Places to visit in Kangra - Himachal Pradesh

Mr. Branes described the beauty of Kangra District in the District Gazetteers, “No scenery, in my opinion presents such sublime and delightful contrasts. Below lies the plain , a picture of rural loveliness and repose, the surface is covered with the richest cultivation, irrigated by streams that descend from perennial snows, and interspersed with homesteads buried in the midst of groves and fruit trees. Turning this scene of peaceful beauty, the stern and majestic hill comfort us, their sides are furrowed with precipitous water courses, forest of oak clothe their flanks, and higher up give place to gloomy and funeral pines, above all are waters of snow or pyramidal masses of granite too perpendicular for the snow to rest on”.

The headquarters of such a picturesque district is on less panoramic in beauty. It is Dharamshala that rises up to Mcleodganj at 1700m from war memorial at 1300m.

Yol Camp: An Army area, know for 12000 Italian Prisoners of war who were detained here during the Second World War.

War Memorial: A memorial made of three huge panels of black marble. The names of those men of Himachal Pradesh who gave their lives in various wars are etched in these panels. In the thick of pines, it is and eye – catcher.

Kangra Art Museum: It is at Kotwali Bazar and among its display is an old original throne of Raja Sansar Chand.

McLeodganj: It is called ‘Little Lhasa’ and since 1960 is theheadquartes foHis Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Buddhist spiritual leader and Nobel Laureate. Traditional Tibetan medicine is great attraction here. 

Namgyal Monastery: It is at Mcleodganj: This has larger than life images of Buddha, Avloketshwara and Padmasambhav besides several Thangka Paintings.

Dal Lake: it is a small lake surrounded by Devdar trees, 11km fromDharamshal. Naddi and Talnu are beauty spots of the area not far from the lake. There is a temple of Durgeshwara Mahadev by the side of Lake.

Church of St. John in the wilderness: It is 8km from Dharamshala. A dressed-stone church by the side of which is a grave of Lord Elgin, British Viceroy who died at Dharamshala in 1863. There is also a huge church –bell here.

Bhagsunath: It is 11km from Dharamshala. It has fresh water and an ancient temple.

Kunal Pathri: It is 3km from Dharamshala’s Kotwali Bazaar. An almost level walk heads to the temple dedicated to Goddess Durga.

Dharamkot: It is 11km from Dharamshala. It is a picnic spot.

Triund: It is 17km from Dharamshala. It is a base for several trek routes.

Chinmaya Tapovan: It is a 10km from Dharamshala. Its complex includes a 9m high image of Hanuman, a Ram Temple, meditation hall, a health and recreation centre. It also has residence facilities for members of Chinmaya Trust.

Norbulinka Institute: It is 10km from Dharamshala. It is named after the summer residence of Dalai Lama at Lhasa. It has a beautiful Buddha temple, a Japanese inspired garden, a dolls house and a craft centre.

Khaniara: It is 9km from Dharamshala. It has a temple complex of Aghanjar Mahadev. The place is known for its slates that are used for roofing of houses.

Palampur: It is 40km from Dharamshal. The rivulets, streams and the brooks are all full of life here. The height, the water and the cool breeze have given Palampur a climate fit to grow tea. So, tea gardens abound here adding beauty to already beautiful landscape. 

Neugal Khad: A visit to the place form amidst the tea gardens is refreshing. The wide chasm through which Bundla flows is wondrous.

Agriculture University: The sprawling campus of the University offers insight into the research and development done in the field of agriculture.

Chamunda Devi: Here are temples of Goddess Chamund and of Shiv. It also has a large water tank in which devotees take holy bath. 

Gopalpur: Here a small zoo.

Andretta:  A tiny attractive village where lived Norah Richard once totally devoted to dramatics. Her open air theater, now owned by the Punjabi University reminds us of the grand old lady. The place is home to exquisite Kangra pottery. Shobha Singh lived here and her house is now a gallery for his works.

Tashijong: It is a Tibetan monastery, also a handicrafts manufacturing unit.

