Kangra

The Kangra valley is one of the
most picturesque valley of lower Himalyas. The valley, sheltered by the sublime
Dhauladhar range, is green and luxuriant. It provides a tremendous contrast in
nature of places to be visited. Dharamshala is full of Buddhist air whereas
ancient Hindu Temples like Brajeshwari, Baijnath, Jawalamukhi and Chamunda Devi
dot the country side.

The history of Kangra valley
dates back to the Vedic times more than 3500 yrs. ago. The area was exposed to
successive invasions, the last being the British domination over the princes of
the hill states. Despite the onslaughts and political upheavels, the arts and
crafts of the region continued to develop and found lyrical expressions. Crafts
like the exquisitely designed shawls and miniature paintings of this region are
internationally appreciated.

GENERAL INFORMATION

AREA: 5739 sq. km

POPULATION: 13.39 lakh

WHAT TO SEE

KANGRA TOWN: At the
confluence of the Bener and Majhi streams , over looking the Ban Ganga
torrent, Kangra town is famous for its temples.Notable is the shrine dedicated
to goddess Bajreshwari. Kangra is steeped in history and its ruined fort -
Nagarkot, stands as testimony to its glorious past. The town was attacked by
Mohammed Ghaznavi and subjugated by Emperor Feroz Tuglak and Maharaja Rant
Singh. Earlier, Kangra was the capital of the great hill state, its renowned
ruler being Maharaja Sansar Chand Katoch, a great patron of arts. The
Miniature and Rajpur Schools of hill paintings flourished during his reign.

BAJRESHWARI DEVI TEMPLE:
In the middle of the town is the temple dedicated to Bajreshwari Devi. Known
once for its legendary wealth, this temple was subject to successive
depredation by invaders from the North. Mohammed of Ghazni is known to have
departed with a king’s ransom in gold, silver and jewels in 1009. Destroyed
completely in 1905 by an earthquake, it was rebuilt in 1920.

KANGRA FORT:
The remains of the fort of the rulers of Kangra are located on a strategic
height, overlooking the Ban Ganga and Manjhi rivers. The historical Kangra
Fort is 3 Kms from the Kangra Town.  

MAHARANA PRATAP SAGAR:
At an altitude of 450 metres above sea level, 32 degree north and 76 degrees
east. In district Kangra 170 k.m. from Chandigarh, 110 k.m. from Amritsar, 55
k.m. from headquarters at Dharamshala. The closest railway stations are at
Mukerian 30 k.m., and Pathankot at 32 k.m. The settlements of Nagrota Surian
and Jawali-which are located on the sagar’s periphery-are connected by the
charming narrow gauge Kangra railway line that connects Pathankot to
Jogindernagar. The closest airport is Gaggal 40 k.m. The lake is well served
by a network of roads.

Named in honour of the great
patriot Maharana Pratap (1572-97 AD). Maharana Pratap  struggled valiantly for
freedom of Mewar-as for the principle of independence. In words of chroniclers
James Tod and william Crook, "He spurned every overture that had submission
for its basis". Over the river Beas, the Pong dam was completed in 1976. Its
reservoir covers an area of about 45000 hectares at maximum possible
flooding.The level varies every season and averages around 30000 hectares.
Over 200 villages with a population of over 85000 people lie along the
wetland.

DHARAMSHALA

Dharamshala is the district hqr.
of Kangra district. This is a hill station lying on the spur of the Dhauladhar
range about 18kms. north east of Kangra town. Hill station is wooded with oak
and conifer trees and snow capped mountains enfold three sides of the town while
the valley stretches in front. The snow line is perhaps more easily accessible
at Dharamshala than at any other hill resort and it is possible to trek to snow
point after an early morning’s start.

In 1905, tragedy struck
Dharamshala when an earthquake levelled it completely. After its reconstruction,
Dharamshala flourished as a quiet health resort. It is divided into two distinct
parts. Lower Dharamshala has civil offices and business establishments with
courts.Kotwali Bazar and Upper Dharamshala compose of places with names which
bear witness to its history like McLeod Ganj and Forsythe Ganj. Since 1960, when
it became a temporary hqrs. of His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Dharamshala has
risen to international fame as "The Little Lhasa in India".

