Mandi
The historic town of Mandi (800 m) is built along the banks of the river Beas. It has long been an important commercial centre and the sage Mandva is said to have meditated here. This one time capital of the princely state of Mandi is a fast developing town that still retains much of its original charm and character. Today, it is a district headquarters. Mandi is renowned for its 81 old stone temples and their enormous range of fine carving, it is often called the 'Varanasi of the Hills'. The town has remains of old palaces and notable examples of 'colonial' architecture. The temples of Bhutnath, Trilokinath, Panchvaktra and Shyamakali are among the more famous ones. The week long international Shivratri fair in Mandi is the major attraction of the area every year. In the year 2011 the fair is scheduled to be held from 3rd-9th March. In the fair the activities like cultural programmes in the evenings, exhibitions, sports etc. are the major attractions for the tourists as well as locals.
General information:
Area: 3950 sq. km
Population 9.01 lakh
Clothing: Cotton clothes in Summer and heavy woolen in winter.
Language: Hindi, Punjabi, English are understood and spoken by the people engaged in tourism trade.
Approach:
Rail The nearest railway station is at Joginder Nagar, Chandigarh and Kalka by broad gauge train which are connected by regular bus services.
Road: Mandi is approachable by road from Shimla, Chandigarh, Pathankot and Delhi. There are regular bus services linking it to the other towns like Manali, Palampur and Dharamshala.
Map of Mandi
Chamba
The town of Chamba, the district headquarter of Chamba district is situated in the western Himalayas between north latitudes 32°10' and 33°13' and east longitudes 75°45' and 77°33'. The town stands on a plateau on the right bank of the Ravi river valley between Dhauladhar and Zanskar ranges south of the inner Himalayas. This town was founded by Raja Sahil Varman when he conquered the lower Rani valley from the petty chiefs called Ranas and Thakurs in the beginning of 10th Century. It seems the original name of the town was Champa as mentioned in Kalhan's Rajtarangani. In the bansauli or genealogical rolls of the Chamba Rajas a reference occurs of place which was adorned with highly fragrant Champaka trees and guarded by Goddess Champavati or more popularly known as Chameshni. The temple was built by Sahil Varman in the honour of his daughter Champavati who is worshipped as a goddess in Chamba. Champavati temple became the family temple of the ruling family.
General information
Area: 6528 sq. km
Population 4.60 lakh
Season: The best tourist season to visit Chamba is round the year. Adventure tourists may like to undertake winter trekking from November to March when the higher reaches of the district are snow clad and access to most of the villages is on foot.
Climate: The climate of Chamba in general is tempreate with well defined seasons. However, there may be variations because of micro-climatic systems depending upon altitude and mountain aspect. The winters last from December to February. March and April generally remain cool and dry but snowfall does occur at higher elevations during these months. The temperature begins to rise rapidly from the middle of April till last week of June or first week of July when monsoon breaks-in. Monsoon continues till the end of August or mid September. During the monsoon, the weather remains misty, humid and cloudy. October and November are comparatively dry but cold. The maximum temperature in Chamba town in summers is 38°C and the minimum in winter is 0°C.
Approach: Chamba is approximately 52 kms from Dalhousie. The distance is reduced by 6 kms. via Upper Barkota and Khajjiar road. Bus and taxi service is available from Chamba to Pathankot, Delhi, Dharamsala, Shimla, Chandigarh, Jammu and most of the Punjab cities along the national highway.
Manali
Just 40 kms away from Kullu to the north, Manali is situated near the end of the valley on the National Highway leading to Leh. The landscape here is breath taking. One sees well-defined snow capped peaks, the Beas river with its clear water meanders through the town. On the other side are deodar and pine trees, tiny fields and fruit orchards. It is an excellent place for a holiday, a favorite resort for trekkers to Lahaul, Spiti, Bara Bhangal (Kangra), and Zanskar ranges. From temples to antiquity, to picturesque sight-seeing spots and adventure activities, Manali is a popular resort for all seasons and for all travellers. The annual State level Winter Carnival was celebrated from 23rd to 27th January, 2011.
Approach
Rail: Nearest convenient rail head are at Chandigarh and Pathankot. Manali can be reached from road from these stations.
Road: Manali is well connected by road with Delhi, Ambala, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Haridwar, Shimla, Dharamsala and Chamba/Dalhousie. Regular buses ply between these stations. It is connected with Leh during July to October.
