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Majhi streams, overlooking the Ban Ganga torrent. Kangra is
famous all over the world for its astounding beauty. The
gentle slopes of this range are covered with lush green
forests of pine, orchards, tea gardens and terraced fields and
overlooks a gushing stream known as Banganga. Kangra valley is
surrounded by splendid valleys and dotted with several ancient
shrines, thus offering as a famous tourist destination. It
provides a tremendous contrast in nature of places to be
visited. Kangra is known for its magnificent temples and as a
thriving centre for arts. Kangra is still a busy place of
pilgrimage.
History of Kangra
The history of Kangra valley dates back to the Vedic times
more than 3500 years ago. Earlier, Kangra was the capital of
the great hill state, its renowned ruler being Maharaja Sansar
Chand Katoch, a great patron of arts. The Miniature and Rajpur
Schools of hill paintings flourished during his reign. Kangra
is steeped in history and its ruined fort - Nagarkot, stands
as testimony to its glorious past. The town was attacked by
Mohammed Ghaznavi and subjugated by Emperor Feroz Tughlak and
Maharaja Rant Singh. It was lastly taken over by the British
from the princes of the hill states.
Crafts of Kangra
Despite the onslaughts and political disturbances, the arts
and crafts of the region continued to develop and found
lyrical expressions. Crafts like the exquisitely designed
shawls and miniature paintings of this region are
internationally appreciated. Kangra is known for the exquisite
Pahari style of miniature painting.
Tourist
Attractions in Kangra
The ancient Hindu Temples like Brajeshwari, Baijnath,
Jawalamukhi and Chamunda Devi dot the Kangra town. The other
attractions in Kangra are Nadaun, Sujanpura Tira, Kangra Fort
and Maharana Pratap Sagar Lake. |
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Sujanpura
Tira is located further upstream on the banks of the Beas
river. This city is the famous capital city of Raja Sansar
Chand. Located amidst idyllic surroundings, the temples of
Narbadeshwar, Gauri Shanker and Murli Manohar built by the
King are still adorned with fine wall paintings.
Bajreshwari Devi Temple
In the middle of the town is the temple dedicated to
Bajreshwari Devi. Known once for its legendary wealth, this
temple was raided by various invaders from the North. Mohammed
of Ghazni is known to have departed with a king's ransom in
gold, silver and jewels in 1009. Destroyed completely in 1905
by an earthquake, it was rebuilt in 1920.
Maharana Pratap Sagar
The Maharana Pratap Sagar Lake is named in honour of the great
patriot Maharana Pratap (1572-97 AD). Over the river Beas, the
Pong dam was completed in 1976. Its reservoir covers an area
of about 45000 hectares at maximum possible flooding. The
level varies every season and averages around 30000 hectares.
Over 200 villages with a population of over 85000 people lie
along the wetland. The settlements of Nagrota Surian and
Jawali are located on the sagar's periphery.
How to reach Kangra
By Air:
The Kangra airport is located just 7 kms away from the Kangra
town.
By Road:
Kangra is well connected by road with Chandigarh, Amritsar and
Dharamshala.
By Rail:
The broad gauge railway station is located at Pathankot (86
km) which connects to a narrow gauge line. |
