Hotels in Himachal Pradesh

Destinations in Himachal Pradesh

The veil of snow that is Himachal conceals a landscape both varied and fascinating. The enchanting valleys, breath"": taking gorges and high altitude passes that dot the mountain ranges of the Greater, Middle and the Outer Himalaya make Himachal a trekker's delight.

Himachal Pradesh is located at 320 22' 40" to 330 12' to 330 12' north and 750 47' 55" to 79004' 20" east of the Himalaya. It is bound by Jammu and Kashmir in the north, Tibet in the east, Punjab in the southwest, Haryana in the south and Uttar Pradesh in the south-east. Geographically the region presents a variety of terrain from the low lands of the Kangra valley to the spectacular mountains of Chamba, Kullu and Lahoul. Himachal has always attracted mountaineers, trekkers, adventurers, tourists, skiers, geologists and anthropologists not only from India but also from abroad to scale its lofty peaks, wander in the remote valleys and explore new vistas of adventure.

The state has a distinguished place in the world of art and culture with its famous school of miniature paintings- Kangra, Chamba, GuIer and Arki. It is a veritable storehouse of rich cultural traditions, myths and legends. Ancient rock inscriptions are to be found in many places. The mountains in the state are revered, associated as they are with rishis and yogis who lived and meditated on them, Multitude of devotees throng the holy shrines that dot the mountainous terrain. Several well known hill stations like Shimla, solan, Chail, Dalhousie, Dharamshala, Kasauli, Keylong, Kullu and Manali nestle in the slopes and on the spurs of the mountains.

Himachal Pradesh has many peaks that rise up to 6870 metres above the sea level, most of which have by now been scaled. However, there are still a number of exciting virgin peaks between 5150 metres and 6200 metres which challenge mountaineers to come and set their feet on yet untraversed mountain face. The climbing season begins in May and continues till October. The monsoon (July-August) does not affect the mountains north of the Chinab river. Access to these areas is easy and porters and mules are readily available. Hence the whole area is ideal for small and low-cost expeditions.

IMPORTANT MUSEUMS ---

Shimla : Himachal State Museum.

IMPORTANT HILL RESORTS ---
Name Altitude (m) Important railhead

Chail 2150 Shimla 45 km
Chamba 996 Pathankot 118 km
Dalhousie 2039 Pathankot 80 km
Dharamshala 1250 - 1982 Pathankot 90 km,
Kangra 17

Kasauli 1927 Kalka 34 km
Kullu 1219 Pathankot 285
Manali 1982
Shimla 2202 Shimla

IMPORT ANT PILGRIM CENTRES (A : Air; R : Rail)

Baijnath : Old Shiva temple built by the Pandavas, has a Jyotirlinga (Vaidyanath); A - Kullu 150 km, R - Paprola - 5 km.

Baba Balak Nath : Cave Shrine; A - Chandigarh 220 km, R - Nangal 100 km.

Chamba : Katasan Devi temple, Laxmi Narayan temple; A Jammu 240 km, R - Pathankot 130 km.

Chamunda Devi Dadh : Temple of Goddess Chamunda Devi; A - Jammu 200 km, R - Nagrota 12 km.

Jwalamukhi : The Flaming Goddess represented by' a shining flame; A - Chandigarh 225 km, R - Ranital 24 km.

Kullu : Raghunathji Temple, very important during Dussehra; A - Bhuntar, R - Jogindar Nagar.

Manikaran : Important centre for Hindus and Sikhs; A Bhuntar.

Naina Devi : Temple of the eyes of the Goddess; A - Chandigarh 100 km, R - Kiratpur 30 km.

Poanta Sahib: Associated with Guru Gobind Singh; R Dehradun 45 km.

Renuka Lake: Associated with Lord Parsurama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and immortality of Renuka; R - Dehradun 90 km.

Saharan: Bhimakali (Durga temple); A and R - Shimla 170 km Tarna Temple, Mandi : Temple of Kali; A - Bhuntar 70 km, R - Joginder Nagar 60 km. Triloknath : Marble figure of Bodhistava A valokiteshwara - In Pattan Valley, it is reached from Keylong.

Trilokpur : Temple of Goddess Mahamaya Balasundari; A Jammu 170 km, R - Nurpur 30 km.

