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Dalhousie
BriefDalhousie ,named after Lord Dalhousie, is an enchanting little town, with a colonial hangover. Thick forests, wildlife, tranquil ambience and refreshing views of the far mountains draped in snow, attract nature-lovers and tourists alike. Set on five hills and facing the Pir Panjal range, one can catch spectacular views of the Ravi, Beas and Chenab rivers, from certain vantage points. Fold after fold of mountains, snow-capped and pristine, and spectacular landscape of Dalhousie sure warrants a visit.
History
When the British annexed Punjab in 1849 their Chief Engineer, Lt. Col. Napier was inspired by the surrounding natural beauty and aptly chose the land at the foot of the Dhauladhar range as a place to carve a town out of a hillside. Thirteen square miles were marked out and rented from the Raja of Chamba in 1853. Sir David McLeod (of McLeodganj fame) named the hill station after Lord Dalhousie, then Viceroy General of India. There was soon a sanitorium that Lord Dalhousie and many of the British visited regularly to rejuvenate themselves. In the 1920's, it was a favourite holiday spot, especially with the elite Punjabi community who travelled up from Lahore. It was a cheaper and arguably more attractive alternative to Shimla. After the partition of India most of the local Muslim population migrated to Pakistan and it also lost the patronage of the British. Dalhousie suffered an economic slump for many years. In 1954, at Dalhousie's centennial celebrations, Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru tried to encourage tourism with "Let us go to the Himalayas". He also chose Dalhousie as a place of refuge for several thousand Tibetans after China invaded Tibet in 1959. Now a part of the state of Himachal Pradesh, Dalhousie has recently been re-discovered by travellers and tourists (who can no longer visit unsafe Kashmir). It is also a current favourite with the Hindi film industry - watch 1942-A Love Story.
CultureClimate & Geogaphical Location
Dalhousie ranges between 1,525m and 2,378m high from sea level. The maximum temperature of Dalhousie in summers is 30*C and the winter temperature comes down to almost O*C. Heavy woollens are required in winter and light woollens or tropicals in summer.
How to Reach
Air, rail and road connect Dalhousie. By air, the nearest airports are at Gaggal near Dharamsala, Amritsar and Jammu, all of which are within a circuit of 130 km to 190 km. Tourist taxis and buses are available from the respective three destinations for transfer to Dalhousie. By rail, Pathankot, 80 km away, is the nearest railhead for Dalhousie. It is well connected to Delhi and Mumbai. By road, the routes are good via Ambala or Patiala to Pathankot. Even though the roads are not very broad, the drive upto Dalhousie is quite comfortable. Punjab and Himachal Pradesh Tourism both run deluxe buses from Pathankot, Shimla and Dharamsala to Dalhousie.
Tourist Places
Khajjiar
Khajjiar is a favourite picnic spot for tourists located 24 km from Dalhousie. Flanked by forests, the tiny lake in the middle of the meadow is enclosed by wooden cottages or forest cabins. One could take a horse ride around for Rs 50. Buses and taxis are available at any time of the day. You could spend a night there, too. The Mini Swiss Hotel offers decent accomodation.
Others
DAINKUND PEAK - The 9-km walk from Gandhi Chowk to here is simply spectacular. Once here, you can see the Chenab, the Ravi and the Beas clearly, the major waterways of North India.
GARAM SADAK - Lined with oak, cedar and pine trees, Garam Sadak is the best walk in Dalhousie. Midway, you will see several of the stone cliffs painted with colourful images of Tibetan deities. There are no cars allowed here.
KALATOPE WILDLIFE SANCTUARY - Only about 8.5 km from Gandhi Chowk, the sanctuary houses several species, including the black bear and barking deer. It also has some very interesting birdlife.
PANCH PULLA - A short walk from Gandhi Chowk, Panch Pulla,is where five bridges span a rushing stream. There is also a memorial, that honours Ajit Singh, the famous freedom fighter and supporter of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
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