Overview of distt. Chamba

Introduction :
Chamba district is placed in the western part of Himachal Pradesh between with the north latitudes 32°10' and 33°13' and east longitudes 75°45' and 77°33'. The main town or headquarter also known as Chamba which is placed on the bank of Ravi River between two mountain ranges, the Dhauladhar ranges and Zanskar ranges. Chamba town was established by the king Sahil Varman in 10th Century.

History :

Chamba is the only state in northern India to preserve a well-documented history from circa 500 A.D. Its high mountain ranges have given it a sheltered position and helped in preserving its centuries old relics and numerous inscriptions. The temples erected by rajas of Chamba more than a thousand years age continue to be under worship and the land grant-deeds executed on copper plates by them continue to be valid under the law.

In circa 500 A.D., a legendry hero called Maru migrated to north-west from Kalpagrama (a mythical place from where majority of the Rajput dynasties claim their descent) and founded Brahamputra (Bharmour) in the valley of the Budhal river, seventy five kilometer to the east of present Chamba town. His successors continued to rule over the country from that capital city for over three hundred years until Sahilla Varman shifted his capital from Brahamputra to the more centrally located plateau in the lower Ravi valley. He named the town after his beloved daughter Champa. His rani voluntarily offered herself as a sacrifices to bring water for the town’s people through a running channel which takes origin at a place called Bhalota. The layout of the plan of Chamba seems to be in conformity with the ancient texts. From then on the rajas of Chamba continued to rule from here in an uninterrupted and direct line of descent.

The Muslims never invaded Chamba, though it had its occasional fights with the neighboring states in the hills having similar cultural background. Thus,the damage to Chamba from these invasions was seldom serious and never beyond the possibility of repair. Even the powerful Mughals were kept at bay on account of difficulties involved in communications and long distances. Akbar tried to extend a loose control over the hill states including Chamba and attached fertile tracts of these states to the imperial territory south of Dhauladhar. Aurangzeb once issued orders to the Raja of Chamba Chatter Singh (1664-1694AD) to pull down the beautiful temples of Chamba. But instead the raja in clear defiance to the Mughal ruler placed glided pinnacles on the temples. He was ordered to come down to Delhi to face the imperial wrath. But Aurangzeb himself had to leave for the Deccan from where he could not disentangle till the end of his life. On the whole, the northern India experienced comparatively peaceful condition during the Mughal regime Raja Prithvi Singh (1641-1664 AD), a handsome and a gallant knight was favourite of Shahjahan and visited the imperial court many times. He introduced the Mughal style of court life including Mughal-Rajput art and architecture in Chamba.

By the last quarter of 18th centaury the Sikhs forced the hill states to pay tribute to them. Maharaja Ranjit Singh systematically deposed the hill prices including the more powerful Kangra ruler Sansar Chand Katoch but spared Chamba in lieu of the services Wazir Nathu (of Chamba) had rendered him on two occasions. In 1809 A.D. the Wazir had made himself useful to the Maharaja by negotiating his agreement with Raja Sansar Chand Katoch, of Kangra. Again in A.D.1817 he had saved Ranjit Singh’s life by offering his horse at a critical moment during formers winter campaign in Kashmir. After Ranjit Singh’s death Chamba became un-protected and was drawn into the vortex of the disintegration of the Sikh Kingdom. The Sikh army invaded the British territory in A.D. 1845 and the troops of Sikh army, which were stationed in Chamba, were with drawn. When Sikhs were defeated it was decided to merge Chamba in Jammu and Kashmir but on account of the timely intervention of Wazir Bagha (of Chamba) it was taken under the British control and subjected to the annual tribute of 12,000 rupees. The Rajas who saw something of British hegemony were Sri Singh, Gopal Singh, Sham Singh, Bhuri Singh, Ram Singh and Laxman Singh. Their relations with the British political officers seem to be cordial and Chamba witnessed many reforms.

On 15th April 1948 merging three principal states formed old Himachal. Chamba, Mandi-Suket, Sirmour and all the other state falling in Shimla hills.