Dharamshala
This is a hill station lying on the spur of the Dhauladhar range about 17 kms north- east of Kangra town. This hill station is wooded with oak and conifer trees and snow capped mountains enfold three sides of the town while the valley stretches in front. The snowline is perhaps more easily accessible at Dharamshala than at any other hill resort and it is possible to make a day's trek to a snow-point after an early morning's start. Dharamshala is also the headquarter of the Kangra district.
Naddi Village near Dharamshala
In and around Dharamshala, one can visit the Kangra Art museum at Kotwali bazar, War memorial, Kunal Pathri temple and tea gardens on way to Kunal Pathri. There is also a beautiful Cricket stadium in the city facing mighty Dhauladhar.
Languages Spoken: Hindi, Punjabi, English and Pahari are understood and spoken by the people engaged in tourism trade
Shopping centres: Kotwali Bazar, a general shopping area, and McLeod Ganj for Tibetan handicrafts
Area: 5739 sq. km
Population: 13.39 lakh
Altitude: Between 1250 m to 1550 m (Dharamshala)
Temperature: Max. 38 C in June; Min. 0 C in Jan.
Annual rainfall: Varies between 290 cm to 380 cm second highest rainfall in the country.
Best season: January to June; September to December. July-August is rainy season.
Clothing
Winter: Heavy Woollens
Summer: Light Woollens and tropical
Approach
Air: The nearest airport at Gaggal is 14 km away after which it is accessible by road.
Rail: Pathankot is the nearest broad gauge railway terminal to Dharamshala. From Pathankot there is a narrow gauge railway line up to Kangra (94 km) and from here Dharamshala is 17 km by road.
Road: Direct and regular bus service from Delhi (520 km), Chandigarh (250 km), Jammu (210 km), Shimla (238 km), Chamba (185 km) and Manali (240 km).
Rajgarh
Popularly known as the Peach valley, Rajgarh is a lush green valley in Sirmaur district. Rajgarh has two sub-divisions namely, Rajgarh and Sarahan, which is also a beautiful valley of Sirmaur. Rajgarh is a place of great natural beauty and is about 40 km from Solan. One can camp and trek in the valley. At Rajgarh, rest house of PWD and Forest Department are available for staying, besides private hotels and guest houses.The people of this valley are dynamic and hardworking. They are religious and worshippers of Lord Shiva and Goddess Durga. The local Shaya temple of Lord Shirgul has a mammoth following. According to a legend, Lord Shirgul had first come to Shaya village and later settled in Churdhar Mountain at height of 12,000 feet.
The famous Baru Sahib Gurdwara also lies in this valley and is worth a visit. It is 29 km from Rajgarh and is situated beyond Kheri, a picturesque spot on the banks of a tributary of the Giri River.
Habban Valley: It is an enchanting destination and the area has thick pine fir, kail, baan and deodar forests besides orchards of apples and peaches. The climate is pleasant round the year and in winter, Habban occasionally has snow. Habban is about 70 km from Solan via Yashwant Nagar and Rajgarh.
Haripurdhar: Haripurdhar is about two hour journey from Rajgarh and is famous for the temple of Bhangyani Devi, a god sister of Lord Shirgul, the principal deity whose seat is at Churdhar. For staying PWD rest house (3 sets) and newly constructed trekkers hut is available, besides the Sarai in the temple.
Nohradhar: On way to Haripurdhar from Rajgarh, Nohradhar is one hour journey and is a base for trekking to Churdhar. There are many trek routes in the valley to Churdhar, like-Sailpaw-Dokhta-Churdhar (7 km), Haripurdhar-Churdhar (17 km), Nohradhar-Churdhar (14 km), Sarahan-Churdhar (7 km), Habban-Churdhar (15 km). For staying rest house of PWD (3 sets), IPH (2 sets) and some Guest houses are available.
Pragpur
Located at an elevation of 2000 feet above sea level, heritage village Pragpur is ideally suited to explore the Kangra valley. The area has several streams that drain into the river Beas. Many places of historic, religious and cultural importance are with in easy reach. With its equitable climate, easy access, safe passage and rich flora and fauna, Pragpur and its surroundings offers an ideal location for village tourism. The ambience of the heritage zone of Garli-Pragpur is zealously protected by the local residents. In their endeavour that Garli-Pragpur retains its unique character, panchayats preserve their heritage buildings. Several heritage structures are now being restored using original techniques but with modern facilities to facilitate tourist.
