Dalhousie

Dalhousie (6728 ft.): This place was established in 1854 by the British Governor General Lord Dalhousie and is perhaps, the only hill station which still retains the flavor of thick, dense forests of pine and deodar. Despite being flooded with tourists seeking respite from the scorching heat of plains, Dalhousie is free of dirt and grime as well as hustle and bustle of the concrete jungles which makes it a unique hill station for those seeking solitude and peace, away from the mechanical monotony of busy life.

The most wonderful and fascinating aspect of this queen of hills is the long, calm and delightful walks that Dalhousie offers in the lap of nature. The peaceful serenity which the mountain exude here makes the visitors return to their fold again and again. Dalhousie town perched on five densely wooded hills – Kathlag, Poterene, Terah, Bakrota and Balun, is situated on western end of Dhauladhar range and it commands magnificent view of the snow covered Pir Panjal range. This scenic beautiful town is famous for its invigorating fresh air,bracing climate, picturesque oak and deodar trees. Wondrous imaginative and beautiful patterns that clouds weave over mystical snow capes maintains may bring out the artist in you.

How to Reach

Nearest Airports: Pathankot -80 kms. Gaggal (Dharamshala) -120 kms.

Nearest Railway Station: Pathankot – 80 kms.

By Road: Accessible throughout the year from all important towns.

Dalhousie is located at a distance of 80 kms from the famous town of Punjab, Pathankot. Up to Pathankot one can reach by train from any corner of India and then it takes 2-3 hours to reach Dalhousie by road hiring a taxi from Pathankot. Bus service also runs time to time. The nearest airport is at Pathankot which has scheduled flights from Delhi, Kullu, Shimla and Dharamshala also.

Distance From Dalhousie:

Delhi	560 Kms.
Dharamshala	140 Kms.
Shimla	350 Kms.
Katra (Mata Vaishno Devi)	265 Kms.
Chandigarh	320 Kms.
Manali	350 Kms.
Jalandhar	190 Kms.
Jammu	190 Kms.

Personalities Connected With Dalhousie:

1. Rabindernath Tagorer : Nobel Laureate, Guru Rabindranath Tagore visites Dalhousie with his father in 1873. He recorded his memories about Dalhousie in his work,” My eyes had no rest the entire day, as great was my fear lest anything should escape them. Why had we to leave such spot behind, cried my heart.
2. Netaji Subhash Chandre Bose : Netaji came to Dalhousie for recuperating when he was releases from jail on health grounds in 1937. He stayed here for five months.
3. Sardar Ajit Singh : A freedom fighter, patriot and chacha of Shadeed – e – Ajam Bhagat Singh stayed in Dalhousie in 1947 after his release from jails and breathed his last on 15^th August, 1947 within few hours of hearing of declaration of Independence of India.
4. Pandit J.L. Nehru : He visited this hill station in 1954 as prime minister of India to preside over the Centenary celebration of Dalhousie town. He was fascinated by the place and appreciated its quite ambience and natural beauty. In 1960 at the suggestion of Panditji a large number of Tibetan refugee community were made to settle here.

Things We Should Know About Dalhousie

Temperature: Between 30? C in summer and -5? C in winter

Best Season: Mid March to Mid July and Mid September to November\

Snowfall : Any time during December to March

Clothing : Heavy woolen in winter and light in summer

Climate : ‘Salubrious’ is the best suited and appropriate word that well describes the climate of Dalhousie. Over the time Dalhousie has remained unaffected by any change in temperature as envisaged by other hills stations. It is because Dalhousie is one of the greenest of all hill stations and very thick and large pine and deodar forests have endoubtedly contributed in retaining the charm of Dalhousie.

Spot to See

St. Francis Church: Surrounded by tall pine trees. It was built in 1894.

Khajjiar : Known as mini Switzerland offers the visitors rare gifts of nature at a single spot. The cozy wooden cottage – a rest house of the forest department is guarded by tall trees with a small lake in front. The place is approachable by road transport from Dalhousie. In addition to scenic surroundings it boasts of a golf course and a temple. A rare spot where you find ‘Nature at her best’.

Subhash Baoli ( 2,036 mts.) : Not far from the Gandhi Chowk is a very pleasant natural water source named Subhash Baoli named after Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, who spent much time during his five months stay at Dalhousie in 1937, meditating by the side of this spring and drinking regularly the Chrismatic mineral water for convalescing his health  ( 1.6 Kms).

Satdhara(2’036 mts.) : Sparkling springs close to the town, rich in mica and other minerals, are noted for their medicinal properties.

Bhalei Mata Temple : It is the seat of Bhadra Kali Goddess. Built over 400 year ago by Raja Partap Singh of erst while princely state Chamba. It is 25 Kms from Dalhousie the temple provides a wonderful view of valley and majestic view of Chamera lake. It is an ideal picnic spot.

Churches in Dalhousie : Dalhousie has a number of old churches. St. John’s was the first protestant church to be built in 1863 at Gandhi Chowk. Built in 1894, St. Francis Church at Subhash Chowk has beautiful glasswork and intricate stonework. St. Andrew’s Church, also known as Church of Scotland, was built by Protestant Christians in 1903. St. Patrick’s Church, built in 1909, is the biggest church in Dalhousie  having seating capacity for 300 people in its prayer hall.

Bakrota Hills (2, 085 Mts.) : The Bakrota Mall, a popular walking circuit around these hills has spectacular view of the mountains.

Kalatope Wildlife Sanctuary (2, 440 Mts.) : An idyllic short trek of 10 Kms takes you to a unique view of Beas, Ravi and Satluj rivers on a clear day.

Rock Garden Dalhousie: It is a unique place in Dalhousie. This place has rocks, water bodies and scenic beauty of plants. Here one can enjoy the photography and its picturesque surrounding.

Chamera Lake: This is an artificial lake built on river Ravi. This lake is 26 km away from Dalhousie. Chamera Hydroelectric project is built here are the main source of electricity.

Ganji Pahari: There are no plants in the top of peak. It is bald hill.

Panchpula: It is known as land of five bridge. This place has five stream that comes together hence the name is Panchpula. It is 4.5km from Dalhousie.