Kangra Tourism, Kangra Hotels, Tourism in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, India

Kangra which was known anciently as Trigarta is one of the most picturesque valleys in Himachal Pradesh. It is sheltered by the massive Dhauladhar range of mountains, rich in culture and history. The history of Kangra valley dates back to vedic times, more than 3,500 years ago. It finds mention in the Puranas the Mahabharta and in Rajtarangani. Kangra valley is one of the most picturesque valleys in the Himalayas. It is sheltered by the Dhauladhar and this majestic mountain range surpasses all others in its grandeur. The famous Bajeshwari Devi temple is located in the town. Kangra was revaged by foriegn aggression a number of times. Despite all this, the arts and crafts of the region continues to develop and find lyrical expression. Kangra town is situated at the confluence of the Baner and Majhi streams, overlooking the Banganga torrent is famous for temples, forts and now a speedily emerging as a business centre.

Sheltered by the massive Dhauladhar Mountain range and being one of the most picturesque valleys in Himachal, Kangra has much to offer to tourists. Kangra is very famous for its important temples, many of them are Shaktipeeth, i.e. Jwalamukhi temple, Bajeshwari or Bajreshwari temple, Chamuna devi temple, Masroor rock temple. These temples are one of the prime attractions of Kangra, visited by thousands and thousands of people every year. A number of fairs and festivals are celebrated in Kangra every year i.e. Jwalamukhi fair, Dal fair, Sayar fair, Baisakhi festival, Chet, Spring festival, Haryali, Sair, Navratras, Shivratri and Nawala festivals. Most of the fairs and festivals are celebrated with great enthusiasm in Kangra valley.

There are some very beautiful and gorgeous lakes in Kangra i.e. Maharana Pratap Sagar, Dal lake and Kareri lake. Maharana Pratap Sagar was declared wildlife sanctuary in 1983. Kangra is very well connected with a huge network of roads and has some famous places to explore i.e. Kangra Fort, Taragarh Palace, Chinmaya Tapovana, Nadaun, Trilokpur and Kathgarh. There is a wildlife sanctuary in Kangra named Pong Lake Sanctuary spread along with the Maharana Pratap Sagar lake, which has emerged as favourite place of many migratory birds. About 16 to 20 thousand migratory birds, belonging to 54 species, visit the lake every year.

Tourism in Kangra area is mainly related with religious tourism activities as it has some very important temples around. There are two other important Hill stations in district Kangra known as Dharamsala and Palampur. All in all, Kangra with a numerous important temples is a great destination for people looking to go on a religious holiday escape.

Kangra Fort :
The historic fort of Kangra was built by Bhuma Chand. This fort had been the centre of attraction for the rulers of northern India, since a long time. The first attack on the fort was made by the Raja of Kashmir 'Shreshtha' in 470 A.D. In 1846 Kangra fort fell into the hands of the British. Kangra fort is located on the bank of the river Banganga at the height of 350 feet. In the foreyard of the fort are the temple of 'Laxmi Narayan' and 'Adinath' located in the Kangra fort is dedicated to Jainism. Inside the fort are two ponds one of them is called 'Kapur Sagar'. At present the fort is under the control of 'Archaeological Survey of India'. It was badly damaged in 1905 earthquake.

Taragarh Palace :
Muslims used this place to propagate the ideas of Islam and in 1933 the 'Nawab of Bhavalpur' built a palace there, which was named as Alhilal. Till 1947, the place remained as the Summer capital of the Nawab. From 1947-49 it was used as warehouse by the Punjab government. In 1949 it came in the possession of 'Maharani Tara' the wife of Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and mother of Raja Karan Singh. In 1951 it was converted into a Motel Taragarh Palace.

Chinmaya Tapovana :
10 km. from Kangra. Situated on a hillock is the recently established 'Ashram' complex by Swami Chinmayananda, who was a great exponent of the Gita. It is a beautiful place to visit. There is also a larger than life statue of Hanuman and also a very big Shivling which can be seen from far.

Nadaun :
10 km. from Jwalamukhi and 40 km. from Kangra. A lovely place for a quiet weekend. The Beas river which flows nearby provides excellent Mahasheer fishing. Theere is a temple dedicated to Shiva.

Trilokpur :
It is 41 km. from Kangra. The natural cave has attractive pillars of limestone on the floor of the cave by the percolation of water from the roof. It is something like stalagmites. The cave is dedicated to Shiva. It is a very sacred place. There are two restaurants in trilokpur and various other local Dhabas. It is also used as a halting place for tourists exploring Himachal on vehicles.

Kathgarh :
It is a village situated 7 kms. from Indora on the meeting point of the Beas and the Choch rivers. There is an old temple, built in Mughal style, housing 6 feet long and 5 feet round 'Shivalinga' The 'Linga' here is of its own kind not found anywhere in the world. The Linga inside the temple is made of wood and it automatically breaks into two pieces and then the two equal pieces are put in the right place and it again retain its original state.

Jwalamukhi :
30 km. from Kangra and 56 km. from Dharamshala. This place is famous for Jwalamukhi, the 'Flamming Goddess'. It is one of the most popular Hindu temple in Northern India. There is no idol and the flame is considered a manifestation of the Goddess. The eternal flame issues from the rock sanctum and is constantly fed by the priests. Two important fairs are held during the Navratras, in early April and in mid October.

