Chamba Travel Guide

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Location :
The town of Chamba, the district headquarter of Chamba district is situated in the western Himalayas

About Chamba :
The capital of an ancient kingdom, Chamba was founded in 920 AD by Raja Sahil Varma who named it after his favorite daughter Champavati. Isolated in this valley by the high ranges, Chamba developed its own style of architecture and art. Much of this heritage has been preserved and Chamba is known for the elegance of its temples and for its exquisite miniatures and handicrafts.The town stands on a plateau on the right bank of the Ravi river valley between Dhauladhar and Zanskar ranges south of the inner Himalayas. This town was founded by Raja Sahil Varman when he conquered the lower Rani valley from the petty chiefs called Ranas and Thakurs in the beginning of 10th Century. It seems the original name of the town was Champa as mentioned in Kalhan's Rajtarangani.


Getting There :
Chamba is connected by road and is 580 km from Delhi. It is 24 km from Khajjiar and from Delhousie via Khajjar, the distance is 56 km. the closet railhead is at Pathankot, 118 km away. The Airport at gaggal in kangra is at a distance of 170 km. Texi/buses are available from these places

Tourist Attractions :
Gandhi Gate :
The Viceroy of British Government Lord Curzon had got a warm welcome by a bright orange gateway built in 1900 . It is the main gatway of Chamba.

Laxmi Narayan Temple :
It is the most famous tourist attraction place in Chamba.There are six temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.Three temples are dedicated to Lord Vishnu, and another three to Lord Shiva.

Sui Mata Temple :
The sui mata temple is in between the Chamunda Devi temple and Brajeswari temple.This temple is dedicated to Sui Mata, the local princess of Chamba who sacrifice her life for the people of her kingdom.Colourful paintings on the temple wall depicts the story of SuiMata.

Chamunda Devi Temple :
This is one of the famous temples in this quieenee valley,The Chamunda Devi temple is dedicated to goddess Chamunda,the wrathful form of Durga.One can find the fine wood carved ceiling featuring animal and floral motifs .This temple is located in the hilltop and gives a clear view of the Chamba valley .The devoties offer little brass bells to get their wish fulfilled.footprints of the Goddess is one more thing one can see.

Brajeshwari Devi Temple :
This is the temple dedicated to goddess Durga and is famous for the fine carved sculptures.The style which makes the temple different from others is the shikara style and in top there is a wooden amalaka.


Chaugan :
In the centre of the town there is a spacious playground called Chaugan. It is a grassy land. It is 805m in length and 73m wide. Here people gather for social, political or religious meetings or any sports event. It is busy local trading centre. The Minjar festival is held each year in late July/early Aug.

Lakshminarayan Temple :
The most striking of the temples of Chamba are the six temples lying in a row near the palace. They are dedicated to Lord Vishnu and three to Lord Shiva. All these have 'shikharas', which distinguish them from the rest of the temples. The richly carved Laxmi Narayan temple is the oldest one. It is directly opposite to the entrance of the complex. It was built during the region of the founder of Chamba, Raja Sahib Varman in 10th century. The image of Laxmi Narayan temple is enshrined and is open from 6am – 12.30pm and 2.30-8.30pm.

Excursion From Chamba
Palampur
Palampur is best described as the ' Tea capital of India' , which can be noticed on the excursion journey from Palampur. A perfect destination for the outdoor adventure, here tourists can enjoy hand gliding and trekking on the travel to Palampur.

Tabo Monastery
The world famous ancient monastery, located on the bank of river Spiti, offers a valuable window to Tibetan culture. There are a total of nine shrines located nearby Tabo Monastery, which were constructed and renovated between 10 th & l5th century AD.

Dhankar Monastery
Himachal Pradesh is embellished with many Buddhist monasteries, which is built on the lines of Tibetan style. One such place is Dhankar, where many Buddhist monasteries were constructed. The Dhankar monasteries are among the most beautiful monasteries of Spiti valley.