Blog by Dr. Jaya Kumar
(THIS BLOG HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA)
Exploring the beauty of hills and mountains has always attracted me since childhood. Though I was born and brought-up in the city of New Delhi, in the heart of our nation, India, but I am really fortunate to be emotionally close to the Himalayas. Chamba, a district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, the ‘Dev Bhoomi’, is the home town of my father. It was here that I spent most of my summer vacations. In the hills, I always feel near to God and still share the same magical feeling whenever I visit various hill stations in our incredible India. I always feel that the mighty mountains and the hard rocks of the hills remind us of our inner strength and courage.
Chamba town is situated on the banks of the spectacular river Ravi. The approach to this scenic place is only through a road journey. Chamba is a large district where we can explore beautiful places like the popularly known ‘Mini Switzerland’- Khajjiar, Dalhousie, the Kalatop wild life sanctuary which is covered with dark pines and the Chamera dam which is built on the river Ravi.
Apart from magnificent beauty, Chamba is also home to various ancient and beautiful architectural pieces. The wide Chowgan Ground spreads like a green carpet in the middle of the town.
The art, culture and the rich heritage of Chamba can be seen at the Bhuri Singh Museum located near the Chowgan bazaar. The Chowgan bazaar has been a very old, multiproduct, local shopping market for the town and is located near the Chowgan ground. The Lakshmi Narayan temple is one of the oldest and largest temple complexes reflecting the unique ancient architecture of Chamba. The Rang Mahal is one of the largest monuments located in the Chamba region where beautiful handmade local goods are produced by the local artisans and craftsmen. The market in Chamba is not expensive and we can buy the famous local pulses and spices.
The two popular ‘jatras’ or fairs, the ‘Minjar Mela’ and ‘Suhi-Mata Mela’ attract tourists and locals from within Chamba and all the near-by villages. The famous Chamba paintings and the ‘Chamba Rumal’ which has the same embroidery on both the sides are popular world-wide.
The Chamunda temple which is located on the top of a hill has beautiful views of the whole of the Chamba town. This is a must visit. Here it seems like the divine Goddess ‘Chamunda Devi’ is bestowing her blessings on everyone.
Local authentic food like the ‘Rajma Madra’, the ‘Anaardana Khatta’, and the ‘Boor Khadhi’ are the native delicacies of Chamba. These are cooked with lots of spices which just melt in our mouth. The ‘Dham’ in Chamba is a community feast cooked by the traditional cooks which leaves an unforgettable experience.
There are various good hotels for a comfortable stay in Chamba and if one likes to have street food, this is the place to explore the ‘Cholla Bhaturas’, ‘Paani Puri’, ‘Kachaloo Chaat’ and the mouth watering ‘Aloo Tikkis’ specially served with salad and chutney.
The pickle lovers can enjoy various local pickles like the ‘Chhukh’, a kind of green chilly pickle. Local seasonal fruits like plum, apricot, peach, apple and many more are very juicy and healthy.
The people of Chamba are very friendly and sweet to talk to. The locals of the town are well versed in the rich history and culture of the town. Interacting with them enhances our knowledge and generates our interest in the history and culture of the region.
The popular languages of Chamba are Hindi, Himachali and ‘Chamyali’ which are easy to understand. Chamba as an area also finds reference in popular Himachali folk music and Hindi movie songs. They generally refer to the beauty of these hills and the people of Chamba.
On special ceremonial occasions, people wear local ‘Pahari’ dresses like the ‘Pattoo’ and the ‘Gujari’. The women of Chamba dress up beautifully and decorate themselves with the ‘Balu’-a traditional nose ring and ‘Maang Tika’ worn at the parting of the hair.
The beauty of Chamba is unmatchable. The vastness of the river Ravi is magnificent. To see the beautiful sun rise and the sun set from the banks of river Ravi is a life time experience. To walk barefooted on the Chowgan ground is a therapeutic and a rejuvenating experience.
The weather in Chamba is mostly pleasant. In winters, we can also experience snowfall with a cool fresh breeze blowing. So even if we forget to carry our heavy woollen clothes we can always buy hand woven Chamba shawls and stylish Chamba jackets which are very popular.
The Chamba ‘topi’ is also very famous because of its colourful border ‘Patti’. We can buy handmade Chamba ‘Juttis’ which are comfortable to wear and very stylish as a footwear.
For travelling to nearby places to the Chamba district, taxi service is available at economical rates. There are many unexplored nearby places like Holi, Sahu, Bharmour and Tissa which have their own beauty and marvellous landscape.
The streets of Chamba with beautiful ‘Pahari’ houses remind us of the cultural heritage of the town. The richness and the simplicity of Chamba is still intact and is one of the most beautiful places to visit. After visiting Chamba, we realise what a magical, wonderful and a blessed land our great country India is. In India, the warmth of the villages is amazing and so is the happening life of an urban city. We can find everything in this God's own land inhabited by people with golden hearts. The aura, the silence, the majesty and the magic, everything is present in the glory and the beauty of our motherland. So let us become explorers to enjoy the in-depth vastness of our land and feel refreshed and rejuvenated after exploring incredible India.
Incredible India is Unmatchable.
