Travel: Chamba, Himachal Pradesh
Riverine rhapsody
Chamba sits pretty besides a rushing Ravi and is quite one of Himachal`s prettiest spots.
It is the river that captures one`s attention, arrests one`s eye, holds one totally in thrall. A swathe of icy blue touched with silver, it rushes with an audible roar past Chamba on its way to J&K, to finally join the Chenab River in Pakistan.
There are pebble banks, small sandbars in the Ravi and above it, on its eastern side looms the Shah Madar hills, making a lovely picture, all in all.
Imagine my delight when I realise that our chosen resort, the charming Jimmy`s River Retreat, is right on the riverbank.
River spotting
River-gazing has always rated high on my list of holiday activities, and the Ravi is especially bountiful right now.
We had driven through Himachal woefully noticing that most of the rivers en route had become sluggish streams and in some cases not even that, just a sunken, dried slough.
In contrast, the Ravi, a major tributary of the Trans-Himalayan Indus River here at its confluence with the Seul River, flowed strong and powerful, a treat to the eyes and ears, and of course a blessing for the people who live in its vicinity.
Chamba sits on a plateau on the right bank of the Ravi at an elevation of 1,006 metres (3,301 ft), bordered by Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Kangra and Pathankot. Built on successive flat terraces, the town is hedged by the Dhauladhar and Zanskar ranges, which dramatically balances out the untidy sprawl the centre of town has inevitably become.
Its relative isolation and rugged terrain kept it safe for decades; Akbar and Aurangzeb did attempt attacks on Chamba but were unsuccessful. The princely state finally merged with India in 1948.
Today, this is a place that merges history with antiquity.
Major pilgrimage centre
The town is a major pilgrimage centre for Hindus with its numerous temples like the Champavati Temple, Banni Mata Temple, the Lakshmi Narayan temples, the Chamunda Devi Temple. It hosts two popular jatras, the Suhi Mata Mela and the Minjar Mela, which translate to several days of music, dancing and celebrations. Chamba also has a quaint, lovely church, St. Andrew’s, a Presbytarian church dating back to 1905.
The place is noted for its arts and crafts, handicrafts and textiles. The Pahari paintings of Chamba, circa 17th century, painted in both miniature and mural forms, generally feature scenes and characters from Hindu mythology such as Radha-Krishna, Shiva-Parvathi, Yashoda and Krishna, the gopis, but the Mughal influence is clearly discerned in them. They are on display in the Chamba museum.
Chamba metalware is another ancient tradition, actually dating back to the Bronze Age, with local blacksmiths crafting items out of copper, iron and brass. Temple cupolas and the golden kalash of temples in Chamba district are usually produced here. A kind of kettle drum called Nagara, cymbals, bells and Singa or Ransinga (horns) are all articles of Chamba origin.
From metalware to jewellery is one short step and Chamba`s craftsmen took that step long ago. Traditional gold and silver jewellery made here is as popular as its pottery. Some of the jewellery carries strong Tibetan influences, which is not surprising given the influx of immigrants from Tibet. Intricate wood carvings created here adorn temples in the vicinity.
Textile tradition
The town also has a distinct textile tradition. The shawls produced here have long been a collector`s item; these traditionally handspun, exquisitely embroidered and bright-bordered shawls are identical on both sides of the cloth.
The Himachali caps and handkerchiefs (the Chamba rumaal is much sought after) are other popular fabrics produced here.
Then, let`s not forget the Chamba chappal. Legend has it that King Sahil Varman of the 9th century got cobblers as part of his dowry. These cobblers made handcrafted leather slippers for the king, queen and the royal court, and after the advent of the British, for the common people, too. The range of this colourful footwear includes `vegetarian` sandals made without leather for use in places where leather is prohibited for religious reasons.
No visit to Chamba is complete without a quick trip to the charming hill station of Khajjiar with its cedar forests, still lake and the 12th century Khajji Nag temple.
But let`s get back to the fascinating river that runs through Chamba; the Ravi hereabouts flows through towns, gorges and deep canyons.
The magnificent Ravi
During the spring and summer months, swollen with snow-melt, the river rises to threatening levels and the town looks at the very real risk of flooding. Winter temperatures oftentimes sink to zero degrees and the Ravi is a reduced glacial body of water at this time, daring anyone to touch its freezing waters.
However, it`s warmer weather now and the Ravi is in full glorious flow. After a sumptuous lunch of roti with madra and the spicy chuk, I sit by its pebble bank and watch a piece of brilliant ruby-coloured cloth (a scarf? a Chamba rumaal?) being carried by the swift currents, occasionally snagging itself on submerged rocks, then breaking free with a swirl and moving swiftly ahead.
There is some symbolism in that scarlet cloth but it escapes me. I`m content to just sit and watch the busy river roaring past.
FACTFILE
When to visit: March to June and later September to end-October is a good time to visit this hill station.
Weather: Summer temperatures can climb up to 38 degrees C and in winter, go down to 0 degrees C. Light woollens may be needed even in summer and heavy-duty woollens in winter.
By road: Chamba is well connected by road to the rest of the state and country, including Pathankot (118 kms away), Shimla (378 kms away), Delhi (627 kms away) and Chandigarh (357 kms away) along several routes.
By air: Chamba can be accessed by air upto Kangra and then it is 140 km by car, taxi or bus. The nearest airport is at Gaggal in Kangra valley, 180 km from Chamba.
By rail: Pathankot, linked by direct trains to Amritsar, Delhi, Bombay and Calcutta, is the nearest broad gauge railhead; Chamba is 56 kms from Dalhousie.
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/667645/riverine-rhapsody.html
This ran in DECCAN HERALD of 31 March 2018.
Related links:
Photo Feature: Himachal Heights
Sheila Kumar • April 2, 2018