Dalhousie
The land of Beauty - Temples - Monasteries
Dalhousie is spread over an area of 14 sq km of area and it includes five hills, namely Balun, Bakrota, Tehra, Patreyn and Kathlog. Dalhousie is located in the district of Chamba and is the most popular hill stations in Himachal Pradesh. The hill station offers you a calm environment in the lap of nature and is far from the crowd and pollution of the cities. This hill station is a perfect place to spend your holidays.This place is also known as “Little Switzerland” having a amazing picturesque scene and a favourite destination for honeymooners and nature’s lovers.The most famous are Panch Pulla, Satdhara Falls and the Daikund peak.
How to Reach
By Air: Nearest airport to Dalhousie is Gaggal airport in the Kangra valley which is situated at a distance of 140 km from Dalhousie. Taxi’s /Cabs are easily available from Airport.By Rail: The nearest railway station to Dalhousie is Pathankot railway station located 85 km away from Dalhousie. Taxi’s /Cabs are easily available from Railway station.
By Road: Dalhousie is well-connected with the major cities of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and a number of buses run from the capital city to Dalhousie on a daily basis.
Best Time To Go Dalhousie
Summer (April-June): The temperature in summers always remains below 30 degrees celsius.
Monsoon (July-September) The temperature varies between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius.
Winter (October-February) The temperature in winters ranges from 1 to 10 degrees Celsius. If you want to see the snow then you can visit in the month of January and February.
Food
One can enjoy typical North-Indian food, as well as some Continental and Chinese cuisines. One can enjoy Italian, Tibetan, Mughlai, South Indian platters here as well. Himachali cuisine is very simple as it mainly centres around Chapati, dals, vegetable gravy and curd and their many varities Some of the Restaurants are “Moti Mahal Deluxe, Kwality Restaurant, Cafe Dalhousie“
Attractions
Khajjiar
This place is nearby Dalhousie about 26 km away and is also known as “Mini Switzerland”. Khajjiar is situated at a height of 6500 feet and surrounded with natural beauty and pleasant climate. The Khajjiar Lake and Chamera Lake add to the magic of Khajjiar. This place is also famous for nine-hole golf-course which is nestled in the middle of lush greenery and a incredible landscape.Khajjar also attracts people who are adventure lovers and has a lot of options like paragliding, horse riding, zorbing, trekking etc.
Panch Pulla
Panchpulla is a waterfall, where five streams come together , name itself means five bridges.Out of these five streams ,the main streams supplies water to the various cities of Dalhousie. This place is best known for trekking and its marvellous beauty.
Satdhara Falls
The Satdhara Falls is situated in the Chamba valley, surrounded by amazing views of snow covered ranges, and fresh, green pine and deodar trees. The water here is said to contain mica, which has medicinal properties to cure skin diseases. It gets its name from the seven serene springs, flowing in full force through mountains of Himachal Pradesh.
Kalatop wildlife sanctuary
The Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. Leopard, bear, deer, langur, jackal, Himalayan Black Marten, Barking Goral and countless beautiful birds can be seen here.
The landscapes are thickly covered with Deodar trees with little streams flowing into the Ravi river. The wildlife sanctuary was better known as a gaming reserve for Chamba rulers, in history. The area is a favorite spot for trekking, picnics, and nature walks.
River Crossing and River Rafting
River crossing is done across the river Ravi or Saal under the supervision of trained instructors while River Rafting too is a growing favorite in Chamba, usually done on the Rivers Ravi and Saal, too.
Daikund Peak
It is situated 10 kms away from Dalhousie at a great height of 2755 m. One can get a amazing view of the hills and rivers below from here. This is also known as the Singing Hill wind blowing through the trees create a musical serenade. This is the highest peak in the area watching over the beautiful pine laid landscapes of Dalhousie.
Subhash Baoli
This place is located 1 km away from Gandhi Chowk and it is an ideal picnic spots. It is situated near beautiful waterfall which flows into a glacial stream. Subhash Baoli is named after the famous freedom fighter Subhash chandra Bose, and saying is that spring has medicinal properties to cure the freedom fighter of his ill health.
Bakrota Hills or Upper Bakrota
The area is surrounded with deodar trees and hills all around. This is the highest area in Dalhousie and is circled by a road called Bakrota walk which leads to Khajjar. The area does not have too much to attract tourists but is ideal for walk and to look around and enjoy the sceneries.
St. John Church
Every Sunday one can visit this church for the service and this is a favourite place for the photographers to shoot. This is the oldest church in the town and assumes not only religious significance but has much historical significance too.
City Shopping
Tibetian market is very popular here, one can buy traditional Kashmiri shawls, handicrafts and offers a wide range of the famous Kullu shawls; made from lamb's wool, angora, pashmina. Gandhi Chowk is known as the lifeline of Dalhousie. Many Himachal Handloom are available here.
Chamunda Devi Temple
The Chamunda Devi Temple is situated about 15 km from the Kangra Valley, this holy place is the most among devotees.
Chamba
Chamba is the place which attracts many tourist . The environment here is endowed with a variety of flora and fauna, making it a very picturesque background for your holiday memories. The river Ravi cuts across town and adds to the scenery. The balanced temperatures of the area make it the perfect destination all year round.
Rock Climbing
This adventure activity is popular and carried out at various places in Dalhousie, especially in Khajjiar.
Since the activity is done under professional supervision, it is best to go in groups, since individual training and activity might cost a bit more.
Trekking
Dalhouse is also famous place among trekker lovers. There are dense forests of Deodar, pine and fir trees which look extremely quaint. The snow-covered mountains and landscapes enhance the beauty and make the trek even more exciting.
Trekking Routes
Dalhousie offers the most exciting trekking route as you will pass through the lush green forests and snow-clad mountains. The most preferred trekking route of Dalhousie is Dainkund-Jot-Khajjar- Kalatop.
DainKund or Drakund is the most attractive place in Dalhousie. It is said that many years ago, witches lived in this town and they used to trouble the villagers a lot. Hence, Dainkund is also called as the "Witch's Pond". Dainkund is the highest point of the hill station. It is an easy level of trekking as you pass through lush green landscapes. Punjab rivers like Sutlej, Beas, Ravi and Chenab could be seen flowing middle of the mountains. Dainkund peak is famous amongst tourists for its amazing views of flower valleys, Khajjar Lake and tall Deodar trees.
Chowari Jot is located between Chamba and Chowari. The Jot, looks extremely beautiful with Deodar and Kail trees. Touching a height of almost 8000 ft, in the winter season it snows heavily and gives you very picturesque and attractive surroundings.
Khajjiar often known as “Mini switzerland” located at a distance of 24 km from Dalhousie. Khajjar is surrounded by dense meadows and forests. At Khajjiar, there is a temple, belonging to the 12th century, dedicated to KhajjI Nag. It also houses wooden images of the five Pandav brothers.
Kalatop Sanctuary is an animal sanctuary situated at Kalatop and Khajjiar in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. The sanctuary area has well-maintained trekking routes both at Kalatop and Khajjiar. There are dense deodar and fir forests covering the most area of the sanctuary which is about 6 km from Dalhousie. Pheasants, serow and black bear are some of the common animals found here.
Things to Carry for Trekking
It is necessary to carry with you all necessary items to make your journey hassle-free and comfortable. Make sure to take along essentials like dry snacks, light pair of boots, woollen clothes, first-aid, energy bars, torch etc. A walking stick is a must. You should prefer taking an extra pair of clothes in case of emergency.
