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| Himachal Pradesh |
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Its apple orchards, pastures carpeted with wild flowers, towering mountains, gurgling streams, thundering rapids, deep gorges and friendly people make Himachal nothing less than a paradise on earth. For ages the region that is today known as Himachal Pradesh has lured travellers and nature lovers with its awe-inspiring natural wonders. Nestled in the lofty lap of the Himalayas, this place is a favourite summer retreat for thousands of tourists trying to escape the sweltering heat of the North Indian plains. It is much visited during the winter too for its snowfalls, fascinating view of snow-capped peaks and skiing. For the adventure tourist this state has amazing thrills to offer, like mountaineering, rock climbing, trekking, parasailing and river rafting. For the pilgrim too Himachal is an important destination because of its numerous famous shrines that attract hordes of devotees all the year round.
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| GETTING HERE |
Shimla is the capital of the state of Himachal Pradesh. The nearest airport is Jubbar Hatti that has regular flights from Delhi. Nearest broad gauge railhead is Kalka that is connected to Delhi, Kolkata and other Indian cities. From here one can take the toy train to Shimla or go there by road, by bus or taxi. By road one can also travel to Shimla from Pathankot, Delhi and Chandigarh.
Kullu-Manali: Flights from Delhi, Shimla and Chandigarh land at Bhuntar airport, 9 kms from Kullu and 25 kms from Manali. From Bhuntar there are buses and taxis available for Kullu and Manali. Convenient railheads are Kalka, Chandigarh and Pathankot, from where Kullu can be reached by road. Kullu and Manali are also connected by road to Delhi, Chandigarh and Shimla.
Dharamsala: Gaggal airport is located just 13 kms away and it has flights from Delhi. Nearest railhead is Kangra Mandir, 22 kms away. One can also take a train to Pathankot in Punjab and then hire a taxi to Dharamsala. By road it is connected to Delhi, Chandigarh and Pathankot.
Dalhousie: Closest airports are Gaggal (Dharamsala), Jammu and Amritsar (all 130 to 180 kms). Closest railhead is Pathankot, from where one can get a taxi or bus to Dalhousie.
Chamba: Chandigarh and Bhuntar are the nearest airports, located at 135 kms and 131 kms respectively. The nearest broad gauge railway station is at Kiratpur Sahib. It is approachable by road from Shimla and Chandigarh.
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| WHAT TO SEE |
Shimla
Known as the queen of hill stations, its major attractions are - the Ridge (open space with an excellent view of mountain ranges), Coffee House, Christ Church, The Mall (shopping centre with restaurants & theatre), Lakkar Bazar (woodcraft souvenirs), Kali Bari Temple, Jakhoo Temple (Shimla's highest peak with Hanuman temple), Glen (wooded ravine with a stream, picnic spot), State Museum (ancient sculptures & paintings), Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (former Viceregal Lodge with beautiful lawns), Prospect Hill (with Kamna Devi temple on its peak), Summer Hill and Chadwick Falls (67 mts high, 45 minutes by foot from Summer Hill).
Places some distance from Shimla which are worth visiting are Kufri (16 kms, wonderful ski slopes, Himalayan Nature Park that houses a mini zoo), Wild Flower Hall (13 kms from Shimla, a beautiful resort), Sankat Mochan temple and Tara Devi temple (Shimla-Kalka road), Fagu (offers enchanting views), Narkanda (Hindustan Tibet road, spectacular vistas of snow-capped mountains, trek to Hatu Peak), Rampur (situated on the banks of Satluj river, famous for Buddhist Temple, Padam Palace, Raghunath Temple, Ayodhya temple and Narsingh Temple), Sarahan (spectacular view of Srikhand range, majestic Bhimkali Temple), Kharapathhar (famous for the religious shrine Giriganga), Jubbal (majestic palace), Hatkoti (Shimla-Rohru highway, ancient temple of Mata Hateswari), Mashobra (thick forests and great trekking, Goddess Durga temple), Craignano (great picnic spot with beautiful lawns and garden) and Tattapani (Shimla-Mandi Highway, hot water springs, Hindu temples and Shiva cave).
Two very good getaways from Shimla are Chail and Kausali. Chail is famous for Sai Baba temple, Chail Wildlife Sanctuary, Sadhupul (a popular picnic spot) and for trekking and skiing. Kasauli is worth visiting for its beautiful walks, scores of orchards and the Monkey Point (excellent view, Lord Hanuman temple).
