Tourism at KANGRA Himachal Pradesh

Once known as an important seat of administration, Kangra the capital city of Chand dynasty tells a story of glory, which has faded into history. One of the most picturesque valley of lower Himalayas, the valley, sheltered by the sublime Dhauladhar hills, is green and luxuriant.
The temple of Brajeshwari Devi is very famous in the area. It is believed that in the bygone era this temple was very rich and each time it was plundered it was always able to restore itself. The valley also comprises of the famous Kangra fort, which was taken over by the British in 1846 on clause of a treaty. In 1905 an earthquake destroyed both the temple and the fort, but the temple was rebuilt.
The town was attacked by Mohammed Ghaznavi and conquered by Emperor Feroz Tuglak and Maharaja Rant Singh. Prior to this episode, Kangra was the capital of the great Hill State, its renowned ruler being Maharaja Sansar Chand Katoch, a great patron of arts. It was during his reign that the Miniature and Rajpur Schools of hill paintings flourished. Close to Kangra is Nagarkot a beautiful area with the fort perched on top of a ridge overlooking the confluence of Manjhi and Baner rivers. Kangra valley provides a tremendous contrast in nature of places to be visited. Dharamshala is full of Buddhist air whereas ancient Hindu Temples such as Brajeshwari, Baijnath, Jawalamukhi and Chamunda Devi dot the countryside

Tourism at Palanpur-HP

Situated at an altitude of 1219 meters in the lap of Dhauladhar range. Set amidst the hills the small and clean exquisite town of Palampur is bejeweled with lush green terraced fields, the majestic deodar trees, beautiful tea gardens, pine forests the snow clad and breath taking Dhauladhar range with its imposing sky high peaks. It is a beautiful spot in Kangra valley. Palampur has beautiful gardens and lovely walks. It has a moderate climate which is suitable for all type of the tourists. The Agriculture University is located here. Many short and long walks/treks originate from here. It has a quite a reasonable accommodation and is well connected by rail, road and air. An amusement park with cable car is being developed to attract more and more tourists. Nearby is Neogal khad a 300 meters wide yawning chasm through which gushes the Bundla stream that become roaring trrent during the monsoon. The thundering water in the 300 meters wide chasm is a never to be forgotten sight.

Tourism at Kullu-HP

Enclosed by the last snow range of the Himalayas, the Dhaula Dhar, and Pir Panjal, running parallel to the south of it, is a valley that leaves the spectator awe-struck at the breath-taking grandeur of its mountains, its torrents and its vast expanses of snow in its upper regions. Fascinating, calm, placid and gorgeous, this is the Valley of the Gods, who in turn can be benign, angry and capricious.
It is fascinating when the gold of the morning sun flatter the snow-capped mountain tops, it is calm and placid when the gentle breezes move the wispy clouds over the blue vault, making the pines whisper secrets that the gods alone know and it is gorgeous when the breath-taking beauty of the Fall (Autumn) colours, gold, red and scarlet turn the valley into a veritable paradise. When the gods are benign, they bathe the valley with the kindly Sun gently giving energy and sustenance below when they are angry they pour down torrents of rain which brings down whole mountain sides making access to the valley impossible & when they are capricious, they are dangerous - the rivers rise and carry away bridges, houses, sheep and even the men who propitiate them in every hemlet, every village and every town. The very approach fills the traveller with a senseof the majesty of God, as he proceeds along a narrow and winding road that runs along the Beas through a gorge, where the rocky walls tower perpendicularly above over a thousand feet high, and the raging torrent is barely a few feet below. Blasted through solid rock the road runs for 40 km (25 miles) through the Mandi-Larji gorge till finally it opens out and every mile up the river treveals the changing beauty of the heavenly region. This is Kullu Valleytravellers have rhapsodied over the unique character of the journey up-the region, not more than a mile wide, in most parts, and 31 km [50 miles] in length.
Literally the valley of hundred temples and a thousand derties, it offers peace, a mysterious, spiritual peace which pervades every nook, every corner, and a peace breathed into the mountains, trees, stars and streams by countless sages and `rishis' who came here to contemplate. Here came Rishi Vyas, the author of the Mahabharata giving the river Vipasha his name, here came Vashisht, the hot sulphur springs are sacred to his memory, and here came the omniscient Brighu to sojourn at the lovely lake, near Manali, and 4,267 metres (14,000 ft) above sea level.
Finally, here, too, wandered the Pandvas in their years of exile and cultivated rice at Pandva-ka-Ropa, 3,658 metres (12,000 ft) above, from where the snow-covered ranges and glaciers reveal themselves in a magnificent panorama. Bhim, one of the Pandva brother, fell a victim to the charms of Hidamba, and had to engage in mortal combat with her maneating gaint brother, Hidamb. She overcame her filil love and with her help, Bhim killed the brother and married the sister. The Pandvas resided in Manali for a year and in due course, Hadimba presented Bhim with a son, the valiant Ghatotkatch, who died a hero's death in the battle of kurukshehtra. The women of the valley are famed for their beauty. The Kullu valley begins at Aut on the northern end of the gorge in the Dhaula Dhar, cut by the river Beas at Larji, above Mandi.
This is the second portion of Kangra, and the Beas here flows amidst broad cultivated terraces, about 1,000 metres (3,281 ft) above sea level. Above Vashisht, the valley is glaciated snow-truncated spurs and is U-Shaped. There is rock cliff below Kothi, which has been cut into a narrow I-shaped gorge, hardly 10 metres (33 ft) wide and 30 metres (984 ft) deep. It is a major rock step. Further the valley is again an open U, here, the road 73 climbs in a zig-zag manner to the Rohtang Pass across the Pir Panjal, where the river Beas rises. Falling rapidly at first, it tumbles headlong at the Rahalla Falls. Crystal spray against sheer rock, it falls into the alpine valley. At the top of the pass the air seems to glitter against the snow as one looks down over herring-bonned ridges in the Lahaul Valley.