HP CM lays foundation of Rs 33.78 cr ice rink in Dharamshala
Synopsis
The Himachal Pradesh government laid the foundation stone of a Rs 33.78 crore indoor ice and roller skating rink at Sakoh, Dharamshala, on 16 October 2026. The multi-level facility will include a gym, café, VIP lounge, and a 1,079-seat spectator balcony.
Key Takeaways
Foundation stone laid at Sakoh, Dharamshala in Kangra district on 16 October 2026 .
Project cost: Rs 33.78 crore .
Facility combines indoor ice skating and roller skating rinks under one roof.
Basement to house a gym, billiards room and café ; ground floor will have a VIP lounge .
Upper balcony designed to seat 1,079 spectators , enabling competitive event hosting.
Project aims to diversify Dharamshala's sports and tourism offerings beyond seasonal outdoor activities.
A hill town already famous for cricket and monasteries is about to add a new dimension to its identity. The Chief Minister's Office of Himachal Pradesh announced on Friday, 16 October 2026 that the foundation stone for an indoor ice skating and roller skating rink was laid at Sakoh, Dharamshala in Kangra district — a facility that will cost Rs 33.78 crore to build.
What the Rs 33.78 crore complex will look like
The facility is designed as a multi-level sports and leisure hub. According to the CMO's post, the basement will house a gym, a billiards room and a café, while the ground floor will feature a VIP lounge. The upper balcony is built to seat 1,079 spectators — enough to host competitive events, not just casual recreation. That last detail matters: this is not a modest community rink but a venue with genuine event-hosting ambitions.
Dharamshala's push to become a year-round sports hub
Dharamshala, the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh, already draws visitors to the HPCA cricket stadium — one of the most scenic cricket grounds in the country — as well as to the Tibetan cultural circuit around McLeod Ganj. An indoor skating facility directly addresses a gap in the region's sports calendar: unlike outdoor pursuits, it runs regardless of monsoon or snowfall, potentially extending tourist footfall into shoulder seasons. Kangra district as a whole has been positioning itself as a multi-sport destination, and this rink adds an adventure-winter-sports flavour that the district currently lacks.
Himachal's pattern of investing in recreational infrastructure
Himachal Pradesh has periodically used targeted infrastructure spending to diversify the experience on offer at its hill stations — a strategy that aims to move visitors beyond sightseeing into active recreation. An indoor rink that doubles as a spectator venue fits squarely into that template, offering local youth a structured training environment while giving tourists something to do on a rainy afternoon. What observers will now track is the construction timeline and whether the state ties the facility into any formal tourism or sports-development budget line.
Dharamshala just laid the groundwork — literally — for an arena that could change how a generation of Himachali kids first steps onto ice.
Point of View
079-seat capacity is the telling detail: it transforms a recreational facility into a potential feeder venue for state and national ice-sports competitions, aligning with India's broader push to develop winter-sports talent outside the Ladakh-Manali corridor. Whether this project delivers on that ambition will hinge on construction pace and whether the state government follows the foundation stone with a structured sports-development programme. The Rs 33.78 crore outlay also tests Himachal's ability to translate hill-tourism revenue into durable grassroots infrastructure rather than headline-grabbing announcements.
NationPress
16 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly is the new ice skating rink being built in Dharamshala?
The rink is being built at Sakoh in Dharamshala, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh.
What is the cost of the Dharamshala ice skating rink project?
The indoor ice skating and roller skating rink is estimated to cost Rs 33.78 crore.
What facilities will the Sakoh sports complex include?
The complex will include an indoor ice skating rink, a roller skating rink, a gym, billiards room and café in the basement, a VIP lounge on the ground floor, and a spectator balcony that seats 1,079 people.
When was the foundation stone of the Dharamshala ice rink laid?
The foundation stone was laid on 16 October 2026 by the Himachal Pradesh government.
How many people can the new Dharamshala skating rink accommodate?
The upper balcony of the facility is designed to seat 1,079 spectators, making it suitable for competitive sporting events.
