How to reach, what to see, where to stay and local
specialties, Khajjiar—beautiful Himachal
Location & Description
Khajjiar
is under Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh in the western Himalayas. It is
about 23 kms from Chamba in the west and about 22 kms from Dalhousie in the
East. Both Chamba and Dalhousie being nearby, day tourists from these two
larger towns often frequent the Khajjiar glade returning back in the evening.
We
approached Khajjiar from Dalhousie which is the usual route to Khajjiar. For
tourists coming from outside Himachal, the main approach point would be
Pathankot which is a large railway junction with most of the important trains having
halts there.
How to reach
Pathankot to Khajjiar by road
Two
ways you can reach Khajjiar from Pathankot, both near about 100 kms drive. The
first is to take Pathankot Mandi road through Nurpur, leaving the main road to
Mandi before Chowari Khas and after Nurpur. The road to Mandi goes right, you should
continue straight. From this backdoor entry so to say, you would reach Khajjiar
from the south-east by continuing straight, crossing first Chowari Khas and
then Jyot pass. This road is less frequented, but you would have the high
mountains and snow range longer with you on this route. On our return journey we
took this road.
The
usual route is to take SH-33 and through Banikhet and Dalhousie you reach Khajjiar
from north-west direction. The twenty odd kms from Khajjiar to Dalhousie is beautiful
but from Dalhousie to Pathankot you would go down to the plains quicker. On the
positive side, the quality of this road is better.
Khajjiar from other important cities in North India by road
New Delhi to Khajjiar
From
New Delhi to Khajjiar by road the distance is about 580 kms and you have to
pass through Pathankot. New Delhi to Pathankot is mostly national highway
route, either NH-1A or NH-71.
Chandigarh to Khajjiar
You
may take either NH-1A or SH-25, both cases distance would be about 320 kms. On
the first route you go longer and through Pathankot while on the second route
you bypass Pathankot on the last stretch.
Jammu to Khajjiar
From
Jammu to Pathankot it would be NH-1A, rest you know—total distance would be
about 210 kms.
Manali to Khajjiar
Shortest
route is by NH-21 through Naggar, Kullu and at Mandi you take Mandi Pathankot
road. Rest you know. Distance is upwards 360 kms.
Dharamsala to Khajjiar
Dharamsala
is comparatively nearer, about 130 kms from Khajjiar taking Shahpur Chowari
road.
Amritsar to Khajjiar
Amritsar
and Jammu are nearly at similar distances of about 200 km by road from
Khajjiar. To come from Amritsar you need to take first NH-15 and then from Pathankot
take NH-1A as before.
To Khajjiar by Rail
The
nearest railway station is Pathankot. It is a large railway junction and is
connected to most of the major cities in India. You may come straight to
Pathankot and get down there. Pathankot is a busy city. You would get cars for hire from Pathankot.
State transport buses should also be available from Pathankot. But it is better
to have confirmed arrangements beforehand—tourists to Khajjiar may not be
many—it is practically a hidden treasure.
To Khajjiar by Air
The
nearest airport is Gaggal in Dharamsala. Apparently, as of now there is only
one daily flight from Delhi to Dharamsala in the morning and it is a smaller
aircraft. From Dharamsala by road you would have to reach Khajjiar taking a
hired car.
Dharamsala
airport being a small one with few flights, you might decide to come by air to
either Jammu or Amritsar, both having more flights. On the flip side you would
then have to cover about 100 km more by road.
Great,
now as you have reached Khajjiar you might need to stay for the night and of
course need to eat something.
Where to stay & where to eat— hotels and restaurants
If you are a day-traveler
If you had
come for a day trip from Dalhousie, Chamba or Dharamsala you won’t need a hotel
to stay—you would just roam around, touch the tourist attractions and go back. For
a quick and modest lunch the only option for you would be the restaurant at our
Khajjiar lake ground downtown.
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| The downtown restaurants |
Otherwise you may have to try your luck in the nearest
Hotel Devdar of Himachal Tourism at the entrance corner. Other hotels are at a
little distance away from the ground but have their own restaurants.
If you decide to stay—Hotels and Rest houses
There
are a number of good hotels spread around the Khajjiar lake ground in addition
to the rest houses managed by the Forests department and PWD department. The
rest houses are located just outside the ground within the tree-line. We had
stayed in one of them. Arrangement is modest and food has to be brought from
the downtown restaurants.
The corner rest house
still holds some mystery in my mind. If you are curious and bold enough, you
might find a way in there for a night and perhaps clear up my doubts. Most of
these rest houses were built during the British rule.
 |
| Corner Cottage at Khajjiar glade |
Hotels in Khajjiar
There
are a number of hotels now in Khajjiar. It seems the place is gradually
becoming more popular. Himachal Tourist Development Corporation runs its own
Hotel Devdar just at the corner entrance of the Khajjiar ground. In addition it
runs a few cottages also. You may like to refer to them directly for further
information.