Before Raja Sahilla Varman came on the scene the Chamba region was divided into bits and pieces of territory called Rahnu occupied by numerous Ranas and petty Chieftains who carried on relentless warfare with each other. Raja Sahilla Verman subjugated the Ranas and unified the territory. Rajas, therefore, for better administration divided Chamba into five zones known as Mandlas. These Mandlas were later renamed as Wizarats. This five fold division of Chamba region continues till today. The Wizarats are now called Tehsils. These are Bharmour, Chamba, Bhattiyat, Churah and Pangi.

Demographics :

Religions in Chamba District           Religion Percentage

Hindu                                                     92.43%

Muslim                                                             06.25%

According to the 2011 census Chamba district has a population of 518,844,roughly equal to the nation of Cape Verde. This gives it a ranking of 544th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 80 inhabitants per square kilometre (210/sq mi) . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 12.58%. Chamba has a sex ratio of 989females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 73.19%.Gaddis mostly live in chamba district.

Languages :

Two main languages of this district are Chambyali and Gaddi. Chambyali is mainly spoken in Chamba and its nearby areas whereas Gaddi language is mainly spoken in the tehsil bharmour and Holi,also spoken in other tehsils by the gaddi people.

Interesting place to visit :

Khaziar : Khajjiar sits on a small plateau with a small stream-fed lake in the middle that has been covered over with weeds. The hill station is surrounded by meadows and forests. It is about 6,500 feet (2,000 m) above sea level in the foothills of the Dhauladhar ranges of the Western Himalayas and peaks can be seen in the distance. It is part of the Kalatop Khajjiar Sanctuary. On 7 July 1992, Mr. Willy T. Blazer, Vice Counselor and Head of Chancery of Switzerland in India brought Khajjiar on the world tourism map by calling it "Mini Switzerland". He also put a sign board of a yellow Swiss hiking footpath showing Khajjiar's distance from the Swiss capital Berne-6194 km. Khajjiar is among the 160 locations in the world that bear topographical resemblance with Switzerland.

Kailash Manimahesh Lake: Manimahesh Lake is a sacred place for Hindus. It is placed on the Kailash Mountain range with an average height of 4,170 meters. It is believed that the Kailash range is the resident area of Hindu Gods and Goddess and the Manimahesh Lake is supposed to be blessed by goddess Kali and protected by Lord Shiva. The festival time of Janmashtami (pray to lord Krishna) in the month of August or September, a big fair is held and thousands of pilgrims reach here to bathe in its sacred water, on the 15th day of the festival. This lake is 28 km away from Bharmour and regular bus service is available up to Hadsar stop.

Famous Temples: You will found a number of ancient Temple architecture in Chamba. Among of them some temples are standing with a scenic beauty. These are Lakshminarayan temple (this is the best temple in the Chamba district), Shikhara temples, Hari Rai Temple, Bansi Gopal temple, Katasan Devi Temple (20 km away from chamba town), Shakti Devi Temple (40 km from Bharmaur placed in Chatrari), Champavati Temple, Shri Vajreshwari Temple (1000 years old), Chamunda Devi Temple (3 km from Chamba) and lots of Vishnu and Shiva Temple.

Chaugan: The land is famous for the Minjar fair. It continues for a week and people celebrate the fair in their local customs and colorful dresses where a large number of sports and cultural activities.
Bhuri Singh Museum: This museum is placed in the Chamba main town and simple to tour here. It is a store house of some super-paintings and some ancient scripts.

Salooni: Salooni is 56 km away from chamba town. It is a beautiful place from where you will found an excellent view of the surrounding hills.

Sarol: Sarol is 8 km away from Chamba. It is a nice picnic spot placed on the bank of Ravi River. You will found here some extensive horticulture farms with lots of Cirus plants, Sheep breeding farm, Poultry farm, Bee keeping farm and canning.

Bharmour: Bharmour is a big town of the district which placed 69 km away from chamba town with an average height of 2,195 meters. You will found here 84 ancient temples, among them Manimahesh, Lakshna Devi, Ganesh, Nar Singh etc still retains its glory.

