HOME       Contact Us      Hire Us       Domestic Airlines        Railway Enquiry     Railway Booking     Hotels Abroad

Kangra valley, a favourite of adventure tourists

Kangra town and Kangra valley are in the Dhauladhar ranges of Himachal Pradesh mountains, located between Dhauladhar and the Shivalik foothills.

Kangra valley runs parallel to Kullu valley but not connected to each other directly. From Kangra, the scenic white snowy ridge of the Dhauladhar range can be seen. The valley is between Dhauladhar and the Shivalik foothills. The valley starts near Mandi and runs north-west to Shahpur near Pathankot in Punjab on the western border of Himachal Pradesh. The nomadic shepherds called Gaddis can be seen here. They had originally come from across from Chamba crossing the Dhauladhar range in search of new pastures for their sheep and are permanent village dwellers here now although in summers they take their sheep to highlands.

The ancient town of Kangra is 17 km from Dharamsala, overlooking the torrent of Banganga river. The fort here is said to have had been founded by Susharma Chand Katoch. It served as the Capital of the ancient Katoch kingdom. With the palace at the top, the fort is situated on a rock overlooking the valley. The town was captured by Shah Jahan in 1620 and was recaptured by Raja Sansar Chand Katoch II from the Mughals in the 18th century. The famous Kangra paintings were commissioned by the Raja. Prosperity marked his rule and the territory was extended to Chamba and Kullu. The Kangra School of Painting was established by Raja Govardhan Singh (1744-1773). Many artists of the Mughals had taken shelter here under him.

Excursions:-

Bajreshwari Devi temple:

Nadaun: 48 km from Kangra. This was made the capital of the Raja of Kangra when Kangra was conquered by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The palace was built on the left bank of Beas river. Nadaun gradually became a centre of Kangra art and culture as the Kangra kings always patronised the arts. For travellers this is an ideal place for weekends. There is also facility for fishing in the Beas.

Sujanpur: Later on, Sujanpur, 28 km further down the river, became the third capital of the Kangra Raja, Sansar Chand. He built up there the temples of Nanbadeshwar, Gauri Shankar and Murli Manohar. These are flat-roofed ('Thakurdwaras'). Raja Sansar Chand died here in 1823. This town is renowned for Holi celebration.

Adventure sports in Kangra Valley

Hang-gliding, Para-gliding, Trekking, Mountaineering

For those fired by adventure spirit, there is no stopping here in Kangra Valley. Bir-Billing and Dhelu are among the best sites for hang-gliding and para-gliding. A hang-gliding rally is an annual feature here in May-June. The Government chips in to put up tents for the foreigners to stay. The peaks in Dhauladhar Ranges 3500 to 5000 metres high. The famous mountaineer Sir Francis Younghusband has written much about the place.

The treks that start from Dharamsala, Palampur or Baijnath terminate at Bharmaur and Chamba, over the Dhauladhar Ranges. They last from 5 to 8 days. The treks here are usually undertaken from May to October. The regional mountaineering centre at Dharamsala provides the know-how and equipments. The centre also conducts adventure courses.

Some of the routes for trekking are: Dharamsala to Chamba over Balanijot, Dharamsala to Chamba over Minkiani Pass, Dharamsala to Chamba over Indrahar Pass, Dharamsala to Chamba over Bhimghasutri Pass, Dharamsala to Holi and Manimahesh over Talang Pass, Palampur to Holi over Shinghor Pass, Palampur to Dharamsala via Indrahar Pass and Baijnath to Manali.

EXCURSIONS IN DHAULADHAR:-

Himachal Pradesh - Destinations:

Custom Search

Indian Tourist Offices Abroad

Tourist offices in India

Helpline

Home    Contact Us
NOTE:
 Free contributions of articles and reports may be sent to indiatraveltimes@yahoo.com
DISCLAIMER