Dalhousie is my favorite hill station. I present a detail info on it, a bit long but I hope you would enjoy reading it & be motivated to visit this beautiful place.
1. A walk through Thandi Sadak & Garam sadak(road)
is very relaxing & offers beautiful scenery. Thandi sadak gives view of snow
peaks of Dhauldhar ranges & the valley below. From Garam sadak you an see a
steep valley and the far off plains.Both the roads
connect Gandhi Chowk to Subash Chowk going around the Hill Moti Tibba. The reason behind the strange name of the roads is quite literal. Garam sadak stays
mostly in Sunlight & Thandi Sadak always under the shade of
the hill, Particularly during winter the snow melts quickly at Garam sadak and stays on
for many days on Thandi sadak keeping it cooler.
2. Gandhi Chowk: this is the commercial part of the town with lots of handcraft shops. There is a Tibetan Market, which is worth visiting for shopping.
A viewing spot gives a beautiful view of the snow peaks.You can find some simple restaurants here but not very good ones, I would recommend dining at the hotel where you stay.
This was once a mountain peak which was said to be flattened by a
meteorite strike millions of years ago. Hence you can notice the uniqueness of
the place, even though the entire area is thickly forested with deodar trees,
this placed is devoid of trees. Even the Grass doesn’t grow tall.
5. Dainkund: This place is about 15 Km from Dalhousie about half way towards
Khajiyar.
So visit only if you are interested in walking, vehicles are not
allowed in. The trail through the sanctuary is plain and winds its way though
beautiful forest. It will get lonely as you may see no one the whole way, but
that’s what you expect in a forest.
Its about 3 km from Dalhousie. The place offers nothing great & you would be disappointed if you take a cab. I would recommend walking to this place from Gandhi Chowk, Then you would appreciate the nature more. Its down hill from Dalhousie and on the way back it’s a climb, but the gradient is gentle.
8. Subash Bowli: A
pleasant 1.5 Km walk from Gandhi Chowk brings you to this place.
It is said that Subash Chandra Bose when he was ill came to Dalhousie and daily used to drink water from a stream at this place and was cured of his illness. Now there is a small structure built and the water is captured through a pipe. Water is delicious & cool to drink which comes directly from the hill behind.
How to Reach: The best way is to go by an overnight train from Delhi to Pathankot/ Chakki Bank and take a cab to Dalhousie (a drive of about 2.5 hrs)
Some Good Hotels: Hotel Dalhousie Heights, Grand View Hotel, Hotel Mount View, Sagarika Resort
What strikes about Dalhousie is its comparative elusiveness, A feeling
of being lost in the Nature, & believe me, you will fall in love with its yet
un spoilt nature in Dalhousie.
It’s a paradise for walking for both who walk for the pleasure of it
& for those who are adventurous at heart. You can go for long walks in thick deodar
(Cedar), oak covered trails or for a good hiking in the surrounding forest. Dalhousie,
known for its bracing, oxygen rich Himalayan air, A few deep breaths of which would relieve you of your weariness even after a though hike in just 2 min. I myself experienced it many times and surprised to find how effective it is.
Dalhousie offers breath taking views all around. You just can't have
enough of it. On one side there are Dhauladhar Ranges covered in snow all round
the year. They present a panoramic view towards the east, and below are several
low hills & they connect to Dalhousie with a lush green valley. To the
West lie some low hills and then far on the horizon the plains of Pathankot
& river Raavi winding its way towards the west.
It’s a highly recommended place for long weekend trips & a week
trip if you want to have good rest cure.
A
Brief History of Dalhousie…..
The area around Dalhousie belonged to the ancient hill state of
Chamba till the British came & said to have purchased it from the ruler for
2300 Rupees.
Dalhousie was established in 1854 by British typically as a summer
retreat for its troops, bureaucrats & Senior Army officers who used to frequent this
cool hill station to flee from the harsh Indian summer in the plains. It was
named after the then Governor General of India Lord Dalhousie. Lots of
Bungalows, churches & some areas still give you a glimpse into the by gone
era of the British rule. They established a cantonment which was taken over
after independence by Indian Army.
Even though popularized by the British, this hill station did not
grow as the other hill stations established by them, like Shimla or Manali. It
went unknown after the independence until some recent years when other hill
stations started to get saturated.
There is also significant Tibetan community living in Dalhousie, The
hospitality of the local Pahadi people is great.
Location
& Layout
Co ordinates: 32.53°N 75.98°E / On Google Maps
Dalhousie is located in the State of Himachal Pradesh in the
northern part of India, on a height which varies from 2000 to 2700 meters above
mean sea level. Dalhousie is situated on the foot hills of Dhauladhar Ranges of
the mighty Himalayas.
The town is spread over 5 hills – Kathlog, Portrevn, Moti Tibba,
Bakrota, Balun which are forested with Deodar (cedar), Oak, trees. The Main
town is around Moti Tibba & Potrevn hills. The Hill Bakrota is split into
Lower & Upper Bakrota. Balun has the Army Cantonment which is a about 600
feet lower than the main town.
