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Hill station in Himachal Pradesh, India
Photo: Maheshrana01, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Dalhousie is a hill resort town in the Chamba District of Himachal Pradesh in India at 2000 metres (6400 feet) altitude.
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The main water tank in the area, holding 100,000 gallons.
It is a major district town a little distance away from Dalhousie and is the seat of the former princely State of Chamba. It has a number of attractions including a major museum, restaurants, etc.
It is next to the post office and police post in G.P.O.
A gentle, sloping walk near an Air Force base in Dalhousie, leading to a Hindu temple.
It is called Ganji Pahadi (ganji means bald, pahadi means hill) because there are no trees on the summit of the hill and it looks like it's got a bald patch at the top. You can ask a local how to get there. It is a long walk of at least an hour, but quite pleasant.
It's on the way to Khajjiar at the toll barrier for Kala Tope, a road to the left of the barrier leads to the government rest house, a nice quiet spot and a great place for a picnic. The 3-km route through dense pine forests from Lakkadmandi to Kala Tope is simply exhilarating. No cars are allowed on the route.
Kalatop Khajjiar Sanctuary
Kalatop Sanctuary was recognized as a game sanctuary on 1 July 1949. It lies between Dalhousie and Chamba at the northwestern extremity Daula Dhar. Dalhousie-Chamba Road runs through the sanctuary, which contains about 15 villages. In 1982-1983, there was a total of 1766 people living inside the sanctuary.
This reserve covers an area of 3,069 hectares. Its altitude varies from 1185 meters to 2768 meters (3910 ft-9134 ft.) The terrain is steep and typical of the Outer Himalayas. It is drained by several tributaries of the Ravi River which lies just to the north. There is a lake at Khajjiar. The temperature varies from -10°C to 35°C. The mean precipitation is 2,648 mm, one-fourth of which falls as snow.
Khajjiar, Kalatop, Dain Kund, Lakarmandi, and Bara Pathar are the tourist attractions in this sanctuary. From Gandhi Chowk, a steep, uphill walk will take you to the scenic Bakrota Circle. After walking about 2 kilometres, the road to this sanctuary starts near the Municipal Water Reservoir.
Kalatop is at an altitude of 2440 metres, and it is 8.5 kilometres from the GPO. From Lakarmandi, a jeepable road through the dense forest leads to the Kalatop Forest Resthouse. This is a perfect spot for a weekend retreat. The panoramic views of Pir Panjal Range and countryside are breathtaking.
A stunning valley with a spring in the middle, while being quite beautiful, it gets littered with trash in the peak season of July when a massive number of tourists come. Known as the 'Switzerland of India' for the meadowy scenery.
This is the spot (chowk means intersection) where the road from the bus stand makes a cross road between two roads to G.P.O. and the one coming in from the bus stand. It is also a fairly active market, second to G.P.O.
The highest area in Dalhousie, it has a number of estates, a residential school, and an Army barracks at the top. The area is circled by a road called Bakrota Walk, on the way to Khajjiar which ends at Alah Water Tank. It was the preferred destination of the landed gentry of Punjab during the Raj, now populated by similar residents from the new India. Some of the houses are worth seeing, but are mostly on private gated estates.
Dalhousie
At Mongas, Dalhousie, serving multi-cuisine meals.
A large selection of Indian and Chinese cuisine. Like most small town restaurants, the cuisines mingle a little.
Tibetan market is like a canal. Being like a canal, it has lots of shops with great handicraft and also wooden articles.
This Eco tourism resort on the Khajjiar Road sits pretty on a ridge adjoining the Kalatop Wildlife sanctuary and overlooks the valley and vistas of nothingness beyond. Multi-cuisine restaurant and bar. Recreation centre, mountain biking, guided nature hikes & camping and a small ropes adventure course for kids.
The resort offers excellent service as well as good accommodation, far from the crowds.
On the most peaceful and beautiful side of town, with all the modern amenities, personal balconies, and ample parking space.
Central location on the most peaceful and beautiful side of town, with all the modern amenities, personal balcony for complete privacy.
Terraces overlooking Pir Panjal Ranges, Bathri Valley and the Dalhousie Cantt, landscaped gardens. Restaurant Davat with terrace. Conference hall for 200 people. Bar, health club, games room.
provide all the facilities according to customer needs , also having different packages for different seasons.
Each room has excellent views over the plain and Himalayas, private bay windows with Indian sittings, 32" LCD TV's, wooden flooring and modern amenities.
The trip to Dalhousie is a long one if you are heading from Delhi. It usually involves taking an overnight train to Pathankot (about 10 hr) and then a 2–3 hr drive from Pathankot to Dalhousie.
Read in the guideThe greatest activity in Dalhousie is on and around the three-level malls which were laid in the early 1860s for promenades, carriages, horses, dandies, etc.
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