Baijnath: Here is a thirteenth century temple of Lord Shiva. The graceful proportion and intricate carvings of this shikhar style temple are worth appreciation. It is said that Ravana prayed to Lord Shiva here from the boon of immortality.

Bir: It has a Tibetan Monastery and tea gardens.

Billing: it gained importance as it came to be known as the best paragliding site in the State. On top of the hill, it presents a panoramic view of the valley below.

Kangra: It is 18km for Dharamshala. The bustling town of Kangra at the confluence of Baner and Majhi streams is famous for its temples. The most notable is the shrine dedicated to Goddess Bajreshwari. It is a historical town and the fort here bears testimony to it.

The town was heavily damaged during the earth quake of 1905 but was rebuilt and is the biggest town of Kangra District today. A Jain temple is nearby and Jayanti Devi temple is seen on the next hillock.

The Maharana Pratap Sarovar ( Pong Dam): It is 55km from Dharamshala and has a reservoir where fishing and water sports facilities are available.

Masrur: It is 47km from Dharamshala and has the holy shrine in North India carved out of live rock. It is 160ft long and 105ft wide temple dedicated to Ram, Laxman and Sita.

Trilokpur: It is 41km from Dharamshala and has a cave temple with stalactite and stalagmite formations dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Nurpur: It is 66km from Dharamshala and has remains of old fort and temples. Lord Krishna’s temple has the idol that was revered by Mira. Visit Nurpur for silk cloth and clothing.

Haripur: It is 55km from Dharamshala via Ranital. An isolated place with a Rest house on one corner of a big, open ground. A small market fulfills the daily requirements.

Jawalamukhi: It is 53km from Dharamshala. It is one of the Shaktipeeths. The goddess is manifesting here as tiny blue flames and worshiped as such. There is musical fountain here which is a pleasure to watch during nights.

Paragpur: It is 65km from Dharmashala. It has been notified as ‘Heritage Village’ because of the ancient rural beauty and architecture that it has.

Garli: It is hardly 4km from Pragpur. Garli and Pragpur are known as the twin towns. It also has old houses of interesting architecture.

Dehra: It is 55km from Dharamshal. It is a sub divisional headquarters and sitting in the rest house one enjoys the beauty of sun set reflection the last rays on the waters of river Beas.

Places to visit in Solan - Himachal Pradesh

Solan was the capital of erstwhile princely State Baghat. Here on 26^th January, 1948 a conference of princes of various hill States of Western Himalayas and representatives of Prajamandals fighting for independence from the yoke of princely rule was held under the chairmanship of the State’s last prince Raja Durga Singh. The concept of Himachal Pradesh was mooted in this conference to become a reality on the 15^th April, 1948. Solan remained a Tehsil of Mahasu District till 25^th January, 1971 when Himachal Pradesh gained the status of fully fledged State and Solan became the headquarters of District Solan.

It is a lively town midway Kalka and Shimla, has railway stations and the famous Brewery that was established in the year 1835 by Dyer Meakins (Mohan Meakins today). It has been declared as the Mushroom city of India in the nineties because here is produced a variety of button mushrooms. At a height of 1350m, it has salubrious climate throughout the year. Temples of Shoolilni Devi, Narshing and open parks are the places to visit in the town. Karol tibba (peak), Meteol Tibba , Kotla nallah (stream), saproon springs are other places of interest. Not far from Solan are Mareog, Gaura and Karkanu, the angling spots by river Giri. Readers who want to read it solitude of Solan may enjoy the facility of HP State Library here.

Dr.Y.S.Pramar University of Horticulture and Forestry is situated at Nauni at a distance of 15km from the town. It nurtures 15,000 species of flora and has successfully domesticated an enormous variety of herbs.

Hotels, Rest Houses and Guesthouses provide comfortable stay. If staying in a private hotel or guest house, it is advised to stay in those registered with the Department of Tourism.

Places to visit in Solan Himachal Pradesh are below: 

Chail: The summer capital of the former princely State of Patiala built in the late 19th century at a height of 2226m known for exquisite Palace Hotel of HPTDC and at 2444.4m the highest cricket pitch and Polo Ground in the world. Easy walks in and around Chail amidst green forests, stroll at wild life sanctuary and fishing along Gaura river can be interesting.

