The present Kangra district came into existence on the 1st  September, 1972 consequent upon the re-organisation of districts by the Government of Himachal Pradesh.  It was the largest district of the composite Punjab in terms of area till it was transferred to Himachal Pradesh on the 1st  November, 1966 and had Six (6) tehsils namely Nurpur, Kangra, Palampur, Dehragopipur and Hamirpur.    Kullu was also a tehsil of Kangra district up to 1962 and Lahul & Spiti which also formed a part of Kangra was created as a separate district in 1960.  On the re-organisation of composite Punjab on the 1st   November, 1966 the area constituting Kangra district were transferred to Himachal Pradesh along with the districts of Shimla,   Kullu and Lahul & Spiti and tehsils of Una and Nalagarh and 3 villages of Gurdaspur district.

The Kangra Fort was the seat of power of the Katoch Rajas from the time of its 234th Raja, Raja Susharma Chand Katoch, if not from the time of its first legendary Raja, Raja Bhoomi Chand  Katoch onwards. It is said to have been founded by Susharma Chand Katoch, an ally of Kauravas in the Mahabarata war. It was the ancient capital of the Katoch kingdom and symbol of power in Punjab Hill States.The Fort is situated on a precipitous cliff overhanging the Ban Ganaga and Manjhi rivers. The ruins still dominate the Kangra valley. One can enter the fort by a narrow path. It was protected by a number of gates named after its winners like Jahangir, Ranjit Singh and the British. At the top of the fort, there was the palace of the Katoch kings. 

Lying 526-km north-west of New Delhi, Dharamshala is the headquarters of the Kangra District in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Kangra valley is one of the most pleasant, relaxing and spiritual places in the Himalayas. Marvelously scenic, especially upper Dharamshala, is well wooded with oak, cedar, pine and other timber yielding trees and offers some lovely walks and finer views. In 1855, Dharamshala had only two major areas where civilians settled in : McLeod Ganj, named after Lieutenant Governer of Punjab "David McLeod", and Forsyth Ganj, named after a Divisional Commissioner.

Lord Elgin, the British Viceroy of India (1862-63) fell in love with the natural beauty of Dharamshala because of its likeness with Scotland, his home in England. Lord Elgin died in 1863 while on a tour. He now lies buried in the graveyard of St. John's Church-in-Wilderness which stands in a cosy pine grove between McLeod Ganj and Forsyth Ganj.A Legend has it that Lord Elgin liked Dharamshala so much that he had sent a proposal to the British monarch to make Dharamshala the summer capital of India. However, the proposal was ignored. By 1904, Forsyth Ganj and McLeod Ganj had become nerve centres of trade , business and official work of Kangra District, But on April 4,1905, as a result of a severe earthquake, whole of the area was devastated. Alarmed at the massive destruction, the British goverment decided to shift the district headquater offices to the lower reaches of spur. As a result, the present-day district courts and kotwali bazar areas came into being which earlier had only a jail, a police station and cobbler's shop to boast of. Until India attained independence from Britain on Aug. 15,1947 McLeod Ganj and Forsyth Ganj continued to serve as health resorts and resting places for the British Rulers. But all this changed when the goverment of India decided to grant political asylum to the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatsho, in 1959. In 1960, he was allowed to make McLeod Ganj his headquaters. After his arrival, trade, commerce and tourism picked up afresh. This because with the Dalai Lama came thousands of Tibetan refugees, who gradually settled in Mcleod Ganj. During the last three decades, The Tibetans have built many religious, educational and cultural instutions in and around McLeod Ganj, which has helped in preservation of their culture. This has been a keen area of interst for the people around the world and as a result they flock at Dharamshala at various times.

TOURISTS ATTRACTIONS:
The small town of Kangra is famous for its Vajreshwari Devi (Kangra Devi) temple. Though the original temple was destroyed in a devastating earthquake, the present one is rebuilt on the same site. A large number of devotees throng this temple during various Hindu festivals. The ancient fort of Nagar Kot is located 2.5 km south of the town, perched on a high windswept ridge. Although this fort is in ruins, the travelers can enjoy the panoramic view of the surroundings, which includes the confluence of Manjhi and Baner rivers.

PLACES AROUND KANGRA:
There are a number of important temples near Kangra. The small town of Masrur, 15 km from Kangra, is known for its intricately carved temples. Masrur has a group of 15 sandstone-hewed monolithic rock-cut temples belonging to 10th century AD. The carvings and sculpture found in this group of temple reminds one of the world-famous rock-cut temples of Ellora in the state of Maharashtra. Though most of the temples and sculptures are in a bad shape, yet they reflect the glory of the bygone era. The road from Kangra to Masrur offers magnificent views of the Dhauladhar range. The temple of Jawalamukhi is 34 km south of Kangra. A marvel in itself, it is perhaps the only temple in India where natural jets of flame flare out from the hillside covered by the ancient, holy edifice. The temple has been a major attraction for an assortment of people down the centuries.

FAIRS & FESTIVALS:
Pilgrims flock to Kangra in the month of April for the Navratra celebrations, and in September-October, before the Dussehra festival, to pay their homage to Goddess Durga at the Vajreshwari (Kangra Devi) temple.

HOW TO REACH:
Kangra does not have an airport. It has two railway stations: Kangra station, which is 3 km south of the town, and the Kangra Mandir station, 3 km east of the town. Indian Railways has introduced the "Kangra Queen" between Pathankot and Palampur. This luxury train running on narrow gauge covers a distance of 128 km in 4½ hours with two halts-Jawalamukhi and Kangra. The entire route provides panoramic view of the snow-capped Dhauladhar range. We would provide you all India tourist permit vehicles for the local transportations and also for the intercity drives too.