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Dalhousie

With its plunging pine-clad valleys and distant mountain views, ridge-top Dalhousie was founded in the 1850s by the British viceroy whose name it bears. Its heyday came in the 1920s, '30s and '40s when Lahore society flocked here for its hols. Come Partition, Lahore found itself in Pakistan and Dalhousie lost its mojo, but the town's star appears to be rising again as a rediscovered escape for honeymooners and families fleeing the heat of the plains.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Dalhousie.

  • Viewpoint

    Dhainkund Viewpoint

    The upland area of Dhainkund (2745m) is the most uplifting of many beauty spots around Dalhousie, with a 360-degree panorama encompassing the Pir Pinjal range and a large distant reservoir.

  • Church

    St Francis Church

    Stations of the cross lead up from Subhash Chowk to this 1894 Catholic church.

  • Nature Reserve

    Kalatop

    Accessed, like Dhainkund, from Lakkar Mandi, this sanctuary covers 31 sq km of forested hills east of Dalhousie, where you might spot langurs and musk deer. There's a ₹250 charge for vehicles to drive the 3km unpaved access track, which leads to a 1925 forest rest house and tea shops.

  • Hindu Temple

    Jai Pohlani Mata Temple

    From the main viewpoint at Dhainkund, a beautiful ridgeline walk leads to the Jai Pohlani Mata Temple in around 1km, where there's a teahouse and great views of the Pir Pinjal range to the north.

  • Hindu Temple

    Jagdamba Mata Shiva Statue

    Half a kilometre southeast of Khajjiar meadow towards Chamba, a 25m-high statue of Shiva makes a photogenic landmark near the roadside.

  • Area

    Khajjiar

    The bowl-shaped, pine-ringed meadow at Khajjiar is a major tourist draw, 22km down the Chamba road from Dalhousie. It's touted as a 'mini-Switzerland' and would be attractive if it weren't constantly thronged by holidaymakers and horse-ride hawkers.

  • Hindu Temple

    Khajjinag Temple

    Hidden among the restaurants at Khajjiar is the Khajjinag Temple, with its crude effigies of the five Pandavas installed in the 16th century.

  • Religious Site

    Tibetan Rock Paintings

    A number of Tibetan refugees have made their homes in Dalhousie and have adorned Garam Sarak with several painted rock carvings of Buddhist deities.