The mountain state of Himachal Pradesh is incredibly beautiful with its lush green valleys, fierce rocky ravine nines, flowering meadows and the mysterious snow-clad mountains. Himachal Pradesh people are simple, lively and good natured. Life moves at a serene pace in the state, far from the travails of the modern age. The simple rhythm, revolving around the tending fields, flocks and orchards, is punctuated by the celebration of festivals and fairs that bring alive colourful traditions of music and dance. For the visitors there are exquisite locations for a relaxing holiday and marvellous opportunities for trekking, mountaineering, white river rafting, para sailing and angling.

----- DESTINATION IN HIMACHAL -----

DELHOUSIE
Dealhousie 20.36 meters above sea level is in many a hill station par excellence. Nestling in the outer slopes of the Dhauladhar range among the scented and stately oak and pine trees, Dealhousie is known for its bracing climate, picturesque scenery and lovely picnic spots within easy reach.

Extending over an area of 13 sq. km Dealhousie comprises of five distinct hills, Balun, Kathlon, Potryn, Tehra and Bakrota with heights ranging between 1,525 meters and 2,376 meters. The most distinctive features of Dealhousie are the open and colourful valleys, level walks and interesting tracks amidst dense forests. On a clear day it is fascinating to see the Chenab, the Beas and the Ravi meandering down the rose grey vistas of the valleys.

Best season to visit Dealhousie is from March 15 to July 15 and September to November.

Air : Nearest Airports are at Amritsar (200 km)
Rail : Nearest Railway Station at Pathankot (90 km)
Bus : Regular bus services to Pathankot, Amritsar and Chamba.

CHAMBA
Situated on a flat mountain shelf, overhanging the rushing torrent of the Ravi, the town of Chamba is famous for its temples. Richly carved and tastefully engraved the main group of six temples, three dedicated to Shiva and three to Vishnu throw light on Chamba's glorious art. The Bhuri Singh museum houses and excellent collection of paintings of Kangra and Basoli schools, besides a vast epigraphically material relating to the history of the region. Chamba is also famous for its chappals, shawls and leather works.

Air : Nearest Airports are at Amritsar (222 km).
Rail : Nearest Railway Stations are at Pathankot (112 km) and Palampur (140 km)
Bus : Regular bus services to Dealhousie (22 km), Pathankot (112 km) Palampur (140 km), Dharamshala (199 km).

DHARAMSHALA
This beautiful hill resort stands on a spur of the Dhauladhar range, against a background of snow capped mountains, forests of giant confiers meet carefully cultivated tea gardens at Dharamsala. The mountains enfold three sides of the town and the valley stretches in front.

Dharamshala is divided into two distinct parts : Lower Dharamshala is the civic and business area with the courts and Kotwali Bazaar. Upper Dharamshala is composed of Mcleod Ganj and Forsyth Ganj. Dharamshala is a great center for Tibetan studies as Dalai Lama and his followers fled after the Chaines invasion. For the serious student Tibetan culture there is the monastery up at Mcleod Ganj. The Buddha Temple is worth a visit.

Air : Nearest Airports are at Amritsar (200 km)
Rail : Nearest Railway Station at Kangra Mandir (21 km)
Bus : Regular bus services to Jwalamukhi (55 km) Palampur (52 km), Chamba (192 km), Mandi (150 km) Kulu (211 km) Simla via Hamirpur (278 km), Simla via Mandi and Bilaspur (322 km) Baijnath (66 km) and Kangra (17 km).

JWALAMUKHI
The temple of Jwalamukhi is famous for its eternally burning flame (the Flame Goddess), is one of the most popular Hindu temples in northern India. There is no idol of any kind and the flame is treated as a manifestation of the goddess. This holy place is recognized as one of 51 seats of the Shakti Peeth.

Air : Nearest Airports are at Amritsar (217 km)
Bus : Regular buses to Kangra (34 km)

KANGRA
Overlooking the torrent of river Ban Ganga, Kangra town is famous for its temples. The most notable is the shrine dedicated to the goddess Vrajeshwari. The miniature and Rajput schools of hill painting flourished in the reign of Maharaja Sansar Chand Katoch, a great patron of art.

Air : Nearest Airports are at Amritsar (183 km)
Bus : Regular buses to Dharmshala, (17km) Palampur (35 km).