History of Dharamshala

Once a British hill resort, its importance declined and it became a sleepy little hill town. Founded by the British between 1815 and 1847, Dharamshala remained a low-profile hill town till the influx of Tibetan refugees along with the Dalai Lama since October 1959. India welcomed the religious leader and offered him and his people sanctuary and a place to stay in Dharamshala. Ever since, a continuous flow of refugees has transformed the town into a miniature Tibet with Buddhist temples, schools, crafts organisations, meditation centres, library and medical centre. The upper area of McLeodganj was founded in 1848 and named after David McLeod, the Governor of Punjab. Today though, there is little that remains as reminder of its British association.