Himachal Tourist Development Corporation
Website:
hptdc.nic.in
“On
a hill, at the edge of a meadow, Hotel Devdar is sheltered by pines and spruce.
The hotel offers a panoramic view of the meadow and surrounding forest. Its
peaceful ambience is ideal for those who seek solitude.”
Address:
The Devdar, Khajjiar, H.P. – 176314; Tel: (01899) -236333, 9418002306
E-mail: khajjiar@hptdc.in
E-mail: khajjiar@hptdc.in
Private hotels
1. Hotel MiniSwiss is the premium hotel in Khajjiar. It has its own web
presence: http://hotelminiswiss.in/. It is rated as a 3 star hotel and is located in its
own secluded area with dense forest at the back. It is one of the older hotels.
2.
Hotel Royal Residency is also a 3 star hotel located on the Khajjiar –
Chamba Road. It is an antiquated stone structure with modern amenities. It is
one of the older hotels.
3.
Hotel Ashiana Regency is a 3 star hotel located away from the lake and
crowds.
4.
Shining Star Resort
is a 3 star hotel situated amidst the forest and an apple orchard. It is one of
the older hotels.
5.
Hotel Topaz is a 3
star hotel in Khajjiar. Possibly it is relatively new hotel.
6.
Hotel Hritik Palace
is a budget hotel situated in the forests. This is one of the older hotels in
Khajjiar.
7.
Hotel Oak Valley
is a 2 star budget hotel in Khajjiar and possibly a newer one.
8.
Deodar Manor has
modern facilities.
Except Miniswiss none of the other hotels seemed to
run their own website, but the links given at the end of this write would give
you a fair amount of information. All information are though indicative and you need to check.
Climate, Altitude and best time to visit Khajjiar
The
altitude of Khajjiar is around 6500 feet—it is slightly below Dalhousie but
sufficiently high to get snowfall during winter but not so high that you feel
real cold and chilly.
Officially
the best season is April to October. I would like to modify it to March to
October. Not many places have that long season. When it rains in Khajjiar, wind
blows through the dense trees and temperature falls. I would say rainy season
also should be specially beautiful here. And in winter it becomes chilly,
temperature hovers around zero and some days it snows. That would also be
attractive to many. You would need heavy woolens during winter. Summer is
pleasant, though day temperature during peak summer may go as high as 30 degrees
C. Nights or shades in summer again would be cool. In summer you would need
light woolens. Because of the chance of wind, if you wear a light jacket it
should make you more comfortable.
What to see and do at Khajjiar
We
will begin with a statement that added apparent glory to Khajjiar way back in
the early nineties.
“On 07-07-1992, Mr. Willy T.
Blazer, Vice Counselor and Head of Chancery of Switzerland in India, brought
Khajjiar on the world tourism map by christening it ‘Mini Switzerland.’ He also
put a sign board of a yellow Swiss hiking footpath showing Khajjiar's distance
from the Swiss capital Berne-6,194-kms. Khajjiar is among the 160 locations in
the world that bear topographical resemblance with Switzerland. The Counselor
also took from Khajjiar a stone, which will form part of a stone collage around
the Swiss Parliament to remind the visitors of Khajjiar as Mini Switzerland of
India.”
On the other hand, the people from Himachal and
adjoining Jammu and Kashmir fondly call it “Gulmarg of Himachal”, Gulmarg being
one of the most picturesque areas of Kashmir vale which itself we call “Heaven
on Earth”.
If
I apply reason and use my own first-hand experience, I would say, Khajjiar is
something totally unexpected, extraordinarily beautiful and has a combination
of elements that overwhelm practically any person from any part of the world
who can appreciate beauty of nature. That lies behind the tendency to term
Khajjiar as one’s own.
Places of tourist interest at Khajjiar
Khajjiar glade: Vast
Khajjiar glade with the scared lake at its center is the prime place where you
would spend most of your time. The lake is fed by thin streams and seemed to me
dying. There has been occasional boating arrangement conducted by the forest
department.
Khajjiar lake: The lake
has its separate sacred identity and is tied up with nearby Khajji Nag temple.
Apart from its sacredness, the lake adds to the charm of the sylvan glade in
its own way.
Surrounding Kalatop forest: The tall forest around the glade is very old and
dense with majestic trees guarding the glade. Multitudes of birds make their
natural home in this forest though you might find them difficult to spot.
The
forest is a part of Kalatop forest that is a wildlife sanctuary and in itself a
tourist attraction. Kalatop forest has its own specially located forest
bungalow that you may get reserved through DFO, Chamba. You might like to do a
30 km soft trek from Dalhousie to Kalatop sanctuary through the woods.