The Taal: Dating before 1868, the Taal or pond forms the core of Pragpur village and serves as a recreational space for young and aged alike. It was constructed by the village brotherhood known as the Nehar Committee. The Taal is surrounded by many heritage structures-the Nehar Bhawan (Approx 250 years old); Naun (around 1864), a drinking water facility by Nehar Committee; Dhuni Chand Bhardial Serai (village inn) and Radha Krishna Mandir.
Butail Niwas: This is a unique building. Over a hundred years old, it was built by Lala Buta Mal, a scion of the Chaujjar Sood clan. It includes six identical apartments built for his six sons. These lie around a sunken courtyard. In warmer weather, this courtyard is flooded with water to provide cooling. The water for this has been brought by the Butails from the nearby Nalsuyah Khad.
Nakki: This is one of the entrance to heritage village Pragpur. Since ancient times, the Reru Mal family provided a water point for common use, the overflow of which falls into small tanks where the village people bathed and washed.
The Judge's Court: Completed in 1918, this is a splended country manor designed in Indo-European tradition. The visionary behind this bold structure was Justice Sir Jai Lal. It stands in 12 acres of greens, and is just a short walk from the village core and the Taal. It is now run by the owning family as a heritage hotel. Other places of interest with in heritage village Pragpur are Lala Reru Mal Haveli built in 1931 by Rais of Pragpur which has a Mughal style garden, pleasure terrace and a large water reservoir; Butail Mandir; Chaujjar Mansion; Courtyards of the Sood clans, an ancient Shakti Mandir bearing inscriptions in the largely obsolete Tankry script and Atiyalas or public platforms. The area is inhabited by many crafts people-weavers, basket makers, silversmiths, painters, musicians and tailors etc. The residents of Garli-Pragpur are hospitable. There is always a warm welcome for tourists and the area provides a safe passage. The area is round the year visitable, especially January and September when the Lohri and wrestling festivals are celebrated.
Sixty km from Dharmshala, this small village seems to hold the kernel of much of Kangra’s rural beauty. Pragpur has been notified as a Heritage Village by Himachal Pradesh Govt. in December 1997. The twin village Garli-Pragpur has been declared as heritage zone in 2002. Pragpur is 175 km from Chandigarh & 25 km from Jwalaji.
24 km from Hamirpur town and close to the district border of Kangra is the fort of Sujanpur. This place was the capital of Katoch Dynasty and the old fort is worth visiting. Popularly known alongwith its twin title 'Tira', this fort was built by Raja Abhaya Chand of Kangra in 1758. In the early 19th century this was the home of the famous Raja Sansar Chand - renownded patron of the Kangra school of miniature paintings. The fort has a Barahdari Hall', where Sansar Chand used to hold court, some shrines and excellent wall paintings.
There is a huge ground, where the annual Holi fair is held for 3-4 days, besides being used for sport activities. A Sainik school is also located here. It is also a religious centre. Narbadeshwar, Gauri Shankar and Murli Manohar are the three well known temples in the town. By the waters of the river Beas, the town has a charming setting and the river stretch offers good angling opportunities. This place is suitable for other adventure sports as well, such as angling, rafting and trekking.
Maharana Pratap Sagar
Named in the honour of the great patriot Maharana Pratap (1572-97 AD) the Maharana Pratap Sagar (Pong Lake) is situated at an altitude of 450 metres above sea level, 32 degree north and 76 degrees east, in district Kangra. It is 170 km from Chandigarh, 110 km from Amritsar and 55 km from Dharamshala. The closest railway stations are at Mukerian 30 km, and Pathankot at 32 km. The settlements of Nagrota Surian and Jawali-which are located on the sagar's periphery-are connected by the charming narrow gauge Kangra railway line that connects Pathankot to Jogindernagar. The closest airport is Gaggal 40 km. The lake is well served by a network of roads.
Maharana Pratap struggled valiantly for freedom of Mewar-as for the principle of independence. In words of chroniclers James Tod and william Crook, "He spurned every overture that had submission for its basis". Over the river Beas, the Pong dam was completed in 1976. Its reservoir covers an area of about 45000 hectares at maximum possible flooding.The level varies every season and averages around 30000 hectares. Over 200 villages with a population of over 85000 people lie along the wetland.
