Chamba

Chamba, the land of antiquity, art and scenic beauty, is a wonder in itself for every visitor. Situated at the height of 996 m. above sea level on the south bank of the Ravi River, the ancient Pahari capital was founded in 920 A.D. by Raja Sahil Verma, who named it after his favourite daughter Champavati

Chamba valley is noted for the magnificence of it's scenery-touching the fringe of the Shivaliks and having three well-defined snowy ranges, the Dauladhar, constituting the outer Himalayas, the Pir Panjal or the mid Himalayas, and the Zanskar range or the inner Himalayas.

Chamba's serene beauty makes it the ideal holiday retreat. The land of mystic serenity, enchanting vistas, refreshing air, lofty mountain passes and slopes, provides ample opportunities to nature lovers. The place and adjoining areas have immense scope of leisure pursuits. The waters, hills, plateaus and the snowline, which can be sighted from any of the buildings and the main square, make a spectacle that can become an inspiration for many painters and poets.

Chaurashi Temple
The main temples of Lakshmi Devi Temple, Ganesh Temple and ManimaheshTemple and Nar Sing in Bharmour are known as Chaurashi temples.

Champawati Temple
Close to the royal palace at Chamba, there is a stone sikhara temple dedicated to Goddess Champavati. Tradition holds that the town of Chamba was named after her.

Bhuri Singh Museum
Bhuri Singh Museum was opened on 14th September 1908 and is named after Raja Bhuri Singh who ruled Chamba from 1904 to 1919. This museum is very near to Chamba's Chaugan.

Kalatope Khajjiar Sanctuary
It's possible to trek 30-km from Dalhousie to Chamba along the eastbound road from Gandhi Chowk. A short but steep ascent leads to the Kalatope wildlife sanctuary, from which one can walk into a pleasant track.

Lakshmi Narayan Temple
To the north of the palace at Chamba, there is a group of six stone Sikhara temples arranged in a row from north to south. Three of these temples are dedicated to Vishnu and three to Shiva. The northern most is that of the Lakshmi- Narayana- the principal temple of Chamba.

Rang Mahal
In Chamba, situated the beautiful Rang Mahal palace, which was built by Raja Umed Singh in the mid 18th century. The palace walls here are lined with exquisite examples of wall paintings in the Punjab Hills style, all of which depict the life and times of Lord Krishna.

Chamera Lake
In district Chamba, this is the reservoir of the Chamba dam is built over the river Ravi, offering numerous water sports facilities to the visitors.

By Air
The nearest airport is at Gaggal in Kangra valley, 180 km from Chamba. Indian Airlines operates its flights on the Delhi-Dharamsala sector.

By Rail
Chamba town is 122-km from Pathankot, the nearest broad gauge rail head, which is linked by direct trains to Amritsar, Delhi, Bombay and Calcutta. Chamba is well-connected with places in and outside the state.

By Road
Daily bus service is available for Dalhousie and jeeps on hire are also available but it is relatively expensive.