Hill Station Dalhousie

Dalhousie is a gorgeous hill station located on the western border of the Dhaula Dhar Range of the great Himalayas. It was founded in 1854 by the British Viceroy Lord Dalhousie, It was a delightful summer retreat for the British troops and bureaucrats. Dalhousie is the most famous hill station of Himanchal Pradesh and is located 563 kms from Delhi. Beside its breath taking landscapes the other highlights are the ancient temples, untouched beauty of Chamba & Pangi valley, the valley of milk, honey and streams.

The main highlights includes the lush green forests of pine, cedar and deodar attract nature-lovers, along with the usual throng of tourists seeking shelter from the sweltering heat of the plains.

Set on five hills - Kathlog, Potreyn, Tehra, Bakrota and Balun and facing the Pir Panjal range, one can view the Ravi, Beas and Chenab rivers from certain vantage points. Fold after fold of mountains, snow-capped and pristine, can be viewed from the jagged Pangi Valley, which is a trekker's paradise. If your heart beats for Kashmir, head here, for this is the only part of Himachal Pradesh that juts into Kashmir.

Whether claims that Rabindranath Tagore penned his first poem here or Subhash Chandra Bose visited it secretly hold good or not, Dalhousie's spectacular landscape sure warrants a visit! Overall Dalhoise is a perfect destination for Honeymooners.

HOW TO REACH

By Air - Gaggal (Kangra) is the nearest airport i.e. 140-km from Dalhousie. Amritsar Airport is 192 km and Jammu Airport - 190 km from Dalhousie. It is well connected to the other major cities,

By Rail - Pathankot about 80 kms, the nearest railway station and is connected to all the major cities.

By Road - Onward journey from Pathankot to Chamba and Dalhausie is by road. Punjab and Himachal Roadways run services, as do private operators. Dalhousie distances : Manali 402 kms, Khajjiar 27 kms,,Amritsar 188 kms, , Pathankot 80 kms, , Delhi 563 kms, Chandigarh 352 kms, Dharamshala 143 kms, Jammu 188 kms.Chamba 56 kms,Jalandhar 192 kms

WHEN TO GO

Best time to travel Dalhousie is between April and October.

WHAT TO SEE

Churches - Dalhousie has few beautiful churches called St. Andrew's Church and St. Patrick's Church at Balun, St. Francis' Church at Subash Chowk and St. John's Church at Gandhi Chowk.

Panchpula - This is a very stunning spot where a stream feeds a series of pools. A monument has been built here in memory of the freedom fighter,Ajit Singh

Subhash Baoli - This place is surrounded by majestic trees, that Subhash Chandra Bose spent a lot of time mediating during 1937. The place is name after Eminent freedom fighter Subash Chandra Boase during his secret visit, it gives a great view of the snow capped peaks.

BaraPathar - This is a famous temple at the middle of the thick forest. It is on the way between the Kalatop sanctuary and the Dalhousie Municipal limits. It is a good place for a break on the way to Kalatop. This place has a outdoor temple of Bhuvani Mata.

Kalatop - Is a wild life sanctuary,home to the 'ghoral' and black bear.It is a wild life sanctuary which houses many species of animals including ghoral, barking deer and the Himalayan black bear. Temperature variations will be from 10°C to 35°C. Several tributaries of the River Ravi, which lies to its north, flow through it.

Subash and Gandhi Chowk The Mall - Gandhi chowk previsously known as GPO is a lively square with numerous restaurants and shops. There is a Tibetan market, varieties of products range from electronic goods to fake designer clothes are available. There are two roads that lead to Subash Chowk, which present the Himachal handloom industry emporium.

Sadar Bazar - This is the area which is most populated, the street has a Hindu temple, gurdwara, Arya Samaj mandir and mosque which are all located side by side.

Jandrighat Palace - This palace belongs to the Raja of Chamba, you can see wild varities of strawberries along the way. Dalhousie Cantt Hill - This Dalhousie cantonment hill was developed as a retreat station for British troops. The barracks are built in Victorian Style and a Brigade Headquarters still exists here. People still prefer to call this place Balun.

Lakarmandi - Few families of the Dhogri community, who hail from Mandi in Kangra valley, live here. They make their living by making and selling charcoal. The shops here sell fresh cottage cheese, and other things which taste wonderful.

Dainkund - This is the tallest peak around Dalhousie. From here you can major rivers of the area - the Chenab, the beas and the Ravi. There is a very popular devi temple on the hill.

Chamba - The is a pleasant place and there are a number of places of interest. The Rang Mahal Palace, Bhuri Singh Museum are must places to visit. There are also a number of old temples.