CHAMBA: IN BHAGIRATHI’S EMBRACE

Uttarakhand, 27th state of India is a land of hills. About 93% of it is mountainous thus creating numerous hill stations. Some being quite famous like mussorie, Dhanolti, kausani and some relatively untouched like chamb, gwaldam, Mukteshwar, ukhimath, etc. This makes Uttarakhand a tourist’s paradise complete with hills, valleys, mountainous and rivers everywhere.
Numerous villages and smaller towns have emerged all over the state especially around the valleys created by major rivers (sufficing the water needs for agricultural and settlement). Bhagirathi river is one such important river which after descending from Gangotri glacier feeds the major towns of uttarakashi, tehri etc finally to become the Ganges from Deoprayag.
Chamba, an untouched, unexplored and serene hamlet is one such place to develop in Bhagirathi valley. Perched at an average altitude of 1680 m, Chamba lies in the tehri district of Garhwal region of Uttarakhand 60 km from the famous hill station mussorie. Geographically it is enclosed between two principal spur ranges of the great Himalaya, the Dhauladhar and Pangi-pir Panjal. It was initially under Gorkha kingdom and later ruled by the great Garhwal kings. The lack of western touch is an evidence that this area was virtually uninfluenced by the British rule.
Chamba, the Florence of Himalaya, as it is often called is an emerging tourist spot especially after the controversial submergence of old tehri town by the koteshwar hydroelectric power plant. It is also the transition point to access the two dhams Yamnotri and Gangotri. The snow capped peaks of Thalay sagar, Jonli, Gangotri, Langtang range together with the awe inspiring views of the verdant gorges and enchanting valleys all around river Bhagirathi, undoubtedly shows you the power of nature’s creation.
Chamba is mainly an agricultural town and is the source of vegetables to the majority of Garhwal region. The terrace plantations as anywhere in the hills not only caters to the food needs but also adds to the inherent beauty of the place. The town basically comprises of a main road (like the mall road at any hill station) lined by small shops selling a assortment of things from mobile recharges to clothes. The road ends at what is known as Gabbar singh Chowk, the provisional taxi stand. One can get shared jeeps to mussorie via Kadhukhal. (2 hrs drive). Further ahead one reaches the main bus stand from where one can access Rishikesh (60km), Haridwar (80km) through buses run by the GMOU, government undertaking. Shared jeeps also move to New Tehri 11 km uphill
The houses are built in tiers after the first level of shops. Each house is connected by a tortuous network of road making the town even more compact. These houses are basically all single storied with wide balconies and veranda offering excellent views. The GMVN tourist rest house is located at the highest point of the town and one has to walk a good 2 km uphill to reach there. A shortcut exists from the main road just before the union bank office. It’s the best option to stay in chamba and gives a good vantage point to view the mighty Himalayan peaks, especially at sunrise. The TRH has 4 executive rooms fully furnished with fireplace, cozy beds and table. They have all the essential facilities like hot water, mirror and even dinning room. The local chef Mukesh can arrange for some hot food if intimated early.
Currently being relatively a less tourist inclined place , chamba has minimum options for lavishness and entertainment. One can take an evening stroll in the market, watch the sunset over the valley and enjoy a bonfire dinner. The stay at chamba gives you an opportunity to relax peacefully and enjoy the environment at leisure.
Morning gives better options. If one is enthusiastic enough and can get up early morning. They may be lucky to watch the first sun rays striking the Himalayan peaks which slowly come into visibility. Numerous peaks named and unnamed can be seen especially at this time without any cloud cover. After a good breakfast one can move to new Their 11 kms uphill on the other side of the valley. In shared jeeps it takes about 30 minutes to reach. It overlooks the tehri lake and remains of the old tehri town. The distant Himalayan peaks seem to come closer and the views become even more glorious. Especially from the bus stand of Tehri near the (GMVN TRH) one can get grand views of Thalay sagra standing right in front. New tehri houses one of the asaram bapu ashram and also a gurudwara. Driving further northwards from the bus stand leads you to the dam. Narrow roads encircle the massive broject built over the confluence of Bhagirathi and Dhauliganga rivers for power generation. This now puts one in dilemma about the power of nature’s vs man made creation. New tehri being a larger town has more options for eating and entertainment. One can relish anything from traditional Garhwali cuisine to Chinese cusines.
After a sumptuous meal, a trip towards Dhanolti (31 kms) is a must. En route a stop at Kadhukhal (24km), the seat of Surkanda devi, gives a spiritual element to your trip. Surkanda devi, one of the Shaktipeeth is a very reverend pilgrimage center for the locals. Dedicated to sati, the wife of lord shiva, the temple is perched at an altitude of 2750 m offering splendid views of chamba, Dhanolti and even mussorie. It is a 3 km trek from Kadhukhal village and one can take as offerings some garlands and sweets available at the base.
A sip of hot tea after the descent refreshes you and encourages to move further to Dhanolti. At a height of 2250 m, Dhanolti is a sylvan destination better equipped with restaurants and bars. The alu-pyaz parathans at zayka hotel is a must try and gives you the neccesary strength to move further. Nestled in the midst of oaks and pines it occasionally gives the views of the Himalayas and the valleys below. One can walk on the road and proves a refreshing experience and the mist blanket which comes every now and then gives you the feeling of dawn even at noon. From Dhanolti one can further go to mussorie (30 km) for staying or come back to chamba.
“Thus chamba still being a virgin land, offers you privacy with serenity and a feeling of remoteness, the very pre-requisite for a getaway”