Dharamsala is a city in the state of Himachal Pradesh located at the foothills of the Himalaya. During the british colonial empire Dharamsala was used as a hillstation, until the destructive earthquake of 1905.
In 1959, after His Holiness XIV. Dalai Lama escaped from Tibet, the indian government aloowed him and his compatriots to settle in Dharamsala, where they set up the Tibetan Government in Exile and other organisations.
Due to its enourmous differences in altitude, Dharamsala is divided into 3 parts. Lower Dharamsala, the native indian dominated part has a height of around 1.100m wheras Upper Dharamsala at Dal Lake near Tibetan's Children Village has an altitude of around 2.000m. On the foothills in between lies the famous center of McLeod Ganj. Here you find a mixture of Indians, Tibetans and international tourists and especially during teachings, the roads get totally clogged.