This lake sanctuary is a big attraction for migratory ducks from Siberian region during winter. One can see thousands of ducks in the swamp area between Shahnahar barrage and Pongdam and the surrounding shallow waters of the lake. Clean blue water all around with the panoramic view of Dhauladhar Ranges and Kangra Valley make the visit to Ransar Island an unforgettable experience. Black buck and Cheetal on the island along with Surkhab, Cranes, Pintails and variety of water birds welcome the visitors on the Island. The best season to visit the Pong Lake is between September to March. The nearest other visitable places are Masroor rock-cut temple 10 km from Nagrota Surian railway station, Haripur fort, near to Guler railway station.
Kangra Fort
The torrential Banganga river deep in the valley forming a formidable sheer and the Kangra Fort lurking atop the flat mountain range is a scene that one encounters on nearing Kangra town when you drive from Shimla-Mataur national highway. A feeling of awe mixed with joy pervades you as you look back in time. The Kangra Fort is approximately 3 kilometer from the town and is also known as Nagarkot. The fort is historically significant; its massive size, and the beauty of its structure lend it an added charm. In Shash Fat’h-I-Kangra, it is mentioned as a lofty fort, strong, invincible and with beautiful buildings. At the entrance is a museum containing some valuable old photographs of the fort prior to the devastating earthquake of 1905 and some exquisite stone sculptures, carvings, idols and other artifacts.
The climb leads through seven gates; en route there are some idols embossed in the walls of the fort; the ramparts open out to the fascinating valleys below and one can recreate the past and glide the corridors of history as one climbs up slowly through cobbled path. There are three richly carved temples in the vicinity-- Lakshmi Narayan temple, the Ambika temple and a Jain temple of Adi Narayan. These have delicately carved patterns and in their decorative and elaborate art they are reminiscent of Meenakshi Madurai complex (Tamil Nadu) or the temples of Orissa.
The view of gushing streams of Banganga and Manjhi rivers from the Fort is charming. The Kangra Fort was the seat of power of the Katoch Raja's and is believed to have been founded by Shusharma Chand Katoch, an ally of Kauravas in the Mahabharata war. It was the ancient capital of the Katoch Kingdom and symbol of power in the Punjab hill states. The Fort of Nagarkot (Kangra) stands as a mute witness to the ravages of conquerors from Mahmud of Ghazni (1009 AD) to the emperor Jehangir (1619 AD) and the disastrous earthquake of April, 1905. Emperor Akbar made many attempts to capture this fort but could not succeed. This place is now called as " Purana Kangra". One can enter the fort by a narrow path. It was protected by a number of gates named after its winners like Jehangir, Ranjit Singh and the British.
At the top of the fort, there was the palace of the Katoch kings. In the courtyard there are two temples of Lakshmi Narayan and Ambika Devi, family goddess of Katoch. The fort remained neglected during the British period but now the Archaeological department maintains it. The Fort is still an attraction to the tourists and the pilgrims visiting Kangra.
The historical Kangra Fort is 3 km from the Kangra town. One can reach Kangra town by road, rail & air. Kangra is 17 km from Dharamshala, 220 km from Shimla and 235 km from Chandigarh.
Himachal is situated in the heart of western himalayas. The state is bordered by Jammu and Kashmir in the North, and Uttar Pradesh in the South-East. Haryana is in the South and Punjab is in the West. Himachal is located between 30"22' and 30"12' north latitude and between 75"47' and 79"4' east longitude. It is a mountainous state with altitudes ranging from 350 to 7000 meters (1050 ft. to 21000 ft.) above the sea level. Shimla, a beautiful city, is the state capital.
With its vast water reservoir and attractive location, Bhakra Nangal Dam attracts a large number of tourists. Water flowing from great height and at great speed leaves a spectator amazed. Himachal Pradesh Travel and Tourism Department has turned the place into a good picnic spot. The site definitely generates awe in tourist visiting the dam, who can opt for the rest houses located near it. The place also houses a natural fall, which is the main source of hydro-electricity generated by the Ganguwal and Kotla power plant.
Located in the Sutlej valley of Himachal Pradesh, Bilaspur is a small district that boasts of scenic natural surroundings. Bilaspur covers an area of 1167 square kilometers. Bilaspur is divided into two parts by River Sutlej that passes right through its center. This little district has many tourist attractions and is the ideal place to go on sightseeing tours. People who come to Bilaspur on tours always return back with wonderful memories of the place. To experience the same magic yourself, plan a tour to Bilaspur of Himachal Pradesh. 
