Having been found in the 6th century Chamba is one of the oldest Princely States of India in uttaranchal. It is surrounded by many other hill stations fom all sides. It has Jammu and Kashmir in the North, Ladakh in the East, Kangra and Gurdaspur in the South. The Ravi River flows through the district and also there are many hydro-electric generating stations. The town of Chamba was found by Raja Sahil Varman at the onset of 10th Century. The town of Chamba covers an area of 6528 sq. kms and the population is around 4.60 lakhs. The best season to visit is between April and October. Winter trekking is also popular for adventurous tourist from November to March. One can reach Chamba by road using a taxi or bus service. It is at a distance of 52 kms from Dalhousie. Services are easily available from Delhi, Punjab, Chandigarh and Shimla etc. The hill station of Chamba is famous for its Temples and Palaces. They are great piece of architectural work and innovative designs.
LAXMI NARAYAN TEMPLE The Temple was built by Sahil Varman and is the main temple of Chamba and known for its innovative style. It’s built in the style of a Shikhara. There are several other temples within the complex. The temple of Radha krishna, Shiva Temple of Chandergupta and Gauri Shankar Temple are among these. The temple of Laxmi Narayana continued to be embellished by the Rajas who succeeded to the throne of Chamba.
VAJRESHWARI TEMPLE This temple is dedicated to Devi Vajreshwari- The Goddess of lightning. It is situated at the northern end of the Jansali Bazaar. The temple is built in the Shikhara style with wooden Chhattries and stands on the platform. The Shikhara of the temple is elaborately carved. There are two other minor temples on either side of the main shrine.
CHAMUNDA DEVI TEMPLE This temple is famous for its artistic carvings on the lintel and the pillars. There is also a small shrine of Lord Shiva in a Shikhara style. The temple is built on a raised platform. Another platform is built in the premises of the temple which have the 2 oldest peepal trees to provide shelter to the visitors and is also worshipped by all. The Ravi River is clearly visible from this temple. This temple is at a distance of 3kms from Chamba and lies on the Chamba- Jhamwar road. This temple besides being a pilgrimage place is also a very good place for picnic.
RANG MAHAL Rang Mahal was built by Raj Sri Singh around 19th century. Its architecture is a mix of both the British and the Mughal style. The look of the temple is that of a fort used only for granary and treasury. It was the residence of Raj Sri Singh and in today’s time the Mahal is being used as shops for making handicraft items. The palace was decorated with wide range of beautiful paintings carvings and sculptures. But once it’s open to visitors the paintings have been removed and now are placed in the museum. Some paintings are placed at National Museum of Delhi and some can still be viewed in the Bhuri Singh Museum in Chamba.