India

Dalai Lama Turns 90: Here Is A Guide To Dharamshala, His Seat Of Power

Dharamshala is a beautiful blend of Tibetan and British influence and is the best place to unwind. As the Dalai Lama celebrates another year of life, we journey to the hillside town that became his sanctuary and a spiritual haven for Tibetan Buddhism

His Holiness the Dalai Lama enjoying the morning sun on the veranda of his residence in Dharamsala Photo: Dalai Lama/Facebook.com
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Dharamshala or the Pilgrim's Rest House has unfailingly lived up to its name, welcoming tired travellers in search of spiritual bliss and providing a noisy, colourful, hectic respite before the snow-clad Dhauladhar Range beckoned them onwards. Tucked high in the Dhauladhar ranges of Himachal Pradesh, Dharamshala isn’t just a serene Himalayan retreat. It is also the global epicentre of Tibetan Buddhism in exile, the place His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has called home since 1960, and a town that transformed quietly from a colonial hill station into a place of profound spiritual, political, and cultural significance. To mark the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday today, we reflect on the Himalayan town of Dharamshala, where his presence has transformed every temple, trail, and tradition into a living testament of compassion and resilience.

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