BHAGSUNATH FALLS	ST JOHN’S CHURCH	MCLEOD GANJ	DHARAMKOT
WAR MEMORIAL	KUNAL PATHRI	KARERI	TRIUND

GENERAL INFORMATION

LANGUAGES	Hindi, Punjabi, English and Pahari are understood & spoken by the people engaged in tourism trade
SHOPPING CENTRES	Kotwali Bazar, a general shopping area, and McLeod Ganj for Tibetan handicrafts
AREA	5739 sq. kms.
POPULATION	13.39 lakh
ALTITUDE	Between 1250 m to 1550 m (Dharamshala)
TEMPERATURE	Max. 38 C in June: Min. 0 C in Jan.
ANNUAL RAINFALL	Varies between 290 cms. To 380 cms. Second highest rainfall in the country
BEST SEASON	March to June : September to December
CLOTHING	Winter:    Heavy Woollens Summer:  Light Woollen and tropical

APPROACH

AIR: The nearest airport at Gaggal is
13kms. away after which it is accessible by road.

RAIL: Pathankot, the
terminal of the broad gauge railway, is 90kms. There is also a narrow gauge
train from Pathankot which comes up to Kangra (94kms.). and from here
Dharamshala is 17kms. by road.

ROAD: Direct and regular
bus service from Delhi (520 Kms.), Chandigarh (240kms.), Jammu (210kms.), Shimla
(240kms.), Chamba (192kms.) and Manali (265kms.).

WHAT TO SEE

McLEOD GANJ: A number of
residential buildings, restaurants, antique and curio shops, together with
famous Tibetan institutions have lent importance to McLeod Ganj. The Budha
temple is situated opposite to the present abode of His Holiness, the Dalai
Lama and is worth a visit. The Tibetan Institute of performing Arts(TIPA) is
1km. walk from McLeod Ganj and preserves a number of musical dance and
theatrical traditions of Tibet. It holds an annual 10-day folk opera
commencing on the second Saturday of April. There is also a Tibetan handicraft
centre situated at McLeod Ganj and a Sunday market is organized at about 10
minutes walk from here.

BHAGSUNAG FALLS: At a
distance of 11kms. from Lower Dharamshala, Bhagsunag can be approached by
road, here an old temple, a fresh water spring and restaurant are located.
Further about 2kms. is beautiful Bhagsunag water falls which sooths one’s
eyes.

ST.JOHN’S CHURCH: The
church of St. John’s in the wilderness lies on a motorable road between McLeod
Ganj and Forsythe Ganj 8kms. from Lower Dharamshala. It has a monument of Lord
Elgin, one of the Viceroys of India, who died in Dharamshala and was buried
here in 1863.

DAL LAKE: The lake lies
amidst hills and stately fir trees 11kms. from Lower Dharamshala connected by
motorable road. It is the starting point of excursions and trekking and is
located next to the Tibetan Children’s village.

DHARAMKOT: Situated on
the crest of hill 11kms. from Dharamshala. This picnic spot affords a
panoramic view of the Kangra valley, Pong Dam lake and Dhauladhar ranges.

TRIUND(2975 m): 20 kms.
from Dharamshala, Triund lies at the feet of the perpetually snow clad
Dhauladhar at the height of 2975 m . The snow line starts at ilaqa, 5kms. from
Triund. It is a popular picnic and trekking spot. Accommodation is available
in the rest house of Forest Department ,but water has to be fetched from a
distance of about 2kms. Ropeway is being installed from Dharamshala to this
place.

WAR MEMORIAL: Set amidst
beautiful surroundings , this memorial is built near the entry point to
Dharamshala to commemorate the memory of those who fought valiantly for the
defence of the motherland.

KUNAL PATHRI: A level
3kms. walk from Kotwali Bazar leads upto the rock temple of the local goddess.

KARERI: 22kms. from
Kotwali Bazar it has a rest house for night halt. On way visit Kareri lake
situated at the distance of 13kms. from rest house. Durbasa and Kali temples
are located here.

JWALAMUKHI TEMPLE: The
famous temple of Jwalamukhi is  35 km. from Kangra and 56 kms from Dharamshala.
Dedicated to the "GODDESS OF LIGHT", the temple is one of the most popular
Hindu temples in northern India. There is no idol of any kind the flame is
considered as a manifestation of the goddess. An eternally burning and shining
blue flame emanates from the rock sanctum and is fed by the priests with the
offerings of devotees. The golden tower (dome) of the temple was a gift from
the Emperor Akbar. Two important fairs are held here during the Navratras in
earlier April and mid October. Hotel accommodation, Dharamshala, rest houses
and HPTDC hotels with modern facilities are available for visitors to the
shrine. (Please also visit the exclusive web site for the temple namely.

