Dalhousie, India
Encyclopedia
Dalhousie is a hill station
and popular tourist spot in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh
, India
.
who was the British Governor-General in India while establishing this place as a summer retreat. india
. He was suffering from tuberculosis
and he regularly drank the water from the natural spring in Karelanu and was healed.
. Established in 1854 by the British Empire
in India as a summer retreat for its troops and bureaucrats.
It is built on and around five hills. Located on the western edge of the Dhauladhar mountain range of the Himalayas, it is surrounded by snow-capped peaks. Dalhousie is situated between 6,000 and 9000 feet (2,743.2 m) above sea level. The best time to visit is in the summer, and the peak tourist season is from May to September. Scottish and Victorian architecture is prevalent in the bungalows and churches in the town.
Dalhousie is a gateway to the ancient Chamba Hill State, now Chamba District
of the state of himachal pradesh
of India. This hill region is a repository of ancient Hindu culture, art, temples, and handicrafts preserved under the longest-running single dynasty since the mid-6th century. Chamba
is the hub of this culture. Bharmour, the ancient capital of this kingdom, is home to the Gaddi and Gujjar
tribes and has 84 ancient temples dating from the 7th–10th century AD.
Hill station
A hill station is a town located at a higher elevation than the nearby plain or valley. The term was used mostly in colonial Asia , but also in Africa , for towns founded by European colonial rulers as refuges from the summer heat, up where temperatures are cooler...
and popular tourist spot in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Weather
Dalhousie experiences winter-like cold climate throughout the year. Heavy rain with thunder showers are experienced during the period from June to September. In May–July it is usually warm in the morning and afternoon but gets cold early in the evening and quite cold at night. The weather becomes very cold during winter and if it rains. Dalhousie also experiences snow during the peak of winter period in December and January. Being a hill station, Dalhousie is famous for its salubrious climate.Etymology
The Dalhousie Town was named after Lord DalhousieJames Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie
James Andrew Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie KT, PC was a Scottish statesman, and a colonial administrator in British India....
who was the British Governor-General in India while establishing this place as a summer retreat. india
Points of interest
Dalhousie has many places to visit. A favorite spot for tourists is the area near Alla. It is a potato field and it offers mesmerizing scenic landscape. Another popular spot is the area of Karelanu. It is famous for its precious water which healed a great leader, Subhash Chandra BoseSubhash Chandra Bose
Subhas Chandra Bose known by name Netaji was an Indian revolutionary who led an Indian national political and military force against Britain and the Western powers during World War II. Bose was one of the most prominent leaders in the Indian independence movement and is a legendary figure in...
. He was suffering from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
and he regularly drank the water from the natural spring in Karelanu and was healed.
History
Dalhousie is a hill station in Himachal PradeshHimachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
. Established in 1854 by the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
in India as a summer retreat for its troops and bureaucrats.
It is built on and around five hills. Located on the western edge of the Dhauladhar mountain range of the Himalayas, it is surrounded by snow-capped peaks. Dalhousie is situated between 6,000 and 9000 feet (2,743.2 m) above sea level. The best time to visit is in the summer, and the peak tourist season is from May to September. Scottish and Victorian architecture is prevalent in the bungalows and churches in the town.
Dalhousie is a gateway to the ancient Chamba Hill State, now Chamba District
Chamba district
Chamba is the northwestern district of Himachal Pradesh, in India, with its headquarters in Chamba town. The towns of Dalhousie and Khajjhiar are popular hill stations and vacation spots for the people from the plains of northern India....
of the state of himachal pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
of India. This hill region is a repository of ancient Hindu culture, art, temples, and handicrafts preserved under the longest-running single dynasty since the mid-6th century. Chamba
Chamba, Himachal Pradesh
Chamba is an ancient town in the Chamba district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, in northern India. According to the 2001 Indian census, Chamba has a population of 20,312 people...
is the hub of this culture. Bharmour, the ancient capital of this kingdom, is home to the Gaddi and Gujjar
Gujjar
The Gurjar are an ethnic group in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Alternative spellings include Gurjara, Gujar, Gurjjara and Gūrjara. The spelling Gurjara or Gurjar is preferable to the rest....
tribes and has 84 ancient temples dating from the 7th–10th century AD.
Timeline
- 1849 Punjab was annexed to the British RajBritish RajBritish Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
after the Second Anglo-Sikh WarSecond Anglo-Sikh WarThe Second Anglo-Sikh War took place in 1848 and 1849, between the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company. It resulted in the subjugation of the Sikh Empire, and the annexation of the Punjab and what subsequently became the North-West Frontier Province by the East India Company.-Background...