Pangi Valley: This Valley is 167 km away from Bharmaur. The tribes of Pangi are beautiful and they celebrate several festivals with colorful folk dances. You will found here a beautiful town 'Kilar' which is the head quarter of the Pangi Sub-Division. It placed in deep, narrow hills by the bank of Chenab River.

Dalhousie : It was named after The Earl of Dalhousie, who was the British Governor-General in India while establishing this place as a summer retreat. Dalhousie belonged to Raja (King) of Bally, Mr. Kumar Ghosal, royal family of West Bengal. 
Dalhousie is a hill station in Himachal Pradesh, established in 1854 by the British Empire's government in British India as a summer retreat for its troops and officials after annexation of the Sikh Empire, Punjab.It is built on and around five hills, Kathalagh, Potreyn, Terah, Bakrota and Bhangora. Located on the western edge of the Dhauladhar mountain range of the Himalayas, it is surrounded by snow-capped peaks. It was established on the land of the Sikh Empire Punjab after being annexed by British. Dalhousie remained part of Punjab until 1966, when it was excised from Punjab by the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.

Fair and Festivals :

Chamba is famous for its vivid festivals. The people of Chamba believe in Folk deities and follow ancient rituals in various religious works. Following are some fairs celebrated in Chamba.

Minjar Fair :

Minjar ( maize flowers) festival is celebrated in district Chamba of Himachal Pradesh at a place called ‘Chowgan’ in Chamba town. This festival is held in the month of July August and it continues for a week. This is an event that people in the Chamba Valley wait for all year.

The start of fair is announced by distribution of Minjar which is a silk tassel worn on front parts of the dress by men and women alike. The tassel symbolizes the shoots of paddy and maize which make their appearance around this time of the year.
The Minjar is offered to the river Ravi. A Minjar consists of a coconut, a coin, a fruit, and a few sherfs of paddy are tied in a piece of red cloth. It is a state fair.
After performing this ceremony, the festival is declared closed and the idols of Gods, Goddesses and Shahi flag are taken back to Akhand Chandi Mahal. Traditional Kunjari Malhar is sung by the local artists. Prayers are offered in Lakshmi Narain temple.
The fair started in 935 A. D. when the Raja of Chamba defeated the ruler of “Trigarta,” now known as Kangra. On his return, a celebration was held, and he was greeted by people with sherfs of paddy and maize. The fair is started by Raja Sahil verman of Chamba.

Suhi Mela :

It is held in the month of April. This fair is exclusively for women here is a temple of Naina Devi where women gather and worship the Devi. Naina was the queen of Raja Sahil Verman. This temple has been constructed at a place where she had sacrificed herself to bring water to Chamba town. This fair lasts for 15 days in the month of Chaitra.

Bharmaur Jatra Fair :

It is held in district Chamba in the month of August. The Bharmaur jatra begins on the day following Janamashtmi and lasts for six days. Each day’s jatra is dedicated to a different deity such as Hari Har (Shiva), Nar Singh, Ganesh, Lakshna Devi, Keling and Seetla Devi, whose temples stand in Chaurasi area. The musicians play on dhol, narsingha, nagara, shehnai and kernal, the instruments of Hari Har temple, to herald the start of puja.

Lishoo :
In the remote area of Chamba, mostly localities from Chamba and Bharmour, use to celebrate this on the first of Baisakh. A fire is set in the morning as young boys sing and dance around it.

Nawala :

Very important in the life of Gaddis, local-residing in the upper hill of this district, is the family celebration, involves lot of feasting and merry making in the name of Lord Shiva.

The Beautiful Chamba , perhaps the loveliest in Himachal, is known for its scenic attractions, sparkling streams, lakes, meadows and lush deodar forests. Crowned with high mountain ranges, Chamba, rich in wildlife is home to animals like the elusive snow leopard, ibex, brown bear, leopard and the musk deer.

A splendid artistic heritage includes fine temple architecture, beautiful miniature paintings and exquisite embroidered Chamba Rumals. Chamba's serene beauty makes it the ideal holiday retreat.