Kullu
Major attractions in Kullu are Akhara Bazar, Jagannath Temple, Bijli Mahadev Temple, Bajreshwari Temple, Pulga (16 kms by foot, peaceful retreat, good trekking), Khirganga (10 kms from Pulga, hot springs), Shoja (scenic surroundings), Raghunathji Temple, Vaishno Devi Temple, Camping Site Raison (16 kms from Kullu, good for camping and trekking), Katrain (20 kms, apple orchards), Naggar (temples of Vishnu, Tripur Sundari and Lord Krishna, Naggar castle, Roerich art gallery), Kasol (42 kms from Kullu, picnic spot, trout fishing), Manikaran (45 kms, hot springs, two temples and Gurudwara), Malana (temple of Jamlu), Bajaura (15 kms, Basheshwar Mahadev Temple), Larji (34 kms, trout fishing), Great Himalayan National Park (beautiful coniferous forests with alpine pastures and glaciers), Kanawar Sanctuary (famous for Himalayan Thar - a big wild goat) and Rewalsar Lake (25 kms from Mandi in Kullu district, Buddhist monasteries, Guru Govind Singh Gurudwara and a sanctuary that is home to Himalayan deer and Himalayan black bear).
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Manali
Places of tourist interest in Manali are Hidimba Temple, Tibetan Monasteries (buy carpets and other Tibetan handicrafts), Vashisht Hot Water Springs and Temple (3.5 kms), Mountaineering Institute (3 kms, courses in trekking, mountaineering, skiing and water sports), Solang valley (13 kms, glaciers and snow-capped peaks, fine ski slopes), Rahala Waterfalls (16 kms, picnic spot), Club House (2 kms, indoor games, picnic spots nearby), Nehru Kund (5 kms, natural cold water spring), Kothi (12 kms, favourite spot of nature lovers), Jagatsukh (6 kms, ancient temples of Lord Shiva and Sandhya Gayatri), Arjun Gufa (5 kms, cave with charming view of the brilliant mountains), Rohtang Pass (51 kms from Manali, panoramic mountain view) and Beas Kund.
Dharamsala
Places worth visiting are Mcleod Ganj (charming Tibetan settlement, place of residence of Dalai Lama, major centre of Tibetan culture, bazar selling carpets, handicrafts and delicious Tibetan food), Church of St. John, Nechung Monastery (ancient Tibetan monastery), Bhagsunag Fall (2 kms, old temple, fresh water spring and waterfall), Dharamkot Hill (20 minute walk, panoramic view, picnic spot), War memorial, Triund (17 kms from Dharamsala, picnic and trekking spot), Kunal Pathari rock temple, Kareri Lake and Dal Lake.
Places of interest near Dharamsala are Kangra (18 kms, Vajreswari Temple, old Kangra Fort), Jwalamukhi Temple (48 kms, has an eternally burning flame), Masrur (40 kms, 15 rock-cut temples, cave temple with stalagmites), Baijnath (45 kms, Lord Shiva temple), Taragarh & Tashijong Gompas and Palampur (30 kms, nice walks, waterfall on the Bundla River).
Dalhousie
Dalhousie attractions are Panchpula (pretty spot with five small bridges), Subhash Baoli (natural spring), Bara Pathar (Bhulwani Goddess temple), Kalatope (small wildlife sanctuary), St. Andrew's Church, St. Patrick's Church, St. Francis' Church (beautiful glass and stone work), St. John's Church (has a library worth visiting), Bakrota Hills, Dainkund (highest peak in the region with a breathtaking view) and Khajjiar (24 kms from Dalhousie, wooded meadow with lake & small temple).
Chamba
Tourist attractions in and around Chamba are Laxmi Narayan Temple (fine architecture & sculptures), Champavati Temple (beautiful stone carvings), Vajreshwari Temple, Sui Mata Temple, Chamunda Devi Temple (hilltop, excellent view of Chamba), Hari Rai Temple, Chaugan (large meadow in the town), Akhand Chandi Palace, Rang Mahal (Himachal Emporium), Bhuri Singh Museum (treasure house of art and culture), Saho (20 kms from Chamba, high plateau with great beauty, Lord Chandra Shekhar temple), Kailash Manimahesh (important pilgrimage, beautiful peak of Mt Manimahesh mirrored in a little lake), Bandal (good trekking), Salooni (spectacular view of snow-capped mountain ranges), Katasan Devi Temple, Sarol (marvellous gardens), Bharmour (65 kms from Chamba, wonderful treks, complex of 84 ancient temples) and Pangi Valley (137 kms from Chamba, exciting treks).
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