Shilon Bagh:  A private hotel where Shimla Queen Contest is held is not far from here on Chail-Kufri road. Dochi, Maharaja Patiala’s farmhouse; Known for exotic gladioli and other flowers, is hardly a few Km from Chail on Chail Kandaghat road.

Barog : Just  7km  away from Solan, small village at a height of 1680m is  gradually developing into a township dotted  with quite a few  hotels and eateries HPTDC also has Pinewood  hotel  here This little township has come  up on top of a hill  through which  runs the longest  tunnel in Kalka –Shimla  Railway line .The  northern end  of the  tunnel opens on  a tidily kept  railway station at Barog  where exists a  pretty,  cozy dining room  having  a wall clock marked with Benson of London,  NW Railway 1903.

Kasauli : Its  proximity to plains,35 km  away from Kalka, makes it more in demand of tourists who flock in here when there blazes the sun  Dainty  English style cottages, oldy  goldy shops, forests  of pine and horse  chestnut , magnificent view  of  the Gangetic plains  which  turns into a spread of twinkling  lights under the cover  of darkness ,refreshing  mountain breeze and much more is there at a height  of  1927m of Kasauli .A vantage spot for views is Monkey  Point Dominating Choor Chandni[3647m]standing majestically above all the lower hills leaves an imprint.

Sanawar with a famous public, Garkhal with Shirdi Sai temple Sabathu with a cantonment are other places worth visiting when in Kasauli.

Nalagarh: A diversion from Pinjore, falling between Chandigarh and Kalka, towards west takes visitors to Nalagarh, an ancient town that has the look of any town in the plains. The Fort Nalagarh, a Heritage Hotel, where one can enjoy the nostalgia of the past in the comforts of the present.

Arki: The capital of the princely State of Baghal lies off Shimla-Bilaspur highway, Fine wall paintings can Kaliseli, Brahmpukhar, Bari Dhar, Ghagnu Ghat and temple of Vanya Devi may be interesting.

Places to visit in Bilaspur - Himachal Pradesh

Bilaspur was the last of the princely States to merge with Himachal Pradesh that became a part C State in 1951. It continued to enjoy the status quo till 1954 when it also got merged with the rest of the State. Bilaspur, which is the headquarters of the District with the same name, falls on the main highway between Chandigarh and Mandi or between Shimla to Mandi. The biggest manmade lake Gobind Sagar drowned the old city of Bilaspur in the beginning of 60s but the first modern planned township had already started showing signs of growing up in 1958 to settle down the oustees. That is Bilaspur of today with public sector called Diary and Raura and Government Sectors of Nihal and Changar.

Some of the most famous places to visit in Bilaspur are:

Gobind Sagar: It is 90km long and covers an area of about 170sq.km. It is a host to several water and shore birds. Fishing is a regular activity here.

Bear Gufa (cave):  There is this Gufa about 100m long in the town itself. The legend is that Rishi Beas used to pray on this end of the Gufa whose other end opened at Markandeya and that every morning the sage used to go to take a dip in holy water there.

Naina Devi:  The famous shrine of Naina Devi is 57km from Bilaspur and 34 from Kiratpur Sahib. The temple, up on a hill, presents a panoramic view of the town of Anandpur Sahib also of the low lying rages by the side of flowing Sutlej. Navratra Melas are held here that attract devotees from all over India, mostly from Punjab and Himachal.

Markandeya: The temple of Rishi Markandeya and the holy pond is situated about 20km form Bilaspur. It hosts a big mela during Baishaki.

Pir Bihuna:  This dargah (shrine) of a Pir is about 40km from Bilaspur. Both Hindus and Muslims visit the dargah and seek blessings from the Pir.

Shah Talai: It has gained importance because this place was the place for Baba Balaknath’s religious action and devotion. It is 64km from Bilaspur and has temples of Baba BAlaknaths, Baba Bhritrahari, Guga Chauhan and Naharsinghon the banks of Saryali Khadd(rivulet) . By the side of the temples, there is smoke fire (Dhoona) of Baba. Deotsidh temple is 5 km from here.

