Tourist Places To Visit In Chamba

The town of Chamba is the district headquarters for Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh and is located 3300 ft. above sea level. Towards the east, the Shah Madar hills serves as a beautiful backdrop for the town. The splendid natural beauty and the magnificent temple architecture is something that this town is known for. The area has abundant flora and fauna and a pleasant climate throughout the year, making it a favorable place for tourists to visit. Once in Chamba, you would want to soak in the culture of the place by visiting the beautiful temples located in the region. Situated at the confluence of River Ravi and Sal, the town has breathtaking sceneries, serene temples, clear water lakes and wildlife sanctuaries, that make Chamba and ideal place to visit.

Let’s check out some of the tourist places in Chamba, which make this place highly interesting for all travelers.

Located at a distance of 20 km from Chamba, is a village sitting on a beautiful plateau with lovely sceneries called Saho, which is famous for Lord Shiva Temple Chandrashekar. Saho is situated on the right bank of river Sal and is one of the most gorgeous villages in Himachal Pradesh. The renowned Shiva Temple is situated amidst green trees, where Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of Chandrashekar or moon-crowned manifestation. The river behind this temple is known for having medicinal properties and also has natural springs. An annual fair is held every year in the month of August and September which is a good time to visit, due to the favourable climate.

Rang Mahal is one of the largest monuments in Chamba and is also known as the Painted Palace. It is set in Surana Mohalla in Chamba and is known for its intricate and detailed paintings that depict the life of Lord Krishna in Hill or Pahari style of painting. The Mahal has influences of both British and Mughal style of architecture, which is noteworthy. Other than paintings, one can see a variety of decorative items like Chamba rumaals, jewellery, coins, musical instruments and a lot more. The Himachal Emporium in the Rang Mahal is a shopper’s paradise with items like handmade shawls, wooden slippers, handkerchiefs and a lot more items that may interest tourists.

Regarded as the oldest temple in Himachal Pradesh, the Laxmi Narayan Temple in Chamba attracts devotees from all walks of life. Constructed in the Shikhara style, the temple’s architecture is definitely worth seeing. The structure houses six temples from the north to the south, which are dedicated to Lord Vishnu or Shiva. Other temples in the Laxmi Narayan Temple Complex include Gauri Shankar Temple, Radha Krishna Temple and Shiva Temple of Chandergupta, which are also visited by travelers who come to see this magnificent structure.

Located at an altitude of 1920 m above sea level, in between Dalhousie and the town of Chamba in the Chamba district, is the saucer shaped plateau of Khajjiar. The region is full of green grasslands with a beautiful lake right in the middle, surrounded by a bunch of cedar trees all around. A temple near the lake houses Khajji Nag, the serpent deity and hence the lake is named after the Goddess. Though the lake has been shrinking over the years, it is still a beautiful place to visit and relax close to nature. The plateau offers a picturesque view of the hills and the lake of course, making it an attraction that tourists must visit.

Atop the Shah Madar Hill is the Chamunda Devi Temple; the house of the wrathful manifestation of Goddess Durga. Due to the magnificent view one can witness from the temple grounds, it also serves as a picnic spot for travelers who come to Chamba and visit the temple. The temple is approximately 3 km from the town of Chamba and lies on the Chamba-Jhamwar road. Built in 1762 by Raja Umed Singh, the temple has animal and floral patterns carved on the ceiling; the craft wooden construction and slated roofs are also the highlights of the temple. The inside of the temple has a fire pit where priests hold different pujas in the name of the Devi and Lord Shiva as well.  

An expression of the rich cultural heritage of Chamba is the Bhuri Singh Museum, which was named after the ruler of Chamba, Raja Bhuri Singh. An interesting collection of Kangra and Basohli paintings are exhibited in this museum along with a few murals of the Rang Mahal Palace. The museum also houses a number of inscriptions that are written in Sarda script and provides information about the history and culture of Chamba. The gallery also features artifacts and paintings that were donated to the museum by Raja Bhuri Singh before he passed away. If you like to learn about the deep facets of a region’s culture, this museum is an informative way of spending a couple of hours.

One of the most important pilgrimage sites in Himachal Pradesh is the Manimahesh Lake, located on the foothills of Kailash Peak. A ‘mela’ is held every year, around the months of August and September, which is the most crowded time to visit, but if you want to visit the mela, this is the best time to go. People come to this spot to worship a marble image of Lord Shiva which is situated at the corner of the lake and to see the spectacular view of mount Kailash. The still and blue waters of the Manimahesh Lake carry reflections of the great snow ridden mountains, which provides for a great view for anyone visiting the Lake.

The Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the most famous sanctuaries in the Chamba region, which spreads over 1962 hectares of land and houses a variety of animals, insects, birds, trees and flowers. The endangered species of Serow and the common Black Bear live in the sanctuary and are visited by many people who visit. This spot is surrounded by a magnificent belt of Deodar, Oak and Blue Pine forests, which makes the place highly habitable for the animals living in the sanctuary. Also there are a number of tributaries of River Ravi that flow through this wildlife sanctuary making it a brilliant place for nature lovers to visit.