Kahjjiar

Height : 1951 m
Considered to be one of the most picturesque spots on Earth, Khajjiar is often likened to the landscapes of Switzerland. This status was officially given to this exquisite glade by the Swiss authorities and it is one of the 160 p|aces in the world that bear a topographical resemblance to Switzerland. A plaque marks Khajjiar‘s distance from Berne, Switzerland as 6,194 kms.
A series of streams feed a large pool in the centre of the glade which has a circumference of approximately 5 kms. On the fringes rise the thick cedar forests of the Kalatop Sanctuary. The snow line frames this picture of pastoral beauty— which is enhanced by flocks of grazing sheep and goats. The legend of Khajjiar has it that a great sage once lived at this beautiful spot. One day, a powerful serpent arriving there, liked the place and wished to make it his own. The sage tried to prevent this and a fierce struggle ensued. In the end the sage lost and had to give up the spot to the serpent. While conceding defeat, the sage declared, “Now you eat and you live — ‘Kha aur ji’.” And that is how Khajjiar is said to have got its name. The serpent is worshipped as ‘Khajji Nag’ and there is an attractive temple that enshrines an image at Khajjiar. The temple has a sanctum with an intricately carved ceiling while the verandah before the sanctum has life-size carvings in wood of the Pandava brothers who are said to have visited this spot during their exile, an episode from the epic, Mahabharata.

GETTING THERE

• BY ROAD: Khajjiar is 508 km from Delhi, 358 km from Shimla, 383 km from Manali, 113 km from Pathankot, 150 km from Dharmshala via Chakki, 26 km from Chamba and 23 km from Dalhousie.
• BY RAIL: Nearest station at Pathankot is 113 km away.
• BY AlR : The nearest airport is at Gaggal (Kangra) 137 km
  away.

CLIMATE

The glade has an alpine climate. Cotton clothing for summers and heavy woollens for winters are needed.
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ATTRACTIONS :

• Khajjiar Glade: This is the primary attraction and the little lake in the middle, when full, offers boating too. Horse-rides, zorbing, golf and walks through the forest and past fruit-laden are among the other activities at Khajjiar.
• Temple of Khajji Nag : Local belief has it that the temple was first built in the twelfth century, though many believe this to be older. This is dedicated to Khajji Nag – the
  mythical Serpent of Khajjiar. The serpent is worshipped in human form and there is a beautifully carved stone image of the ‘Nag devta’ — holding a mace in one hand
  and a khanda in the other -within the temple. Images of Lord Shiva and the Devi Hadimba are also enshrined within this.
• Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary : This surrounds Khajjiar and rises from the glade to a point above the town of Dalhousie and in the other direction, goes down towards
  the valley of the River Ravi. The sanctuary covers an area of around 2,000 hectares (a little over twenty square kilometers) and within its confines are a dozen little
  villages. Altitudes within the sanctuary vary between approximately 1200 m and 2800 m. This is home to several birds and animals like the serow, goral, yellow throated marten, leopard, black bear, barking deer, flying squirrels, monal, moklas and chukor.

HOTELS

THE DEVDAR – Deluxe Hotel
The Hotel Devdar is named after the Himalayan tree, a forest of which encircles the Khajjiar glade. This Hotel offers rare opportunities of enjoying a game of golf in an alpine meadow. This is an ideal setting for a quiet rejuvenating holiday in the mountains.

ADDRESS : The Devdar Khajjiar, Distt. Chamba (HP) –
176304 Tel.(01899)236333 E-mail:khajjiar@hptdc.in