Chamba Tourism

Ancient Monuments of Chamba
One should remember that since its inception in 10th century AD, Chamba has never faced any invasion; neither has it ever been vandalized by any marauding enemy force. That is why, unlike many other places, Chamba has many ancient monuments standing erect even to this day. However, these places of tourist interest can be divided into two distinct groups; the first category includes the temples built before the advent of the British and the other that includes places built after their arrival.Temples in Chamba Built Before 1846
Many of these heritage buildings, which were built before the advent of the British, are to be found in the old township, located to the east of the Chowgan. Lakshmi Narayan Temple, Champavati Temple, Hari Rai Temple etc can be included in this category. However, some like Vajreshwari Temple, Chamunda MataTemple, Suhi Mata Temple, Sita Ram Temple etc are found in other parts of the town as well. For complete information on these temples you may refer to our pages on Religious Places in Chamba and Lakshmi Narayan Temple in Chamba.Akhand Chandi Palace in Chamba

In 1958, the royal family sold this palace to the state government. Today it houses the District Library and the Government Collage.
The Layout of Akhand Chandi Palace

The Akhand Chandi Palace has a slanting roof and if you see it from the front, you will see that it has been divided into three parts. The palace has numerous windows decorated with arc designs. The interior walls were hand painted and embossed with beautiful glasswork and intricate wood work. It also has a beautiful garden bordered by green hedges and a fountain at the center.
The palace is centrally located and offers a panoramic view of a large part of the town. From here one can see the different city landmarks like the Chowgan, Rang Mahal, Laksmi Narayan Temple, Hari Rai Temple, Bansi Gopal Temple, Shui Mata Temple and Chamunda Mata Temple etc.
Rang Mahal in Chamba

Apart from serving as royal residence, this palace was also used as store house for royal treasures. Many of the kings of later period were born in this palace. Its rooms were once decorated with beautiful paintings done in Pahari style; they mostly depicted the love life of Lord Krishna and his consort Radha. These paintings are now preserved in Bhuri Singh Museum in Chamba and also in National museum in Delhi.
Today however, the palace belongs to Himachal Pradesh Handicraft Department and houses a shoe factory and an emporium. The emporium sells beautiful Chamba shawls, Rumals and other handicrafts. You may visit it between 10 AM and 1 PM and then from 2 PM to 5 PM. The Rang Mahal Palace is also open to the tourist. However, you will have to pay an entry fee INR 10 for that.
Bhuri Singh Museum in Chamba

Church of Scotland in Chamba

However, the foundation of the new church building was laid by Raja Sham Singh in 1899 in the presence of Reverend Dr. M’Clymont. The king also contributed generously in this cause. The church, with its exposed brick walls, follows the Scottish style of architecture.
The Chowgan in Chamba
