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Destination > Palampur |
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Palampur |
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The town
of Palampur (1219 m) is situated in a idyllic valley priding
itself with tea gardens, and hills covered with pine trees.
The place enjoys a year-round pleasant climate and the pine
scented air is said to have curative properties. The scenery
presents a sublime and beautiful contrast- the valleys
presents a picture of rural innocence and repose, while the
hills are majestic. Overlooking this town are the majestic
Dhauladhars, whose tops remain covered with snow for most of
the year. This place is thronged tourists and is now being
developed as a large tourist centre. A ropeway and an
amusement park is also on proposed to be constructed. An
Agricultural University and a Cenral Scientific Research
Institute’s IHBT are pride of the town. Some tea factories
are also coming up here.
While in town one could go for one of the several pleasant
walks around the town. A short walk from here takes one to
the awe inspiring Bundla Chasm which has a fall of over 100
meters to the Bundla stream. The stream is a thin streak
running over stony ground far below the cliff. During the
monsoon season, it swells and rages madly over the entire
width of the chasm taking stones and boulders along with it
making thunder like loud roaring noise.
Approach
Air: Nearest airport is at Gaggal 40 km.
Rail: Palampur is connected by
Pathankot-Jogindernagar narrow gauge railway line.
Road: Palampur is also accessible by road
and there are many buses from Dharamshala 40 kms, Kangra 38
kms, Kullu 205 kms & Shimla 259 kms.
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Distances from Palampur
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Places to visit
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Km
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Andreta
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12 |
Baijnath Shiv Temple
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16 |
Bir
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29 |
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Billing |
43 |
Chamunda Devi Temple
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25 |
Jwalamukhi temple
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60 |
Kangra fort
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40 |
Neugal Khad
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3 |
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Taragarh Palace Hotel |
11 |
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Places to see |
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Chamunda Devi Temple |
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Just 24
km from Kangra and 15 km from Dharamshala is the famous
temple of goddess Chamunda Devi (Chamunda Nandikeshwar Dham).
At the back of the temple is a cave-like scoop where a stone
"Lingam" under a boulder represents Nandikeshwar (Shiva).
The temple complex is an enchanting spot with glorious view
of Dhauladhar, the Baner Khad and Dadh. A vast running water
pool houses the statues of Lord Shiva and Saraswati. A trek
of about 16 km up in the Dhauladhar ranges is the ancient
temple of Aadi Himani Chamunda.
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Jwalamukhi Temple |
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The
famous temple of Jwalamukhi is 35 km. from Kangra and 56
kms from Dharamshala. Dedicated to the "GODDESS OF LIGHT",
the temple is one of the most popular Hindu temples in
northern India. There is no idol of any kind the flame is
considered as a manifestation of the goddess. An eternally
burning and shining blue flame emanates from the rock
sanctum and is fed by the priests with the offerings of
devotees. The golden tower (dome) of the temple was a gift
from the Emperor Akbar. Two important fairs are held here
during the Navratras in earlier April and mid October. Hotel
accommodation, Dharamshala, rest houses and HPTDC hotels
with modern facilities are available for visitors to the
shrine. (Please also visit the exclusive web site for the
temple namely.
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Maharan Pratap Sagar |
At an
altitude of 450 metres above sea level, 32 degree north and
76 degrees east. In district Kangra 170 km from Chandigarh,
110 km from Amritsar, 55 km from headquarters at 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.
Named in honour of the great patriot Maharana Pratap
(1572-97 AD). 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.
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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 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.
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Baijnath Temple |
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The
ancient temple at Baijnath is particularly beautiful and is
16 Km from Palampur. Built of stone in the 9th century AD,
in the shikhara style, it is a fine blend of sculpture and
architecture. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Baijnath is close to
Palampur and Kangra.
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