Pancha Pandava tree: Pancha
Pandava tree with six shoots over a single trunk is a novelty and local myth
has attached it with the five Pandavas of Mahabharata. This kind of trees is a specialty
in this area and there are others like it in the adjoining forests.
Khajji Naga temple: Coming
out of the glade you need to visit one of the most important places of
attraction, that is, the 12th century built Khajji Naga temple. Inside the
temple you would find full length figures of Pancha Pandava, Kauravas and inner
sanctum made of wood. It is one of the most sacred temples in Himachal Pradesh and
the place takes its name from Khajji Naga serpent god. Pilgrims make regular
visits to this temple.
Snow range: From the
Khajji Naga temple itself you would get the view of faraway Pir Panjal snow
range. It looks fine but a bit raw through the high deodars and pines. It is also
said, on a clear day you might get a view of Mount Kailash, a great snow peak
of outer Himalayas at an altitude of 22000 feet from sea level.
Golf course: There
used to be a nine-hole golf course in Khajjiar, but it seems it is not very
actively used. If I go to Khajjiar next time I would like to explore this golf
course and of course the mystery of the corner cottage.
Local People
The
local people are gentle with smiling faces, helpful and non-interfering in
nature. There are villages around Khajjiar glade. The villagers raise sheep and
cattle and engage in terrace cultivation where suitable. Many of them are
involved in carrying out varieties of activities for the tourists.
Activities
Zorbing: The large
rolling semitransparent balls provide a unique attraction for the tourists. It
must be special fun to some but I didn’t have the strong heart to indulge in
this kind of sport though I enjoyed the view of the giant balls resting on the
soft grassy vale against the dark green backdrop of the deodar forest.
Paragliding: This is
a particularly fascinating activity specially for young couples. The tourists
are taken first at a nearby hilltop from where they jump into open space and
hanging by the threads from the chute sail towards the grassy vale. The ground
being large and the chute maneuverable, the adventurers always land safely. It
is not only exciting for the gliders, the glide and landing are a visual treat
from the ground.
 |
| Zorbing and paragliding |
Horse riding: For the
children and aged alike horse riding is fun. The ride is conducted around the
vast ground and the accompanying person and well-trained horses ensure safe
enjoyable ride.
 |
| Horse riding at Khajjiar glade |
Walk around: Usually we forget the best activity and take it for
granted. Walking leisurely around the ground through forest paths with children
occasionally taking a break and taking a roll on the soft grassy turf should be
delectable.
Camping: Some of
the hotels provide camping facilities in the woods. If you so desire, you may
like to stay outdoors.
Rock climbing: Under
expert supervision rock climbing is done for groups and not individuals. This
activity is not usual and is taken up on request.
Village visit: There
are a number of picturesque villages with great view amidst the dense deodar
and pine forests not far from the ground. A few of them are Khajjiar village, Ladi
village and Rota village. Some of these are located near apple orchards with
trees heavy with apples in season.
Trekking: Trekking
is offered under supervision and permission. A few of the trekking routes are
from Khajjiar to Chamba and to Lakkar Mandi. These are soft and pleasant treks
through the woods and gently rising hills. You may also like a refreshing walk
through the woods from Lakkar Mandi to Kalatop forest rest house.
Kalatop wildlife sanctuary: You might like to spend a day in the Kalatop forest
rest house roaming around the adjoining woods with a grandstand view of the
mountains and the glade below. Reservation is to be had from Divisional Forest
Officer, Wildlife, Chamba.
Nearby places
Chamba,
Dalhousie, Lakkar Mandi, Jyot pass, Bharmour, Kalatop sanctuary, Chamera lake
are all nearby places with tourist attractions. Some of these are popular and
some not so, but all are accessible easily by car, have their own attractions
and can be combined in a trip to Khajjiar.
Ideal for
Honeymoon,
summer holiday visits, family visits, winter sports, or plain relaxation away
from the madding crowds.
My
recommendation is not to combine too many places with Khajjiar. It has a very
special taste, like say fine quality flavored tea. Mixing it with wrong elements
might destroy the flavor.
Parting words
Khajjiar
glade is beautiful in a cute way but still has a vast expanse. It is surrounded by majestic old tall deodar forests rising gradually up
the rolling hills within which the vast glade is practically hidden like a
pearl inside an oyster shell. If you venture out, faraway glorious Pir Panjal
snow range would beckon.
To
me Khajjiar has its own beautiful, if not a bit of primitive raw soul which is
to my liking and it cannot be compared with any other place. If you like—come,
stay for at least one night, roam around on foot, drive along the roads on both
sides, be one with yourself and nature and finally take back something with you
that will always remain valuable to you.
Links
1.
Himachal Pradesh govt.
page on Khajjiar tourism: http://himachaltourism.gov.in/post/khajjiar.aspx
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