blank_name         = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank_info         = [[Humid subtropical climate|Cwa]]
| website            = {{URL|edharamshala.in}}
| elevation_max_m    = 
| demographics1_info1 = [[Hindi language|Hindi]]
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Onkar Singh Nehria
}}

'''Dharamshala''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|ɑːr|ə|m|ʃ|ɑː|l|ə}}, {{IPA|hi|d̪ʱərmʃaːlaː|lang}}; also spelled '''Dharamsala''') is a town in the [[India]]n state of [[Himachal Pradesh]]. It serves as the [[List of countries with multiple capitals#Subnational and supernational capitals|winter capital]] of the state and the [[Public administration|administrative headquarters]] of the [[Kangra district]] since 1855.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Notification, Government of Himachal Pradesh |url=https://himachal.nic.in/WriteReadData/l892s/21_l892s/Dharamshala-50740507.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/its-official-dharamshala-is-second-capital-of-himachal-pradesh-4551546/ |title=It's official, Dharamshala is second capital of Himachal Pradesh |date=2 March 2017}}</ref><ref name=hillpost2017>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hillpost.in/2017/01/dharamshala-declared-second-capital-of-himachal/107991/ |title=Dharamshala Declared Second Capital of Himachal |first=Arvind |last=Sharma |website=hillpost.in |date=20 January 2017 |access-date=17 May 2019}}</ref> The town also hosts the [[Central Tibetan Administration|Tibetan Government-in-exile]]. Dharamshala was a [[municipal council]] until 2015, when it was upgraded to a [[Dharamshala Municipal Corporation|municipal corporation]].

The town is located in the [[Kangra Valley]], in the shadow of the [[Dhauladhar]] range of the [[Himalayas]] at an altitude of {{convert|1457|m}}. References to Dharamshala and its surrounding areas are found in ancient [[Hindu scripture]]s such as [[Rig Veda]] and [[Mahabharata]]. The region was under Mughal influence before it was captured by the [[Sikh Empire]] in 1785. The [[East India Company]] captured the region for the British following the [[First Anglo-Sikh War]] of 1846, from when it became part of [[Punjab Province (British India)|the British Indian province of the Punjab]]. Post [[Independence of India|Indian Independence]] in 1947, it remained as a small hill station. In 1960, the [[Central Tibetan Administration]] was moved to Dharamshala when the 14th [[Dalai Lama]] [[Tenzin Gyatso]] established the Tibetan administration-in-exile after [[Dalai Lama's escape from China|he had to flee Tibet]].

In 2015 Dharamshala was included in the Smart Cities Mission<ref>{{Cite web |title=Smart Cities |url=https://smartcities.gov.in/about-the-mission}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Dharamshala Smart City |url=https://smartcities.gov.in/node/111}}</ref> and hence will soon have smart solutions implemented for infrastructure and clean environment.

Dharamshala can be viewed as a twin settlement, Upper Dharamshala, located at an elevation of approximately 1,830 metres, is home to the official residence and headquarters of [[14th Dalai Lama|His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama]]. This area, which includes the well-known suburbs of [[McLeod Ganj]] and Forsyth Ganj, still reflects a distinctly colonial character, echoing its British-era legacy. In contrast, Lower Dharamshala, situated at around 1,380 metres, has evolved into a bustling commercial hub, serving as the town’s primary centre for trade and business.<ref name="HPTDC">{{Cite web |title=Dharamshala – Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) |url=https://hptdc.in/index.php/dharamshala/ |website=hptdc.in |access-date=26 May 2025}}</ref>

The economy of the region is highly dependent on [[agriculture]] and [[tourism]]. The town is now a major hill station and spiritual center.