Dalhousie

The hill station of Dalhousie is full of old world charm and holds lingering echo’s of the Raj.: It covers an area of about 15 sq. km and is built over five hills (Kathlog, Potreyn, Tehra, Bakrota and Balun). The town is named after the British Governor General of the 19th century, Lord Dalhousie. The town’s height varies between 1525 m and 2378 m, and it is surrounded by varied vegetation—pines, deodars, oaks and
flowering rhododendron. Dalhousie has charming colonial architecture, including some beautiful churches, a veneer of Tibetan culture has added a touch of the exotic to his serene resort. This hill station also presents magnificent views of Chamba valley and the mighty Dhauladhar ranges with awe- inspiring snow covered peaks filling on entire horizon.

GETTING THERE :

• BY ROAD : Dalhousie is 485 km from Delhi, 335 km from Shimla, 360 km from Manali, 80 km from Pathankot, 127 km from Dharamsala via Chakki, 56 km from Chamba via Banikhet and 43 km from Chamba through Khajjiar.
• BY RAIL : The nearest train station at Pathankot is 80 km away.
• BY AIR : The closest airport is at Gaggal (Kangra) 114 km away.

CLIMATE

This hill resort is gifted with a pleasant temperate climate. Summers are warm and cotton clothing with light woollens are adequate but winters are cold and heavy clothing is essential.

ATTRACTIONS :

• Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary : This rises past Dalhousie and then goes down towards Khajjiar and Chamba. This covers an area of around 2000 hectares and has numerous animals (please see section on Khajjiar). The sanctuary area is covered with thick woods of pine, oak, and deodar. ln between, there are open pastures. The highway from Dalhousie to Chamba, through Khajjiar, cuts through the sanctuary. The Kalatop Forest Rest House is an attractive colonial-style wooden cottage and is accessible from Dalhousie from a track near the Lakkar Mandi.
• Satdhara and Panchpulla : Panchpula is about 3 kms from Dalhousie’s General Post Office and has a clear stream that gushes down from the heights of Dainkund (Dhyankund). By the roadside, a memorial, surrounded by water-pools fed by the stream, has been built in memory of the freedom fighter, Sardar Ajit Singh. En route to the memorial, the waters of the Satdhara springs are believed to have therapeutic properties.
• St. John’s Church is the oldest one and dates back to 1863; this is located at Gandhi Chowk. St. Francis’, the Catholic Church, lies just above Subash Chowk and dates back to 1894; the dressed-stone, dark woodwork and stained glass windows are finely done.
• St. Oswald’s Church is in the cantonment of Bakloh. The cantonment at Balun has St. Andrew’s Church built by the Presbyterians.
• Tibetan Handicrafts Centre : Run by Tibetan refugees, this is a couple kilometres after Gandhi Chowk, en route to Khajjiar. At the Centre you can also place an order for carpets and other items.
• Bakrota (Bakhrote) Hills and Dainkund : This is a delightful excursion of around 5 kms that encircles Lower Bakrota and can extend longer to the hill of Dainkund. From the top of Dainkund, on a clear day, you can even see the three main rivers of the area the Ravi, the Beas and the Chenab. En route are colonial houses and small attractive spots – and one of these places is the Subash Baoli, where noted freedom fighter, Netaji Subash Chandra Bose walked and contemplated while recuperating from an illness in 1937.
• Bara Pathar : 4 kms from town and placed in thick woods, this is a small temple dedicated to the deity, Bhulwani Mata. This is in the village of Ahla en route to Kalatop.

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HOTELS

THE MANIMAHESH – Deluxe Hotel
This recently built HPTDC hotel is named after the mythical
abode of Lord Shiva, the mountain of Manimahesh Kailash
(5,656m). On a clear day, this peak can be seen from the hotel
premises.
ADDRESS: The Manimahesh, Dalhousie
Distt. Chamba(HP)-176304, Tel. (O1899)242793
E-mail : manimahesh@hptdc.in

HOTEL GEETANJALI – Budget Hotel
In an old-world bungalow, this is an economy hotel and is
centrally located.
ADDRESS : The Geetanjali, Dalhousie Distt. Chamba,
176304
Tel. :(01899)242155 Email : da|housie@hptdc.in