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Contents

 

  1. History
  2. Getting Around
  3. Tourist Traps
  4. Local Customs
  5. Shopping
  6. Communications

In the mid-nineteenth century, Dalhousie rose in the second string of hill stations that the British built in the region. Its location, at the western edge of the Dhauladhar mountains - which are a sub-system of the Himalaya - gave it a commanding position overlooking the plains of the Punjab. As the town grew, expectedly, it became a popular summer retreat for many families of the Punjab who preferred its easy lifestyle and relaxed ambience to the snooty social divides of Shimla. Officials and business families from Lahore, Europeans and a few Indians, would travel up for the summer months - and a couple of Dalhousie’s families go back to the town’s early days. With its ' old world charm ' and lingering echoes of the Raj, the town covers an area of about seventeen square kilometres. Today's Dalhousie is still quite a quiet town and holds immense natural beauty where the thick woods are framed by magnificent snowpeaks. There is colonial architecture and a variety of sightseeing and some excellent walks. The town swings around the hills somewhat like an adventurous figure of eight; it also let’s fly a few limbs high and low. Tall stone revetments, made rather venerable by a variety of mosses, protect the roads. Just above them are shrubs and ferns and wild flowers. Then come the trees - oaks, cedars and the flowering rhododendrons. Below, the valley plunges down, in fits and starts - with both sharp drops and level patches of fields and houses. At the end of that long plunge, flows the river Ravi. And whenever the road takes a turn facing north, the spectacular mountain ranges swing right back for an unforgettable view.

History

It is regarded that the idea to create the town of Dalhousie was that of Lieutenant Colonel Napier, Chief Engineer of the Punjab. Napier went on to become the Commander in Chief of the Indian Army. Dalhousie, as a settlement, was to serve as a sanitarium and as a cool retreat for both the military and for civilians.

In 1851, a selection was made of a spot on the Dhyankund ridge in the lower Indian Himalaya. The lowest spur, Kathlog was considered to be the most suitable place for convalescents. The report on the site was submitted to the Government of India in October, 1852 and the sanction of the Government of India for the land to be acquired was given in September, 1853. A committee was appointed to establish the size of land required and its boundaries. The five pockets of Kathlog, Potreyn, Tehra, Bakrota and Bhangora were identified. Balun was added later.

A reduction was made in the tribute paid by Chamba – as the land belonged to that princely state. The final sanction of the Government of India was accorded in February, 1854. At the recommendation of the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab, Donald McLeod, the sanitarium was named Dalhousie in honour of the Governor-General, Lord Dalhousie.

In 1856, Captain Fagan was employed by the East India Company to establish the lines of supply and communication to the new hill station. Then the town's boundaries were set. The Government marked off the plots, levelled roads around the hills and put in the civil water supply system. By 1861 the boundaries of most of the plots had been established and these were auctioned to the highest private bidders. At this time, the hill station was purely for civilians. In 1866 it was decided to make Balun a Cantonment, with a Military Hospital. The troops of British Infantry Regiments were stationed in barracks in the Tikka and Mankot lines and the officers lived in the civilian area of Dalhousie. After taking the extra land in Balun and Bakloh Hill for the IVth Gurkha Regiment, the tribute payable by the Raja of Chamba was further reduced by Rs. 5,000. The first troops came in 1868. On 25 July 1867 Dalhousie was constituted a Municipality of the first class. There were about 400 plots for big bungalows and 400 smaller plots in the Sadar Bazaar for the support staff and shops. Clubs, hotels, libraries came up with private enterprise as did the first church building.

Getting Around

Most of the colonial part of Dalhousie can be covered ( and is best seen) in a series of day-walks. For the out-of -town excursions, a taxi or bus may be taken. Vehicular traffic can occasionally be a nuisance but is rarely a hazard. Within Dalhousie, for excursions and for long distance journeys, taxis may be hired through your hotel, the numerous travel agents scattered all over town or from the taxi unions. The main taxi unions are -1. Dalhousie Taxi Operators Union, Near the Bus Stand, (Tel no. - 242786), 2. The Gandhi Chowk Taxi Union, near the General Post Office - (Tel. no. 242739) and 3. Taxi Union at Subhash Chowk (Tel. no.- 242528). The two main roads, along which many of the hotels and shops are built, are the Thandi Sarak (the 'Cold Road' that faces north) and the Garam Sarak (the 'Warm Road' that faces south); together, they encircle the hill called Motti Tibba. An extension of these roads from the Subash Chowk, is the Court Road.

Tourist Traps in the City

Taxis and porters may overcharge and many also double as touts for hotels.

Local Custom

None as such, but dress conservatively in public.

Shopping

Dalhousie is full of small shops that sell a variety of souvenirs including shawls and woolens - though very few are made locally. The 'Chamba rumal' embroidered with a double satin stitch, is a fine local craft and is occasionally stocked by different shops. The Tibetan market has an assortment of inexpensive electronic goods, clothes and budget range traditional Tibetan artefacts like 'meditation bowls,' musical instruments and thangka paintings. The large general store, D.C. Khanna sells just about everything.

Communications

Several shops, hotels and travel agents all over Dalhousie have STD telephones with meters. International, Long-distance and Local calls may be made from here. There are internet cafes in town; charges for a half-an-hour normally vary between Rs.10 to Rs 20. Getting a mobile phone connection requires an identification document – like a passport or driving license.

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