Chamba

It is located at a hill station of Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh, India at an elevation of 1006m above sea level. The town is situated on the bank of the Ravi River at its confluence with the Sal Chamba. According to history, Chamba was ruled by Rajputs, Raju Maru from around 500 AD from the ancient capital of Bharmouiver and 55 km away from Dalhousie which is a small hill station of r, 65 km from the Chamba. “Chamba” is named after Raja Sahil Varman’s daughter Champavati after he shifted the capital of the kingdom to Chamba. This town is also famous for numerous temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and a palace that is famous for its untouched natural beauty. There are two popular fairs hosted in Chamoli namely ‘’Suhi Mata Mela’’ and the ‘’Minjar Mela’’. Chamba is a small yet attractive destination known for natural beauty and amidst picturesque valleys, in above this there are five beautiful lakes, wildlife sanctuaries, and countless number temples with pleasing climates. The beautiful town is surrounded by a lofty hill range and Chamoli is well known for its handicraft, textiles, art, and crafts particularly “Pahari Painting” which originated in the kingdom of north India. Chamba has a pleasant climate and breathtaking sights of the snow-clad mountains and lush greeneries in and around that serve as perfect summer destinations.  Chamba’s in and around which is a snow-clad mountain is extremely popular for snow skiing. Not only skiing but river rafting excursions are also among the popular ones organized by many private and government-run, an adventure trek also starts from Chamba i.e from Manimahesh.

River Rafting in Chamba

Chamba is also famous for trilling activity at different levels that worked up amid gushing waters, crashing into the rocky banks along with team experience which one can enjoy with friends. The River Ravi and its tributaries in Chamba are famous for various river rafting activities that are ideal for thrilling adventure seekers. River rafting in Chamba is for everyone even for nonswimmers as well but depending on the winter and monsoon rainfall conditions, this sport is close. Not only river rafting Kayaking And Canoeing can also be done and it’s amongst the popular to-do list.

Best Time to Visit Chamba

Chamba can be visited all year round. Summer in Chamba is warm during day and night is cool and pleasant, monsoon is bit shower and even cooler, misty and picturesque and Winter is very cool which drop the temperature till minus with good amount of snowfall. So summer is the best and ideal time to visit Chamba i.e between March to June.

Chamba in Summer (April- June)

The summer season in Chamba is short starting from April and ending in June with an average temperature between 15°C-35°C. It can be considered as the best time to visit Chamba which is perfect for strolling across the town and enjoying many activities like mountain climbing, trekking, horse riding, etc. Suhi mela is celebrated in April. Fairs are held at this time which lasts for 15 days. It is a perfect time to witness the cultural vibrancy of the town with amazing scenery.

Chambas in Monsoon (July- October)

Monsoon begins from the month of July till October in Chamba with an average temperature of 15°C-25°C with heavy rainfall. And Monsoon is not a good time to visit Chamba but the town offers picturesque views and endows the land with massive amounts of lush greenery and pristine beauty with mist and fog. Monsoon is not an ideal time for activities like mountain climbing and trekking due to the land being slippery and unsafe. One of the major festivals falls in the month of August i.e Minjar Fair which is a thanksgiving ceremony performed for God of rain that las for 7 days and Bharmour Jatra Fair is also another colourful fair held in the month of August.

Chamba in Winter (October-March)

Another ideal time to visit Chamba and longest season is winter and perfect for an off-season tour plan. The temperature falls between 0°C-12°C suitable for budget travellers. December and January is the month that will experience snowfalls and will remain snow-covered until the end of March. Skiing and sledging activities on the soft snow can be enjoyed during the winter wonderland in which the mountain top is covered in snow. Winter in Chamba is a bit risky for travelling and due to snowfall blocking the road result in quite cheap.

How to Reach Chamba

Chamba by Air

The nearest airport to reach Chamba is Pathankot airport at a distance of 120km and other airports apart from Pathankot namely, Kangra at 172km, Amritsar at 220km, Chandigarh airport at 400km, and Gaggal airport, Dharamsala at 185km which connects flights from Chandigarh, Delhi, and Kullu. From the airport, one can hire a taxi/cab to proceed to the beautiful Chamba.

Chamba by Train

There is no regular train to Chamba from major cities, the nearest railway station is Pathankot at a distance of about 118km from Chamba town which connects major cities. One can also take a train till;

 New Delhi (580km) from Chamba
 Shimla (388km) from Chamba
 Chandigarh (356km) from Chamba
From Station, one can hire taxis/cabs to reach Chamba.

Chamba by Road

Chamba has well connectivity to most of the neighbouring regions by road and major parts of Himachal Pradesh. Roadways are the best way to reach Chamba. There are a lot of Private buses and state-owned buses serving everywhere else, frequently, the Chamba Bus stand is at a distance of 3 km from the main Chamba town. The Himachal Road Transport Corporation(HRTC) runs regular buses throughout  the state from; 

Pathankot (102km) at SH-28 to Chamba.
Shimla (365.7km) at NH-503 to Chamba.
Kangra (127.5) at SH-43 to Chamba.
Solan (356.8) at NH-503 to Chamba.
Dharamsala (129km) at SH-43 to Chamba.
Bharmour( 59.5km) at NH-154A to Chamba.
Khajjiar (22.6KM) at Chamba Road.
Dalhousie (53km) at Chamba road.
As well as from neighbouring states of;

Delhi (583.4km) at NH-44
Haryana (516.5km) at NH-44
Punjab (252.3km) at NH-44
Delhi (580.3km) at NH-44
Chandigarh (356.7Km) at NH-44.

Do's & Don'ts in Chamba

Do’s

Do wear a life jacket.
Do concern the guideline provided.
Do wear underwater goggles.
Do follow the instructions. 
Do wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
 

Don’t
Don’t break any rule.
Don't carry electronic devices which are not waterproof.
Don’t carry expensive goods.
Don’t swim alone.