Places to visit in Sirmaur – Himachal Pradesh

The district of Sirmaur in the southeast corner of the State is divided by river Giri into two parts, the Cis Giri and the Trans Giri. Cis- Giri in which falls, Naha, the Headquarters of Sirmaur District shows slightly higher development indicators that the other area. The tourists however would find places of pilgrimage and interesting legends associated with these in both sides of the river. The princely state of Sirmaur had its capital in Sirmaur Tal, not far from Paonta Sahib. When it was destroyed in a flood, the Capital was shifted to to Rajvan and then to Kalsi and during the rule of Raja Karm Prakash (1615-1630), Nahan was spotted as the place fit to be the capital.

At 932m, Nahan is a pleasant looking town on a ridge of the Shivalik Hills. Its climate is salubrious and the town is dotted with gardens, temples and three popular walking circuits, commonly known as the Villa the Military and the Hospital Rounds. The ‘Chaugan”, a green open space, in the midst of the town is the centre for many cultural events and sports activities.

There are several private hotels, Government rest houses and Circuit houses besides Kisan Bahawan where accommodations are available at rates suiting to all pockets.

Main places to visit in Sirmaur are as below:

Renukaji:  A lake embodying Renuka, the wife of sage Jamadgni and the mother of Parshuram, is 45km, away from Nahan. It is the largest lake in the state with a circumference of 2.5km shaped like reclining woman, the lake is situated in a valley and the surrounding slopes are green with vegetation. A mini zoo, boating on the waters of the lake, trekking up to Jamu Peak where Rishi Jamadagni is said to have mediated, lion Safari and fishing river carp (Mahsheer) at Jataun 5km are other attractions. 

Paonta Sahib: This town surrounded by Sal forests and on the banks of river Yamuna was founded by the tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singhji, who stayed here for more than four years. Gurudwara Tirgarh Sabhib (22km), Gurudeara Bhangani Sahib (23km) and Gurudwara Shergarh Sahib (12km) are other Sikh Shirnes to be visited when in Paonta Sahib.

Choorchandni : A trek to this mountain of the silver bangle can be made from Shillai that is approachable by road via Sataun and Kaffota.

Ram Temple at Paonta Sahib: Known as “Mandir Shri Dei Ji Sahib”, this is located near the Yamuna Bridge. Built in 1899 in memory of Raja Pratap Chand of Kangra by his wife, who belonged to Sirmaur, this has exquisite marble work. Other temples in the vicinity are : Katansan Devi Temple on Paonta Sahib Nahan Road (30km) Shiv Temple, Patlian (4.5km) Nagnauna Temple (16km) and Yamuna Temple right on the bank of river Yamuna dedicated to Goddess Yamuna. This way Paonta Sahib is a seat of pilgrimage for both Sikhs and Hindus.

Suketi Fossil Park: Around 15km from Nahan, the site of largest fossil find in Shivaliks are now converted into a Park where there are life-size models of the extinct animals made of fiberglass.

Balasundari at Trilokpur: Around 35km from Nahan, it is the biggest draw of pilgrims from the neighboring State of Haryana. The object of veneration here is a pindi of devi that emerged from the earth in 1753. An image of Devi has also been installed and the masons were invited from Jaipur to build a temple.

Rajgarh: it is 30km from Solan, blessed with natural beauty, the place is known for apple and peach orchards. A rest house and few eating places make it a convenient place to stay.

Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Fast Facts

Geographical Area 55673sq km Location latitude 30 ”22’-33 12’, longitude 75 47’-79 04’. North : Tibet, South : Punjab and Haryana , East : Uttrakhand, West: Jammu  and Kashmir Altitude  350m to 7000m. Mountain ranges Shivalik, Dhauladhar, Pir Panjal, Zanskar. Highest Peak in Himachal is Leo Purgil(6816m) Rivers Satluj, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Yamuna. All are snow fed and perennial. Religion  The majority are Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs , Muslims and Christians have small but significant presence. Language Hindi, Punjabi and several Local dialects of Pahari. English is also commonly understood. State Bird Western Himalayan Tragopan State Animal  Snow Leopard State Flower  White Rhododendron Administrative set up State Capital : Shimla , 12 districts: Bilaspur, Chamba, Hamirpur, Kangra,Kullu, Lahaul Spiti, Kinnaur, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan and Una. Airports Nearest international Airport: Delhi. Airports in Himachal are at Jubberhatti (Shimla), Bhuntar (Kullu) and Gaggal (Kangra). Railhead Nearest broad gauge stations are at Kalka, Pathankot and Una. Shimla – Kalka (96km) and Jogindernagar- Pathankot (113km) are two narrow gauge lines and Nangal Dam – Una (16km) is broad gauge line. Road Total road length including Highways in Himachal is 31371km. Road transport is the principal mode of transportation in the state.

Manali apple

Manali is also famous for its variety of apples. Not only apple but also apricots, plums, cherry is also available during various seasons, but apples are the main source of income of people after the tourism industry. Apples are also grown in other parts of Himachal Pradesh likes Shimla, Kinnaur and other high altitude regions.

You can find apple laden orchards during the month of August and September. A few years back people send their crops to Delhi in wooden boxes of 10kg and 20kg, but due to modernization of Global markets now big names like Reliance and Adani purchases apples directly from the farmers and the also get handsome amounts to them. And lots of fruit markets are also nearby available where farmers sell their apples through auctions.

While traveling to Manali you can find apple orchards from Kullu onward towards Manali. And lots of stalls are available between Kullu and Manali where people sell fresh fruits to tourists. So next time while traveling to Manali don’t forget to take a juicy gift of Manali. 

Winter Carnival Manali

Winter Carnival Manali is celebrated every year from 2nd to 6th January. The five days Carnival shows rich Himachali culture. After the blessings from Hadimba Temple, carnival kicks off with Jhankis from Hadimba Temple to Mall Road Manali in which various participants from all over India take part. All Mahila Madals of Upper Kullu Valley also participate in this festival and make the atmosphere colorful by their woolen attire. Various food counters serve local dishes during carnival which are run by local ladies and NGOs.

Winter Queen of Winter Carnival Manali 2020.

First Winter Carnival of Manali was inaugurated in 1977 by Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Late Dr. Y.S. Parmar. That time main motive behind Winter Carnival was to promote winter games in Manali and Shri Harnam Singh, founder of WHMI (currently known as Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports) was the man behind this. As a result of this, Solang Ski slopes produces lots of skiing champions every year who participate worldwide and make us proud. Earlier the celebration dates of the carnival were not fixed as it was connected with winter sports activities, but form few years it is celebrated every year on 2nd January.

The cultural events are organized at Manu Rang Shala (Ram Bagh) during carnival which attracts lots of Indian and foreign tourists. These five days are full of musical and dance events, street shows, games and much more. And carnival concluded with Winter Queen Contest.

Carnival committee always tries to make this event world-famous by improvising different ideas and activities. This year highlights of the carnival were the participation of local women in a dance form of Kullu called Lalharhi (Old dance form in which no musical instruments are played only performed on songs).

Hopefully, these types of events will keep alive our rich culture.

For any information regarding Winter Carnival Manali, one can contact below:

Executive Officer, Manali District Kullu, Himachal Pradesh Ph. 01902-252363.

Mini Switzerland, Khajjiar - Himachal Pradesh

Often called India's Switzerland, the exquisite glade of Khajjiar (1960m) has a circumference of about 5 km. along its fringes, thick forests of deodar climb the slopes, and the snow-line rests above these woods. At Khajjiar there is a 12th century temple dedicated to KhajjI Nag. Within the temple are life size wooden images of the five Pandav brothers.

ACCESS: Khajjiar is connected by road and is 23 km from Dalhousie and 26 km from Chamba. It is 520 km from Delhi. The closest rail head is at Pathankot, 120 km. The airport at Gaggal in Kangra is at a distance of 180 km. Taxis and buses are available from all these places.

CLIMATE: In winter, the temperature hovers around freezing point with snowfall and heavy woolens are required. In summer, the climate is mild and light woolens / cottons are recommended.