DEHRA GOPIPUR: It is
situated on the bank of the Beas. It is possible to use Dehra as a base for
different fishing areas like Pong Dam, Pattan, kurn and Nadaun. There are PWD
&Forest rest houses for a night stay . one can also visit the famous temple of
Chintpurni from here.

TRILOKPUR: It is
situated 41 kms. from Dharamshala and can be approached by road the natural
cave temple of Trilokpur contains a stalactite and stalagamite is dedicated to
Shiva. High on the ridge of the cave are ruins of a palace and baradari
(audience hall)of Lehna Singh Majitha, Governor of Kangra hills during the
Sikh rule.

NURPUR: 66kms. from
Dharamshala , Nurpur is famous for an old fort and a temple of Brij Raj.
Nurpur acquired its name in 1672, when Jahangir, the Mughal Emperor named it
after his wife Nurjahan. Nurpuri shawls are good. There is a PWD rest house
for the convenient stay of tourists.

MASROOR: Known for its
monolithic rock temples, Masroor is 40 kms. from Kangra Town. There are 15
rock cut temples in Indo-Aryan style and richly carved. The temples partly
ruined now are profusely decorated with sculptural ornamentations , conceived
in the same manner as the great temple of Kailash at Elora in Maharastra with
which they bear a striking resemblance. The main temple is dedicated to Lord
Ram, Lakshman and Sita.

PALAMPUR

Palampur, at a height of 1219 mts.,
is a main spot in the beautiful valley surrounded by tea gardens and pine trees.
The place enjoys a healthy climate and the pine scented air is said to have
curative properties. The scenery presents a sublime and beautiful contrast- the
plain presents a picture of rural loveliness and repose, while the hills are
majestic. Behind this town stands high ranges of Dhauladhar mountains, whose
tops remain covered for most part of the year. This place is being developed as
large tourist centre. A ropeway and an amusement park is also on the  to be
established here. An Agricultural University is already functioning and some tea
factories are also coming up.

There are also some pleasant
walks around the town. A short walk from here takes one to the awe inspiring
Bundla chasm which falls over a 100mts. to the Bundla stream. The stream is a
thin streak running over stony ground far below the cliff. During the monsoon
seasons, it swells and rages – madly over the entire width of the chasm taking
stones and boulders along with it and makes loud roaring noise like thunder.

APPROACH

AIR: Nearest airport is at Gaggal after
which it is accessible by road.

RAIL: Palampur is connected by narrow
gauge railway from Pathankot.

ROAD: Palampur is also
accessible by road and there are many buses from Dharamshala 40 kms, Kangra 38
kms, Kulu-Manali 205 kms & Shimla 259 kms.

WHAT TO SEE

NEUGAL KHAD: Roaring in
the rainy season and tinkling all the year around, Neugal Khad offers a fine
view of the Dhauladhar range. Himachal Tourism café provides food and a fine
view from its restaurant.

BANDLA: Spread over an
area of 4kms., the estate has a modern tea factory.

ANDRETTA: Home of the
famous artist, SOBHA SINGH and late play-writer. Ms. NORA RICHARDS. There are
beautiful paintings worth seeing in their private houses. It affords an
excellent view of Dhauladhar range. Andreta is 12 Kms from Palampur.

CHAMUNDA DEVI: The
famous temple dedicated to the goddess Chamunda is 25 kms. away and Yatri
Niwas here provides an excellent accommodation for the visitors.

BAIJNATH: At a distance
of 16kms. from Palampur, Baijnath is a pilgrimage centres of the Hindus in
Kangra Distt. Here one finds the oldest existing Shiva temple in the country,
believed to have been originally built by the Pandavas close to the Binwa Khad.

BIR & BILLING: Bir,
surrounded by tea gardens and an amphitheater of low hills, is an ideal
landing around for para-gliders. Bir has Buddhist Monasteries that are worth
visiting. Fine Tibetan handi craft are also produced here. Billing, up in the
hills 14 kms. from Bir with an arena of 200 kms. for high altitude and cross
country flying, is one of the best aerosports sites in the country.