Sights
A little visited town in western Himachal Pradesh, Chamba is a busy place and important to locals since it houses the district court. Its marketplace therefore is a great place to see the vibrant mixture of peoples of the area - the tall and spare Afghan blooded Muslims, the short, stocky Gaddi villagers from the hills and the large bodied visitors from Punjab.The shops here sell a variety of merchandise, ranging from traditional silver jewellery with enameled clasps to embroidered Chamba chappals (sandals) that are excellent for walking up hillsides.
From the marketplace one can hear the clanging brass bells of the ancient wood and stone temple dedicated to the powerful goddess Chamunda. From the temple there are great views of the town spread below.
There is also a complex of bee hive shaped temples in Chamba dating back to the 11th century.
Chamba is also renowned for its delicately embroidered ‘rumals’ or handkerchiefs that were traditionally used to wrap gifts to gods and in-laws. These colourful silk designs can be admired at the Bhuri Singh Museum which also has an impressive collection of jewellery, clothes and some 17th and 18th century miniature paintings of the Himachali ‘Pahari’ style.
Short drives from Chamba can take you to the complex of 84 shrines built in the 10th century in Bharmou, one of the prettiest drives in all of Himachal past terraced fields of green and yellow.
