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SIMLA
Scottish civil servant Charles Pratt Kennedy built Shimla's
first British summer home in 1822, and by the latter half
of the 19th century the town had become the summer capital
of the British Raj. British soldiers, merchants and civil
servants moved there each year to escape the heat and
disease of summer in the Indo-Gangetic plain.
Pre-independence structures still dot Shimla; imposing
Victorian monuments of British rule in India.
Places of interest: The mall, Gaiety Theater, Viceregal
Lodge, Jakhoo Temple (a temple of the Hindu god Hanuman)
is located at the highest point in Shimla.
DHARMSHALA
Dharamsala has been connected with Hinduism and Buddhism
for a long time with many monasteries having been
established there in the past built by Tibetan immigrants
in the 8th century. However, these monasteries are
believed to have declined, with traditional Hindu building
styles experiencing a revival. The local Gaddi people are
now almost all Hindu, and for the most part worship many
gods and goddesses, principally Durga and Shiva.
In 1848, the British annexed the area and a year later, a
military garrison was established in the town. Dharamsala
eventually became the administrative capital of Kangra
District in 1852. It became a popular hill station
for the British working in or near Delhi, offering a cool
respite during the hot summer months. However, the town
was virtually destroyed in a massive earthquake in 1905,
which killed an estimated 20,000 people. After this, the British moved their summer
headquarters to Shimla which though not far away, is off
the main fault line and therefore, less likely to
experience a serious earthquake.
When the Dalai Lama left Tibet, Indian Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru offered to permit him and his followers
to establish a "government-in-exile" in Dharamsala in
1960. Since then, many Tibetan exiles have settled in the
town, numbering several thousand. Most of these exiles
live in Upper Dharamsala or McLeod Ganj, where they
established monasteries, temples and schools. The town is
sometimes known as "Little Lhasa", and has become an important tourist
destination with many hotels and restaurants, creating a resurgence in tourism and commerce.
Places to see: Bhagsu Nath temple, Dal Lake, St. John in
the wilderness church, Norbulingka institute.
PALAMPUR/ KANGRA
The Katoch rajas had a stronghold here, with a fort and
rich temples. Mahmud of Ghazni took the fort in 1009 and
from one of the temples carried off a vast treasure. In
1360 Feroz Shah again plundered Kangra. The temple
of Devi Bajreshri was one of the oldest and wealthiest in
northern India. It was destroyed, together with the fort
and the town, by an earthquake on the 4th of April 1905,
when 1339 lives were lost in this place alone, and about
20,000 in and around Dharbashala. In 1855 the headquarters of the district
were removed to the sanitarium of Dharmsala.
Kangra fort, Andretta pottery, Sobha Singh’s art gallery,
Baijnath temple, Jwalaji temple, Taragarh palace (now
being run as a heritage hotel).
CHAMBA
Chamba was the ancient Pahari capital and Raja Sahil Verma
who named the settlement after his daughter Champavati
established it in AD 920.
Places of interest: Chaugan, Laxmi Narayan temple, Bhuri
Singh museum, Chamunda Devi temple, church of scotland
DALHOUSIE
80 kms from Pathankot, Dalhousie was established in 1854
by the British Empire in India as a summer retreat for its
troops and bureaucrats. The town was named after Lord
Dalhousie who was the British Viceroy in India at that
time. Dalhousie is built on and around five hills. It is
located on the western edge of the Dhauladhar mountain
range of the Himalayas
Places of interest: Kalatop wildlife sanctuary, Panchpula,
Subhash Baoli, St. Andrews church.
KHAJJIAR
Shimla- Delhi DN 550 0845 Situated at an altitude of 6300
ft. Khajjiar is another wonderland midway of Dalhousie and
Chamba. The drive from Dalhousie is on a long winding road
through dense forest of pines and cedar. There is also a
bridal path from Dalhousie to Kalatop and on to Khajjiar.
Khajjiar is a beautiful sylvan glade about a mile in
length and half a mile in breadth picturesquely set in the
midst of forest. The glade is green in its turf and
contains in its bosom a small lake. Its depth has been
mentioned as 13 feet by Dr. Hutchison put as per
prevailing belief, the lake is fathomless and no one has
been able to measure its depth so far. Once, a saint is
said to have attempted to measure its depth with a rope
for days together but in vain.
On the brink of lake, there is a beautiful temple of
Khajji Nag from where the place derives its name as Khajji.
So it attached a religious significance for the local
people who celebrate a fair every year. The Khajji Nag
temple is made in Pahari style and the object of worship
is 'Nagdev', carved out of stone in human form. The images
of Pandavas made out of wood stand in the corners of
the Mandapa of the temple. A small temple of Hidimba also
stands close by. This has led people to believe that the
Pandavas visited this place during their exile
and their period of incognito.