. - 1850 Lt. Col. Napier, Chief Engineer of Punjab was enchanted by the scenic spot in the ChambaChamba StateChamba State was one of the oldest princely states in present-day Republic of India, having been founded during the late 6th century. It is situated in the bosom of the Himalaya Mountains, and the boundaries are as follows: On the northwest, west, and northeast is Kashmir; on the east, Lahaul and...
state and visualized the project. - 1851 Selection of the site was finalized. A spot where the Dainkund Ridge, at the western edge of the DhauladharDhauladharThe Dhauladhar range is a southern branch of the main Outer Himalayan chain of mountains. It rises spectacularly from the Indian plains to the north of Kangra and Mandi...
range of the HimalayasHimalayasThe Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
, breaks into spurs was carved out. Dr. Clemenger of the 49th Native Infantry was in charge of the site development. - 1853 Thirteen square miles of land comprising the five hills Kathalagli, Potrein, Terah (Moti Tibba), Bakrota, and Bhangora were acquired by the Government of India from the Raja of the Chamba state. In return, the annual tribute that the Chamba state paid to the British Government was reduced by 2000 rupees. The total tribute at that time was 12,000 rupees per year.
- 1854 Sir Donald McLeod recommended that the estate be named after Lord Dalhousie, the viceroy of India at that time. Convalescent Depot was constructed at Kathalag. It was made part of the Kangra DistrictKangra districtKangra is the most populous district of the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. Dharamsala is the administrative headquarters of the district.-Geography:Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh is situated in Western Himalayas between 31°2 to...
in the Punjab state. - 1860 Three level malls around Bakrota, Terah, and Potrein hills were laid down. The roads that connect these malls are still the main arteries of the city today.
- 1863 St. John's church was built at the G.P.O. (Now known as Gandhi Chowk) Reverend John H. Pratt was instrumental in raising money from the ChristianChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
community. - 1873 Rabindranath TagoreRabindranath TagoreRabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
spends time in Dalhousie. - 1884 Rudyard KiplingRudyard KiplingJoseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
visited Dalhousie. - 1894 The St. Francis Church was built at Charing Cross (now known as Subash Chowk)
- 1903 St. Andrew's Church (AKA The Church of Scotland) was built at Dalhousie Cantt.
- 1909 St. Patrick's Church was built near the military hospital at Dalhousie Cantt.
- 1910 Convent of the Sacred Heart, a residential school for girls, was started under the Archdiocese of LahoreLahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
. - 1915 Sadar Bazar, the main market of Dalhousie, was burnt down by a ferocious fire. The new Sadar Bazar buildings came up, and stone was used instead of wood. These 3-4 storey stone houses with slop?
- 1920 Electricity was first distributed. A large generator using diesel was built to bring the electricity to the elite town.
- 1920s-1947 Dalhousie was at its peak as a tourist destination.
- 1954 Pt. NehruJawaharlal NehruJawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
, then prime minister of India, presided over the centennial celebrations of Dalhousie. He initiated promotion of tourismTourismTourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
with the call Let us go to the Himalayas. - 1959 TibetTibetTibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
was taken over by ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Dalhousie was picked to host several thousand Tibetan refugees at the insistence of Pt. NehruJawaharlal NehruJawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
. Most of them have left the town. However, they have left their influence in the form of road-side rock sculptures and a Tibetan market near the GPO. - 1962 Dalai LamaDalai LamaThe Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
visited Dalhousie. He visited again in 1988. - 1966 During Reorganisation of States, Dalhousie was transferred to the Himachal PradeshHimachal PradeshHimachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
from Punjab. - 1990s Dalhousie becomes a favorite shooting spot of BollywoodBollywoodBollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
. Many Hindi films, including 1942: A Love Story1942: A Love Story1942: A Love Story is a 1994 Bollywood film starring Anil Kapoor, Manisha Koirala, Jackie Shroff, Anupam Kher, Danny Denzongpa, and Pran. The film was the first ever to be given a U/A rating while featuring a scene, previously considered inappropriate for young children, showing the actors kissing...
, were filmed here.
Economy and industry
Dalhousie being one of the beautiful tourist spots, plays an important role in the economy of the state. The major industry is tourism. Dalhousie has a huge number of hotels to accommodate the tourists. Dalhousie also offers several non-hotel stays like independent villas and bungalows which offer an alternative to typical hotels. There are just over 600 hotels, which provide temporary jobs to about 5,000 to 8,000 people every year. This town alone counts for almost 3% of GDP of its state.Eight road junction
At Gandhi Chowk in Dalhousie is a Road junction of eight roads. These roads lead to:- 1) Subhash Chowk
- 2) Panchpula
- 3) Upper Bakrota
- 4) Diankund
- 5) Banikhet via Busstand
- 6) Khajjiar
- 7) Sadar Bazar
- 8) Motitibba
Important areas
- Gandhi Chowk
- Diankund
- Bakrota Hills
- Dalhousie CantonmentDalhousie CantonmentDalhousie is a cantonment town in Chamba district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India.-Geography:Dalhousie is located at . It has an average elevation of 1954 metres .-Demographics:...
- Sadar Bazar
- Tibetan Market
- Panchpula