Dalhousie, India

Dalhousie
ਡਲਹੌਜੀ ,डलहौज़ी
Hill station
Dalhousie
Coordinates: 32°32′N 75°59′E / 32.53°N 75.98°E / 32.53; 75.98Coordinates: 32°32′N 75°59′E / 32.53°N 75.98°E / 32.53; 75.98
Country India
State Himachal Pradesh
District Chamba
Elevation 1,970 m (6,460 ft)
Population (2001)
  Total 7,601
Languages
  Official Punjabi
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN 176304
Telephone code +91 1899
Vehicle registration HP-47

Dalhousie (Hindi: डलहौज़ी) is a hill station in Chamba district, in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is situated on 5 hills and has an elevation of 1,970 metres above sea level.[1]

Etymology

Dalhousie Town was named after Lord Dalhousie, who was the British Governor-General in India while establishing this place as a summer retreat.[2]

History

Dalhousie is a hill station in Himachal Pradesh, established in 1854 by the British Empire's government in India as a summer retreat for its troops and officials.

It is built on and around five hills, Kathalagh, Potreyn, Terah, Bakrota and Bhangora.[2] Located on the western edge of the Dhauladhar mountain range of the Himalayas, it is surrounded by snow-capped peaks. Dalhousie is situated between 6,000 and 9,000 feet (2,700 m) above sea level. The best time to visit is in the summer, and the peak tourist season is from May to September. Scottish and Victorian architecture are prevalent in the bungalows and churches in the town.

Dalhousie is a gateway to the ancient Chamba Hill State, now Chamba District of the state of Himachal Pradesh of India. This hill region is a repository of ancient Hindu culture, art, temples, and handicrafts preserved under the longest-running single dynasty since the mid-6th century. Chamba is the hub of this culture. Bharmour, the ancient capital of this kingdom, is home to the Gaddi and Gujjar tribes. It has 84 ancient temples dating from the 7th–10th centuries AD.

Timeline

View of Himachal Hills, near Dalhousie town.

Tourism

Dalhousie, being a beautiful tourist spot, plays an important role in the economy of the state. The major industry is tourism. While Dalhousie has a large number of hotels to accommodate the visiting tourists, the town also offers several non-hotel stays like independent villas and bungalows, which offer an alternative to typical hotels. There are just over 600 hotels, which provide temporary jobs to about 5,000 to 8,000 individuals every year. This town alone counts for almost 13% of the GDP of the state.[3]

Fresh snow view from garam sadak, Dalhousie
Snowing in Dalhousie, January, 2013

Major attractions

Dalhousie has many places to visit. A favorite spot for tourists is the area near Alla. It is a potato field and it offers mesmerizing scenic landscape. Another popular spot is the area of Karelanu. It is famous for its precious water, which healed Subhas Chandra Bose. He was suffering from tuberculosis and he regularly drank the water from the natural spring in Karelanu and was healed. Some of the major tourist attractions of the town are:

View from Ganji pahadi, Dalhousie
View from Subhash Bowli, Dalhousie

References

  1. Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam, ed. India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 177.
  2. 1 2 "Dalhousie: perfect summer getaway". Bangalore Mirror. 4 March 2010. Archived from the original on 6 March 2010.
  3. Himachal Tourism - Dalhousie

External links

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