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| Chamba, the valley of milk and honey is known for
its streams, meadows, temples, paintings, rumal ( handkerchief ) and
lakes. Chamba has few rivals for its scenic beauty. Chamba is situated
at an altitude of 926 metres. and spreads in the area of 24 km. There
are three well defined ranges in the district - The Dhauladhar range,
the Pangi or Pir Panjal range and Zanskar range. Located on the banks
of the Ravi river the township resembles an Italian village fortress.
Chamba's temples are mostly dedicated to Lord Shiva and Vishnu and
are built of richy engraved stone. The town is also the base for Gaddi
shepherds who, though nomadic in their way of life, return to Chamba
periodically to stock supplies. Chamba is so sheltered by snow-clad
mountain barriers that its monuments escaped destruction at the hands
of invaders, which is why it still remains one of the best preserved
heartlands of the Himalayan arts. |
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Chamba : General Information |
| Altitude :- |
varies from 610 meters to
6,400 meters. |
| Headquarter :- |
Chamba (altitude 1006 metres
) |
| Location :- |
Chamba is situated in the
western Himalayas between north latitudes 32°10' and 33°13'
and east longitudes 75°45' and 77°33'. The Chamba district
touches the boundaries with Jammu and Kashmir on the North-West and
West, Ladakh area of Jammu and Kashmir and Lahaul and Bara Banghal
on the North-East and East, Kangra on the South-East and Gurdaspur
district of Punjab on the South. |
| Access by Air :- |
Nearest airport is Gaggal ( Kangra ) 135
km. and Amritsar 220 km. |
| Access by Rail :- |
The nearest broad gauge railway station
is at Pathankot 120 km. |
| Access by Road :- |
Almost each and every part of the state
is linked by roads. The Himachal Road Transport Corporation is running
its buses covering the whole state. There is huge network of HRTC
to cater the needs of the people. |
| Distance :- |
Shimla 378 km., Mandi 334 km., Manali
470 km., Kangra 180 km., Delhi 640 km., Jammu 245 km., Amritsar 245
km., and Haridwar 610 km., Manimahesh Lake 100 km., Bharmaur 65 km.,
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Famous Places around Chamba |
| Kailash Manimahesh :- ( 4,170 metres ) Mani-Mahesh
is 28 kms. from Bharmour. During mela days efficient bus service is
available upto Hadsar. This lake is supposed to be blessed by goddess
Kali and protected by Lord Shiva. Thousands of pilgrims journey here
to bathe in its sacred water, on the fifteenth day, following the
festival of Janamashtami. A fair is held every year at this lake during
the month of August or September. This is the must seen place in Chamba. |
| Bhuri Singh Museum :- This is a veritable store
house of exquisite paintings of the famous Kangra and Basholi schools,
as well as mass epigraphical material on the history of Chamba. the
museum also has in it, wood carving, ancient manuscripts and Murals
from Rang Mahal. |
| Temples :- Chamba has numerous ancient temples
patterned in the style of local hill architecture, as well as Shikhara
temples. The main groups of of these temples, Lakshminarayan, as well
as most in the region are dedicated to Lord Shiva and Vishnu, built
in the period between the 8th and 10th centuries A.D. The 'Chaturmukhi'
image is a major highlight at the Hari Rai Temple. Some other important
temples of Chamba are the Bansi Gopal temple, Shri Bajreshwari temple
and Chamunda Devi temple. There is also a shrine dedicated to the
memory of Rani Suhi who, as the legend, sacrificed herself, so water
could to the town Chamba. |
| Chaugan :- A public promenade - a grassy maidan
less than 1 km. in length and about 75 metres wide. It is a busy local
trading centre for villagers from the surrounding hills. Each year
Chaugan is the site for the Minjar procession ( Minjar Mela ). The
fair lasts for a week and people attend the fair in the Minjar procession.