MANALI
Tourism in Manali received a real boost after the rise of
militancy in Kashmir in the late 1980s. This once quiet
village was transformed into a bustling town with hundreds
of hotels and restaurants.
Places of interest: Manikaran, Vasistha hot water spring,
Beas Kund, Hadimba Devi temple, Rohtang Pass.
SARAHAN
The Gods were generous when they gave Sarahan (2165m) its
settings. Located halfway up a high mountainside, the
road to Sarahan winds past flowering pine trees that give
way to stately oaks. The fields and orchards that surround
the small villages with their slate roofed houses, compose
pictures of pastoral perfection. Above Sarahan, a many
deodar trees rides the slopes and higher still, encircling
the Bashal peak, are trees of smooth birch and variety of
wild flowers and rare medicinal herbs. This sparsely
populated tract is steeped in ancient legends and here is
the famous Bhimakali temple regarded as one of the fifty-
one sacred Shaktipeeths. The temple's unusual architecture
and wealth of carvings have made it a resplendent example
of what is loosely called the Indo-Tibetan style. Deep
down the alley flows the river Sutlej and across lies the
snow-clad Shrikhand peak.
The historical temple of Bheemakali is a multistoried
structured building, a fusion of Hindu and Buddhist
architecture. The tall tower like structure and unusual
roof of the temple dominate the complex. The centuries old
temple is now locked and in the newly built temple, the
goddess Bhimakali is portrayed as a maiden and as a woman.
Another attraction of the town is the bird park. Near the
temple complex is a pheasant-breeding center. It also
houses the State bird Monal which is of a great
attraction.
KALPA
This spectacular mountain village is reached through a
winding road climbing up from Rekong Peo (district
headquarters of Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh) through pine
forest, apple orchards and fields. Known as Chini back in
the days when it was the regional capital, Kalpa has
changed little in the last 500 years. It is said that as
and when Lord Dalhousie wanted to take a break from his
hectic schedule in Shimla, he would come here on his
horseback.
The views of the Kinner Kailash range are some of the most
spectacular in the Himalayas. Kinner Kailash is the
legendary home of Lord Shiva who is said to retire here
each winter to meditate. You get a complete panorama from
behind the Chorten (Tibetan Pagoda) at the top of the
hill. The range looks so up close that one gets a feeling
that one can just reach out and touch it.
Another interesting place to see is the Narayan Nagini
Temple Complex, which has shrines of Hindu, Buddhist and
local deities. In September, villagers offer wildflowers
here as part of the colorful Phulech Festival.
Kalpa is also home to the “Chilgoja” (a kind of dry fruit)
tree found in abundance here. The tree belongs to the pine
family and the fruit is in about an inch long soft cover.
Other than Kalpa, “Chilgoja” grows only in Turkey and
Iraq.
PRAGPUR: THE HERITAGE VILLAGE
The Kangra Valley, where heritage village Pragpur is
located is panoramic and replete with history. It is the
home of the famous Kangra School of painting and probably
the world's - most certainly India's - oldest ruling
lineage comes from here.
The area of Pragpur was part of the Principality of Jaswan
whose chief, in the late 16th or early 17th Century
charged a band of learned men, led by a Kuthiala Sood, to
find a suitable place to commemorate Princess 'Prag' of
his royal lineage.
Founded about 3 centuries ago Pragpur has held onto the
essence of an earlier era - unchanged shops, cobbled
streets, ornamental village tank, mud plastered and slate
roofed houses
By a notification dated 9th December 1997 the state
government has classified
Pragpur as a "Heritage Zone. Heritage Village Pragpur is
ideal for Village land nature tourism and is being
promoted as an example of community involvement in
tourism.
NALAGARH
Nalagarh is well ensconced in the Shivalik Hills in the
foothills of Himalayas. Erstwhile capital of the Kingdom
of Hindur, Nalagarh, established in 1121 AD by Raja Ajai
Chand, is an ideal gateway to Himachal Pradesh.
Nalagarh is known for Nalagarh Fort that was built in 1421
by Raja Bikram Chand. Built in the Mughal architectural
style on five different levels, Nalagarh Fort has terraces
and stairways, which connects the entire ‘garh’ or fort.
Hotel Nalagarh Fort is a vision of beauty and elegance
that combines the sophistication of 21st century and
imperial elegance of bygone era. The present ruling family
continues to stay at the heritage resort, which adds to
its regal ambience.
The hotel’s popularity ensures the staff are always on
their toes and invariably always attentive and hospitable
Places to visit: Ramgarh Fort built by Raja
Ramchander in the year 1540, Pinjore Garden – built by the
Mughals.
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