Chamba Valley, also known as Ravi Valley, is a land enveloped in ancientness, art and spectacular sites. The valley is located between the mighty Dhauladhar and Zanskar range in the south of inner Himalayas. The scenic panorama and tranquilizing beauty of the valley is just breathtaking making it a popular holiday destination among the tourists. You will get to see the wild olive, pomegranate and fig trees coalescing with the Acacia, Shisham, Pipal and some other trees here. Chamba valley is famous for medical herbs and varieties of flowers. You get a picturesque site of small villages and hamlets extending over the landscape.
Occupying the northwestern portion of the state of Himachal Pradesh, the Chamba, the valley of milk and honey known for its streams, meadows, temples, paintings, handkerchief and lakes, stands on a plateau on the right bank of the river Ravi valley. Chamba valley attracts tourists for the immense scope for site-seeing in form of temples and festivals. Besides, the expertise art work of Chamba, its recherché miniatures and handicrafts are also famous. The best time for you to visit Chamba is between the months of March and June and September to December .
The Valley is the most popular trekking site in the Himachal Pradesh. There are a number of interesting treks from Chamba. Two of the toughest and most exciting treks are to the Pangi Valley and the Manimahesh Lake. Some of the treks are:
- Sural Valley Trek
- Hundan Valley Trek
- Sainchu Valley Trek
Sural Valley Trek accommodates the villages of Kanwas, Ganmas, Rusmas, Sural Bhatori (Sural Tai), Barsal Adwar. The idols of Buddha, Avaloki-teshwara and Padmasambhawa can be seen in the Gompa at Andar Bhatori. Hundan Valley Trek takes you into the beautiful sub-valley of Hudan full of alpine meadows. You will see small villages inhabited by Buddhists, a Gompa with few paintings and a beautiful lake en route. Sainchu Valley Trek is the most enjoyable side-trek in Pangi and you can reach Twan, the last village in this valley.
Besides trekking, Chamba Valley also provides exciting opportunity for rock climbing and mountaineering. The Ravi River and its innumerable tributaries meandering through exquisite gorges and valleys, playing gleefully and foaming over rocks and boulders, provide excellent opportunities for white water rafting, canoeing and kayaking. There’s also enough fish in these waters to keep anglers satisfied. Fascinated by nature ! You can take a nature walk around the Chamba Valley or can pass time venturing in the rice fields or go for the wildlife safari in the Kalatope Khajjiar Sanctuary. While in Chamba you can visit the Bhuri Singh Museum, which provides the fine collection of murals, paintings, and miniatures from Basholi, Kangra and Chamba school of painting.
Sightseeing in Chamba is all about temples. Chamba valley is the famous pilgrimage site so you can enjoy temple tour here. The town is known for its finely carved temples built in the shikhara or the spire style of the Indian plains. They are devoted to Vishnu (the Preserver of Hindu Trinity of Creator-Preserver-Destroyer) and Shiva (the Destroyer) as well as to different avatars (forms) of Devi (goddess). You can visit to a number of temples such as Laxmi Narayan Temple, Brajeshwari Devi temple, Chamunda Devi temple, Sui Mata Temple and Hari Rai Temple. If you are fond of shopping then you can shop for the handicrafts items made by the local artisans. You will be all praises for the items manufactured by these adept craftsmen.
Many famous fairs and festivals associated with Chamba like Minjar fair, Suhi fair, Bharmaur fair, Manimahesh fair, Baisakhi festival, Hori festival, Bhojri festival, Nag Panchami festival, Rath Rathni festival etc. makes it ideal to visit during the fairs and festivals to feel the pulse of local heritage and culture.
The valley has everything for everyone. From trekking to adventure sports, from nature sites to temples, every site is just basking in beauty. A visit to Chamba valley is sure to leave you enthralled. So welcome to the valley sheltered by snow-clad mountain barriers.
Swati Saxena