Town’s Main thorough ways are Garam Sadak, Thandi Sadak which go
around Moti Tibba Hill on each side meeting at two junctions or chowks called
Gandhi Chowk & Subash Chowk. As any other hill station in India, Dalhousie
also has a Mall Road which goes around Potrevn Hill in a circle from Subash
Chowk.
What
to see in Dalhousie.
 |
| Garam Sadak |
 |
| Thandi Sadak |
From Subash
Chowk a walk on court road is recommended. It takes you in to the town life
& there are some interesting British time buildings, cottages.
2. Gandhi Chowk: this is the commercial part of the town with lots of handcraft shops. There is a Tibetan Market, which is worth visiting for shopping.
A viewing spot gives a beautiful view of the snow peaks.You can find some simple restaurants here but not very good ones, I would recommend dining at the hotel where you stay.
 |
| Dhauldhar Ranges from Gandhi Chowk |
 |
| View from Subash Chowk |
3. Subash Chowk: Named after Freedom fighter Subash Chandra Bose, has
a statue of the leader at a look out point. The view from here is fantastic. St. Francis
Church here(Est. in 1894) is quite famous & worth a visit.
4. Khajjiar: This surely
tops the list. It’s a huge expanse of grass land in the shape of a bowl with a
small pond picturesquely set in the center.
 |
| Khajjiar |
Its about 24 Km from Dalhousie and you can book a cab which would
take you there in about an hour. The drive to Khajiyar is very nice as the road
goes through thick deodar forest and in between more than once you get a view
of the beautiful Dhauldhar snow peaks.
What to do there? Sit under a deodar tree and enjoy a good snack,
tea. Walk around the whole place without shoes to feel the soft grass &
ground beneath. Feast your eyes to the beautiful scenery. Recently interesting rides have come up to attract more tourists.
There are not many good restaurants there, so you may want to bring
packed food if you plan to have lunch there.
 |
| Dainkund Peak |
This is the highest point around Dalhousie & you have to
negotiate a steep climb to reach the peak point at 11K feet. Trail is present for some part
of the way, after that the climb is over the slope itself.
Although it may take about 30 min of tough climb to reach the top,
the view is rewarding once you reach the peak. It’s a great feeling as though
you are on top of the world. You can look down all around 360 degrees. Every
thing is below you.
6. Kalatop: It’s a wild life sanctuary and there is a Forest Guest house at
Kalatop. Actually there is nothing special
at the Guest house, but what makes Kalatop special is the 3 Km walk from the
main road through the sanctuary. Nature at its best, wonderful air, lots of huge
trees.
Its on the way to Khajjiar, 3km walk from a village called Lakkad
Mandi at the turning point to Dainkund. Vehicles are not allowed to go into the
sanctuary.
Recommended if you have time as it takes about 2 hrs to go and come
back.
7. Punjpula: This is an ideal picnic spot. A small stream flows down hill to a
very small water fall of 15 feet. The water fall is about 200 meters from the
road. A narrow pebbled, rough trail from the road takes you to the water fall
where the walls of the surrounding hills close up from three sides. For
trekking lovers, there is a steep curving trail which goes to the top of the
hill.
 |
| Closed walls of Hills at Punjpulla |
Its about 3 km from Dalhousie. The place offers nothing great & you would be disappointed if you take a cab. I would recommend walking to this place from Gandhi Chowk, Then you would appreciate the nature more. Its down hill from Dalhousie and on the way back it’s a climb, but the gradient is gentle.
It is said that Subash Chandra Bose when he was ill came to Dalhousie and daily used to drink water from a stream at this place and was cured of his illness. Now there is a small structure built and the water is captured through a pipe. Water is delicious & cool to drink which comes directly from the hill behind.
 |
| View from Subash Bowli |
Most tourists come to this
place drink the water & leave. But miss the point. If you climb a bit
further you reach a beautiful spot with good views. The place is very peaceful,
you can sit around under the deodar trees for long time enjoying the cool wind.
How to Reach: The best way is to go by an overnight train from Delhi to Pathankot/ Chakki Bank and take a cab to Dalhousie (a drive of about 2.5 hrs)
I found the
below sites good for booking in advance.
Where to stay: There are many hotels in Dalhousie affordable for every pocket. Tariff varies considerably before and during tourist season. During non-season you can bargain, but definitely are cheaper than other major hill stations.
http://www.travelmasti.com/dalhousie.htm
http://www.travelmasti.com/dalhousie.htm
Some Good Hotels: Hotel Dalhousie Heights, Grand View Hotel, Hotel Mount View, Sagarika Resort
More trivia about Dalhousie
Some very famous
boarding schools- Dalhousie Public School (DPS), Sacred Heart Public School,
Hill Top School.
Dil Se, 1942 A
Love Story & many other hindi movies were shot here.
Nice and informative article. If one plans visit in September, visit, apple orchids Bharmaur about 60 Kms from Dalhousie. The best apples in India. Also a trip from Khajjiar to Chamba is thrilling.
ReplyDeleteVijayamohan
Good article Ravindra. Nothing like hearing about a place from the "locals" :)
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Sailesh. The write up is as beautiful as Dalhousie itself. Do not forget to eat "bhutta" (maize corn) heated on coal at Subhash Chowk
ReplyDelete