Chamba is located
between 32° 11? 30? and 33° 13? 6? North latitude, and 75°49?and 77° 3?
30? East longitude surrounded by J&K on the north-west and west;
Lahaul and Bara Bhangal on the north-east and east; District of Kangraon the south-east and district of Gurdaspur (Punjab) on the south. The district is wholly mountainous with elevation varying between 2000 ft and 2100 ft.
Chamba’s
history dates back to 500 A.D., when 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 river Budhal. Chamba town, the district head quarter of Chamba district
stands on a plateau on the right bank of the Ravi river valley between
Dhauladhar and Zanskar ranges south of the inner Himalayas. This town
was founded by Raja Sahils Varman when he conquered the lower Rani
valley from the petty chiefs called Ranas and Thakurs in the beginning
of 10th Century. It seems the original name of the town was Champa as
mentioned in Kalhan's Rajtarangani.
The temples erected by rajas (kings) 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. Chamba has a
number of temples, Palaces and stylist buildings. The striking objects
of interest are the old temples which exhibit architectural beauty of
design and execution. Some of the worth visiting sites in Chamba are:
Chaugan, Laxmi Narayan Temple, Champavati Temple, Sui Mata Temple,
Chamunda Devi Temple, Hari Rai Temple, Akhand Chandi Palace, Rang Mahal,
Bhuri Singh Museum etc.
Facts & Figures
| Area |
6,528 sq. km |
| Latitude |
between 32° 11?30? and 33° 13?6? |
| Longitude |
between 75°49?and 77° 3? 30? |
| Altitude |
varies from 2000 to 21000 ft |
| Population |
460,499 |
| PopulationDensity |
71 per sq. km |
| Male |
235,218 |
| Female |
225,669 |
| Sexratio |
959 |
| Literacy Rate |
62.90% |
| No. of Tehsils |
7 |
| No. of Sub-Tehsil |
3 |
| No. of Villages |
1118 |
| No. of Panchayats |
270 |
| No. of Sub-Division |
6 |
| No. of Block |
7 |
| Assembly seats |
5 |
| STD Code |
01899 |
| Postal Code |
176310 |
How to Reach
Chamba has neither an airport nor a railway station. The nearest airport is at Gaggal (Dist. Kangra). From Gaggal one can reach Chamba by bus or taxi which is easily available. The nearest railway-station is Chakki-Bank and Pathankot. Regular bus services are available from Pathankot to Chamba. The best way to reach Chamba
is by road. One can reach the town in about 7-8 hours from Delhi via
Hardwar, Rishikesh & Narendranagar (290 km). The bus stop of Chamba town is located near Chaugan.