The fair lasts for a week and people attend the fair in the local
customs and colorful dresses, in a gay mood walking in the Chaugan
where a large number of sports and cultural activities take place
to commemoratethis occasion. On the conclusion of fair the "Minjars"
are immersed into the Ravi river. It is also an establishment base
for various exciting treks into the valley around. |
| Bandal :- ( 78 km. ) A lush green place, this is
the meeting point for the borders of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu &
Kashmir. |
| Salooni :- ( 56 km. ) with an excellent
views of the surrounding hills, Salooni is located on a ridge at the
entrance to Bhandal valley. |
| Katasan Devi Temple :- ( 20 km. )
This is a very popular temple with the local people and commands imressive
views. |
| Sarol :- ( 8 km. ) A picnic spot in a land scaped
garden on the left bank of Ravi river. A tourist can get lot of information
and also pleasure in visiting the sprawling horticulture farm, with
many species of Cirus plants, Sheep breeding farm, Poultry farm, Bee
keeping farm and canning unit of Sarol. |
| Bharmour :- ( 2,195 metres ) 69 km. ) Bharmour
was the original capital of the state of Chamba. It has several ancient
temples and monuments that reflect its erswhile glory. Some of the
important temples are of - Manimahesh, Lakshna Devi, Ganesh and Nar
Singh. This region is also home to Semi-nomadic Shepherds, the Gaddis.
Once called Brahmpura, still retains its 84 ( Chaurasi ) ancient temples
and the monuments of its one time glory, some of which date back to
the 7th century A.D. |
| Shakti Devi Temple :- ( 40 km. from Bharmaur )
located at Chatrari. This temple is of great archaeological interest.
The brass idol of the goddess is in the Kashmiri style. |
| Pangi Valley :- ( 167 km. from Bharmaur ) Pangi
valley is a rugged country, severe in its topography, with high steep
mountains and little vegetation. Pangi is the house of beautiful people
and of colorful folk dances. The headquarters of the Pangi Sub-Division
is at 'Kilar' located in deep, narrow hills by the Chenab river. |
| Laxmi Narayan Temple :- Laxmi Narayana Temple,
which is the main temple of Chamba town was built by Sahil Varman
in the 10th century AD. The temple has been built in the Shikhara
style. The temple consists of Bimana i.e. Shikhara and GarbhGriha
with a small antralya. Laxmi Narayana Temple has a mandapa like structure
also. The wooden Chhattries, the shell roof, atop the temple were
in response to the local climatic conditions as a protection against
snowfall. There are several other temples within the complex. The
temple of Radha krishna, Shiva Temple of Chandergupta and Gauri Shankar
Temple are among these. |
| Champavati Temple :- This temple is located behind
the City Police Post and Treasury building. This temple was built
by Raja Sahil Varman in memory of his daughter Champavati who is believed
to have influenced her father to set-up Chamba at its present location.
The temple is in the Shikhara style with elaborate stone carving and
the wheel roof. The size of this temple is equivalent to the largest
of the Laxmi Narayana Temple. |
| Vajreshwari Temple :- This ancient temple is believed
to be 1000 years old and is dedicated to Devi Vajreshwari-Goddess
of lightning. The temple is situated on the northern most corner of
the town at the end of Jansali Bazar. No historical record of the
temple is available. The temple is built in the Shikhara style with
wooden Chhattries and stands on the platform. The Shikhara of the
temple is elaborately carved. There are two other minor temples on
either side of the main shrine. |
| Chamunda Devi Temple :- This temple is located
on the spur of the Shah Madar Hill overlooking the town to its south
east. The temple stands on a raised platform. The temple has artistic
carvings on its lintel, pillars and the ceiling. Behind the main temple
is a small shrine of Lord Shiva in the Shikhara style. There is another
platform in front of this temple where two very old peepul trees provide
shelter to the visitors. From this platform a bird's eye view of most
of the land marks in the town including Chaugan, Circuit House, most
of the temples and river Ravi can be had. The temple is being looked
after by Archaeological Survey of India. This temple can be approached
by road from Chamba ( 3 km. ). The temple is an ideal picnic spot
throughout the year because it has an easy approach and a commanding
view. |
| Hari Rai Temple :- This temple is dedicated to
Lord Vishnu and dates back to 11th century. It was probably built
by Salabahana. This temple lies in the north-west corner of the main
Chaugan, which had became the official entrance to the town by the
end of 19th C. A steep path leads to the old Shitla bridge, which
was constructed in the year 1894. The temple is built in Shikhara
style and stands on a stone platform. The Shikhara of the temple is
finely carved. This is one of the major old temples, which is away
from the old township and the only one near the Chaugan. |
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please click on next button to find more information
about famous places around Chamba with Photographs. |
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