Kangra Art Museum, Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh India

Kangra Art Museum is a famous attraction of this place which is located in lower Dharamshala. The museum has unique paintings, old coins, sculptures and old artifacts which are on display for the tourists and the visitors. It stores many old items which came from the Tibetan and Buddhist origin with a vast amount of cultural and traditional importance within. The museum is pretty old and dates back to 5th century according to the old beliefs. Many archaeologists have donated vast amount of artifacts to this museum including antique jewelry, embroidered costumes and wooden carvings from the medieval period. 

The Museum of Kangra Art near the bus station displays some fine miniature paintings from the Kangra school, along with temple carvings, fabrics and embroidery, weapons, and palanquins belonging to local rajas.

 Kotwali bazaar is Dharamsala's busiest area. It offers all the charm of a small town marketplace with small shops selling local goods and all sorts of people wandering around it. You will find ATMs, phone-booths, internet parlours and chemists aplenty in Kotwali Bazar. In fact, many treks start from here and you can also organise transportation or a driver for yourself from this spot. Kangra Art Museum is a veritable wonderland if you like art and history. Kangra Art Gallery/Museum was inaugurated in 1990. You will find many examples of the famous Kangra Art here. There are also crafts, artifacts and sculptures all representing the rich impact Kangra Art has had on artists even today. This treasure trove of the Kangra valleys arts, crafts and rich past, display artifacts that date back to the 5th Century. There is also a section that displays anthropological items as is one that showcases the traditional form of dress in this area. Then there are old carved doors, pandals and furniture used by royalty ink old times. Another section neatly displays coins, jewellery and manuscripts.  In another section you can discover some new talent. Here local artists display their work and some of it can even be bought. Also a section houses the works of conteporary artists, sculptures and photographers. Open from Tuesday to Sunday, closed on mondays and other holidays.

There is also an art gallery that houses exemplary specimens of famous Kangra Kalam works or the Pahari miniature paintings, the exquisite art that is being actively promoted from the museum. This school of painting is famous for the use of seductive figures and fine colors. It is said to be a pictorial representation of the cultural heritage of Himachal Pradesh. The colors used in this style of painting are extracted from dried-up flowers and herbs and this art form has a strong thematic base. The most famous miniature paintings of the Kangra School revolve around historical, religious and traditional background of the royalty and the courts of the former rulers of Kangra that belonged to Katoch dynasty.