The words and views expressed in my blog are personal and are my original work of thoughts
(THIS BLOG HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA)
Exploring the beauty of hills and mountains has always attracted me since childhood. Though I was born and brought-up in the city of New Delhi, in the heart of our nation, India, but I am really fortunate to be emotionally close to the Himalayas. Chamba, a district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, the ‘Dev Bhoomi’, is the home town of my father. It was here that I spent most of my summer vacations. In the hills, I always feel near to God and still share the same magical feeling whenever I visit various hill stations in our incredible India. I always feel that the mighty mountains and the hard rocks of the hills remind us of our inner strength and courage.
Chamba town is situated on the banks of the spectacular river Ravi. The approach to this scenic place is only through a road journey. Chamba is a large district where we can explore beautiful places like the popularly known ‘Mini Switzerland’- Khajjiar, Dalhousie, the Kalatop wild life sanctuary which is covered with dark pines and the Chamera dam which is built on the river Ravi.
Apart from magnificent beauty, Chamba is also home to various ancient and beautiful architectural pieces. The wide Chowgan Ground spreads like a green carpet in the middle of the town.
The art, culture and the rich heritage of Chamba can be seen at the Bhuri Singh Museum located near the Chowgan bazaar. The Chowgan bazaar has been a very old, multiproduct, local shopping market for the town and is located near the Chowgan ground. The Lakshmi Narayan temple is one of the oldest and largest temple complexes reflecting the unique ancient architecture of Chamba. The Rang Mahal is one of the largest monuments located in the Chamba region where beautiful handmade local goods are produced by the local artisans and craftsmen. The market in Chamba is not expensive and we can buy the famous local pulses and spices.
The two popular ‘jatras’ or fairs, the ‘Minjar Mela’ and ‘Suhi-Mata Mela’ attract tourists and locals from within Chamba and all the near-by villages. The famous Chamba paintings and the ‘Chamba Rumal’ which has the same embroidery on both the sides are popular world-wide.
The Chamunda temple which is located on the top of a hill has beautiful views of the whole of the Chamba town. This is a must visit. Here it seems like the divine Goddess ‘Chamunda Devi’ is bestowing her blessings on everyone.
Local authentic food like the ‘Rajma Madra’, the ‘Anaardana Khatta’, and the ‘Boor Khadhi’ are the native delicacies of Chamba. These are cooked with lots of spices which just melt in our mouth. The ‘Dham’ in Chamba is a community feast cooked by the traditional cooks which leaves an unforgettable experience.
There are various good hotels for a comfortable stay in Chamba and if one likes to have street food, this is the place to explore the ‘Cholla Bhaturas’, ‘Paani Puri’, ‘Kachaloo Chaat’ and the mouth watering ‘Aloo Tikkis’ specially served with salad and chutney.
The pickle lovers can enjoy various local pickles like the ‘Chhukh’, a kind of green chilly pickle. Local seasonal fruits like plum, apricot, peach, apple and many more are very juicy and healthy.
The people of Chamba are very friendly and sweet to talk to. The locals of the town are well versed in the rich history and culture of the town. Interacting with them enhances our knowledge and generates our interest in the history and culture of the region.
The popular languages of Chamba are Hindi, Himachali and ‘Chamyali’ which are easy to understand. Chamba as an area also finds reference in popular Himachali folk music and Hindi movie songs. They generally refer to the beauty of these hills and the people of Chamba.
On special ceremonial occasions, people wear local ‘Pahari’ dresses like the ‘Pattoo’ and the ‘Gujari’. The women of Chamba dress up beautifully and decorate themselves with the ‘Balu’-a traditional nose ring and ‘Maang Tika’ worn at the parting of the hair.
The beauty of Chamba is unmatchable. The vastness of the river Ravi is magnificent. To see the beautiful sun rise and the sun set from the banks of river Ravi is a life time experience. To walk barefooted on the Chowgan ground is a therapeutic and a rejuvenating experience.
The weather in Chamba is mostly pleasant. In winters, we can also experience snowfall with a cool fresh breeze blowing. So even if we forget to carry our heavy woollen clothes we can always buy hand woven Chamba shawls and stylish Chamba jackets which are very popular.
The Chamba ‘topi’ is also very famous because of its colourful border ‘Patti’. We can buy handmade Chamba ‘Juttis’ which are comfortable to wear and very stylish as a footwear.
For travelling to nearby places to the Chamba district, taxi service is available at economical rates. There are many unexplored nearby places like Holi, Sahu, Bharmour and Tissa which have their own beauty and marvellous landscape.
The streets of Chamba with beautiful ‘Pahari’ houses remind us of the cultural heritage of the town. The richness and the simplicity of Chamba is still intact and is one of the most beautiful places to visit. After visiting Chamba, we realise what a magical, wonderful and a blessed land our great country India is. In India, the warmth of the villages is amazing and so is the happening life of an urban city. We can find everything in this God's own land inhabited by people with golden hearts. The aura, the silence, the majesty and the magic, everything is present in the glory and the beauty of our motherland. So let us become explorers to enjoy the in-depth vastness of our land and feel refreshed and rejuvenated after exploring incredible India.
Incredible India is Unmatchable.
The words and views expressed in my blog are personal and are my original work of thoughts
Very good thought.
ReplyDeleteVery good thought.
ReplyDelete