Bajreshwari Devi Temple :
Just outside the town is the temple dedicated to Brajeshwari Devi. Known once for its legendary wealth, this temple was subject to successive depredation by invaders from the North. Mohammed of Ghazni is known to have departed with a king's ransom in gold, silver and jewels in 1009. Destroyed completely in 1905 by an earthquake, it was rebuilt in 1920. This is a very important temple situated in the heart of Kangra Town. It is visited by a large number of visitors from near and far. One can have a breath taking view of snow clad Dhauladhar Mountains from the temple.

Chamunda Devi Temple :
It is 15 km. from Kangra. This temple is situated on the right bank of the 'Baner' stream with the Dhauladhar as a backdrop, this has an idol of goddess Chamunda, who, it is said, was given the boon to fulfil the desires of those who worshipped her. On the back of the temple is a cave niche where a stone 'Lingam' under a boulder represents Nandi Keshwar ( Shiva ). It is one of the most famous temples of district Kangra visited a large number of visitors from near and far. It is also suitably located near Dharamsala or Dharamshala.

Masroor Rock Temple :
40 km. from Kangra. Masroor is known for its monolithic temples. There are 15 monolithic rock-cut temples in the Indo-Aryan style, richly carved. The temples, partly ruined now, are profusely decorated with sculptural ornamentation conceived in the same manner as the great temple of Kailash at Ellora in Maharashtra. The main shrine contains three stone images of Ram, Lakshman and Sita. In the intervening portions of the rocks are sculpted a series of temples unique in the entire Himalayan region and comparable to the monolithic temples of Mahabalipuram, Ellora and Dhamnar caves.In the centre of the complex stands the principal and most elaborately carved shrine - the Thakurdwara - enshrining black stone images of Ram, Lakshman and Sita facing east. The Masroor temple has an adjoining tank - large and rectangular - hewn from sandstone. It is nearly 50 m in length and is reputed to have water throughout the year.

Maharana Pratap Sagar :
In district Kangra. 170 km from Chandigarh, 110 km from Amritsar, 55 km from the district headquarters at Dharamshala. The closest railway stations are at Mukerian - 30 km, and Pathankot - 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 at Gaggal - 40 km. The lake is well served by a network of roads. Named in the honour of the great patriot Maharan Pratap, the Maharana Pratap Sagar was once known as the Pong Dam Reservoir. India knows the Maharan as a man who struggled valiantly for his knigdom of Mewar - as for the principle of independence. It is made of Beas River. In 1960, a dam was built on the Beas river and this dam resulted in a huge Maharana Pratap Sagar Lake (once known as Pong Lake). This huge mass of water varies from 180 sq. km. to 400 sq. km. This lake was declared sanctuary in 1983. Maharana Pratap Sagar Lake has emerged as favourite place of many migratory birds. About 16 to 20 thousand migratory birds, belonging to 54 species, visit the lake every year. . The Dam was completed in 1976.

Dal Lake :
11 km from Dharamsala. Surrounded by deodar trees, this is on the motor road to Naddi. Held sacred, this has a small Shiva temple on its banks. The banks of the lake are enlivened every September by a fair attended - amongst others- by a large number of migrant Gaddi folk. Though small in area, this lake has a charm of its own solely due to its surrounding forest and hills. Taking a dip in the lake is considered sacred. Devotees believe that a bath in the lake fulfills any boon asked from Lord Shiva at that time.

Kareri Lake :
This lake is 35 km from Dharamsala. It is a very beautiful lake surrounded by thick woods. The beauty of the lake is further enhanced by the visually stunning backdrop of the Dhauladhar mountains. Ideal for a day long picnic. This is a heaven for trekkers in the area.

Pong Lake Sanctuary :

Altitude : varies from 335 meters to 435 meters.
Annual Rainfall : mean annual rainfall is 1780 mm.
Temperature : temprature varies from 5 to 44°C.
Area : 30,729 hectares ( 307.29 sq. km. ).
Location : near Dehra-Gopipur.
Approaches : easily approachable from many places.

In 1983, the Sagar was declared a wildlife sanctuary and over 220 species of birds belonging to 54 families have been sighted over the waters and the fringing mud-banks - these include black-headed gulls, plovers, terns, ducks, water-fowl and egrets. Maharana Pratap Sagar Lake is the only place in India other than Bharatpur (Rajasthan) where the rare red necked grabe has been found. The sanctuary is close to several places of Hindu Pilgrimage - Jawalamukhi, Chamunda Devi, Chintpurni, Brajeshwari Devi, Mahakalesar, Bagalamata and Naina Devi. The seat of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Mcleodganj and the Namgyal Monastery are a short drive away. The other budhist monasteries at hand are Tahijong and Bir.

Flora
The sanctuary is a wetland. Forest Types include dry deciduous scrub, dry bamboo and Himalayan pine forest.

Fauna ( Mammals )
Indian wild Bear, barking Deer, red Indian Fox, Indian hare, Hedgehag,longeared, Jackal, common Langur, Rhesus Macaque, Mongoose, Nilgai, Indian Porcupine and Sambar.

Reptiles
Indian Cobra, Book's Gecko, common Indian monitor and Indian Python.

Fish
Tor Putitora ( Mahasheer ), Wallago Attu ( Mallip ) and Ophiocaphalus.