Dharamshala: A Rest House for India

Alvin Thomas

Dharamshala: A Rest House for India

The Himalayas have called out to thousands of people with their unparalleled beauty. While some attempt to summit it, some are content with living in its foothills, finding grace in the fresh air of the valleys and the grandeur of the hill stations. Here is a story about one such hill town, Dharamshala.

The Pristine Himalayas looking over Dharamshala (Source: Pinterest)

An erstwhile land of clans, dynasties, and empires, India has a rich history to tell. Home to a variety of regions, each unique and storied, India also has been a welcome shelter for refugees of all kinds, escaping persecutions and tribulations. One such notable event was the Tibetan migration in the 1960s, when Dalai Lama the fourteenth fled Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, in precaution to the dangerous advances of the Chinese government. He took shelter in Dharamshala, which was offered to him and his people by the then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru.

Today, we know Dharamshala as a pristine paradise of intercultural exposure. Indians and Tibetans live together here, with flocks of travelers visiting the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh to soak in the bounties of nature and history that the hill station has to offer.

However, stories of Dharamshala run much deeper into the evolutionary timeline of the country. The exquisite land has been fought over multiple times and a lot of blood has been shed in its vicinity. Nestled in the upper reaches of the Kangra valley, Dharamshala was ruled by the Katoch dynasty until the mid-nineteenth century, when the British took charge.

The Katoch dynasty was a legendary royal family that featured in the epic battle of Kurukshetra. It was the thirteenth day of battle and Dronacharya, commander-in-chief of the Kaurava alliance had designed a chakravyuh trap to bring down Abhimanyu, son of the Pandava great, Arjun. With Krishna and Arjun being the only ones knowledgeable enough to break the Chakravyuh, it was imperative for the Kauravas that the duo be kept away from the scene. Susharma Chandra, a king of the Katoch dynasty was chosen for this mission which went according to plan and Abhimanyu was killed in the Chakravyuh.

A serene hill town in the lesser Himalayas, Dharamshala is surrounded by a dense coniferous forest, with Deodar trees, a native Himalayan cedar making up the bulk. Thousands of feet above sea level, the station is a climatic paradise, offering mesmerizing scenery and weather conditions.

It was these conditions that attracted the British to Dharamshala in 1848 when they annexed it and made it a cantonment for the troops stationed at Kangra. A site was located on the slopes of Dhola Dhar where stood an old rest house, which inspired the nomenclature of the hill station. Later becoming a base for the Gurkha Light Infantry, Dharamshala became home to the historic Gurkha Rifles, a battalion who were called the bravest of the brave and performed unprecedented heroics in the World War.

In the following years, Dharamshala became a favorite for the British elites, who took to the hills for a respite from the hot tropical conditions of northern India. Churches were constructed alongside British cottages and the town took on an Anglo-Indian identity, which was dominant until 1959 when the Tibetans arrived in Dharamshala and found a place they could call home.

Today, Dharamshala is a prime center of Tibetan Buddhism and the multicultural growth of the city truly gives it a shine of universality. It offers relativity to all people and is equally loved. St. John’s Church In Wilderness, an Anglo-Indian church that exuberates beauty through its stained glass windows, the Namgyal monastery which is referred to as the Dalai Lama’s temple, and the Chamunda Devi temple are all attractions that bring people from across the world to the Himalayan city.

After the eventual defeat of the Kauravas, the Maharaja returned to Kangra where he took the reins of Trigarta, an ancient kingdom that has its origins detailed in the Mahabharata. It was then that he built the Kangra fort, one of the biggest in the country and the most sought-after. A witness to countless sieges led by various dynasties including the Mughals, Gurkhas, and even Alexander the great, the fort has stood tall through the test of time and is a memoir of the bygone era. It is said that the fort is home to numerous wells filled with gold and jewels that were offerings from kingdoms that paid allegiance to the Katoch dynasty, and many of these are yet to be discovered.

At 4780 feet, Dharamshala is also home to the highest fully functional international cricket ground in the world, the HPCA stadium. With the snow-capped Himalayas in the background, this is easily one of the most picturesque stadiums in the sporting world and provides a spectacular haven for play.

For someone who adores the beauty of nature, the hill station is indeed a pinnacle. Triund, a serene alpine meadow offers hiking and airborne adventures that are sure to take one’s breath away, all the while being immersive and life-changing. Over the centuries of battles and socio-political changes in the mountainous landscape, Dharamshala has truly evolved to be a rest house for the people of India and the world, offering adventures, spiritual growth, and abundant natural beauty, all laced with pinches of history and stories that makes visiting the hill station an experience larger than life.