Hotel The Grand Raj Archive

Travel Tips.

Dharamshala and its special attractions

BY Hotel The Grand Raj March 25, 2017

Dharamshala is amonst one of the best hill stations of Himachal Pradesh situated in district Kangra. It is the headquarter of the Kangra district. Dharamsala is surrounded by awesome snow laden Dhauladhar and extends into the Shivalik range. This hill station is rich in oak, pines and conifer trees and snow laden mountains cover three sides of the town while the Kangra valley stretches as far as one can see. The snowline is easily accessible at Dharamshala than at any other hill station, people reach in one days track to a snow-point after an early morning\’s start. Dharamsala offers an enthralling view of the Kangra valley and one can enjoy the sunset through pong wildlife lake over the horizon. In and around one can visit beautiful tea gardens, temples, Tibetan Monasteries, Kangra Art Museum, War memorial, Cricket Stadium, beautiful Dhauladhar peaks like Moonpeak, Triund, Kareri lake, Rising Star, Himani Chamunda. Dharmshala is complemented with many beautiful places like Kangra valley, Chinmayananda Tapovan, Norbulingka, Guyto Monastry, Tea gardens and Kunal Pathri temple, Dharamshala Cricket Stadium, Khaniyara Shiva Temple, War memorial etc.

Dharmshala is well connected by all the three means of travel that’s by air, rail and the road. The closest airport is Gaggal which is just 10 km from Dharamsala. There are daily regular flights available from Delhi to Gaggal. The nearest railway station is in Kangra,  on the narrow gauge railway line from Pathankot to Jogindernagar. You can also reach Dharmshala by road through the hired car or taxi or the State Transport buses. Hotel Asian plaza is one of the best budget hotels in Dharamsala with all the basic as well as luxury facilities. Asian Plaza hotel is in the middle of Dharamsala near the bus station and on the way to Mcleodganj. Its very comfortable and rejuvenating to visit Dharamsala in any season, but still the awesome time to visit Dharmshala is during early winter in October and November.

Kangra and its special attractions

BY Hotel The Grand Raj March 10, 2017

The Kangra Fort was designed by the royal Rajput family of Kangra (the Katoch dynasty), that traces its origins to the ancient Trigarta Kingdom, mentioned within the Mahabharata epic. it’s the biggest fort within the Himalayas and doubtless the oldest dated fort in India.
The fort of Kangra was taken by the Mahmud of Ghazni in AD 1009. In 1337, it had been captured by Muhammad bin Tughluq and again in 1351 by his successor, Firuz Shah Tughluq. however it had been not fully subdued until 1622, when after a siege of fourteen months, it had been conquered by the MughalEmperor Jahangir Who garrisoned it along with his troops and appointed a Governor to stay the turbulent hill chiefs under control.
In the half of eighteenth Century, following the decline of Mughal power, Raja Sansar Chand-II succeeded in recovering the ancient fort of his ancestors, in 1789. however by carrying his ambitions too far he came in conflict with the neighboring hill chiefs, the Gurkhas.In 1804, crossing the Gadwall finally in 1805 the Gorkha army conquered Kangda valley across the Sutlej stream after continuous fighting for 3 years. untill 1809 Gorkha Army conquered Kangda Fort. subsequently in 1809 the Gorkha army was defeated and that they had to retreat across Sutlej stream. at the same time as British East India Company was additionally in their growth spree of formation advanced up to Nepal’s the then border. Finally, with maharajah of Punjab, Ranjit Singh was the conqueror of Kangra Fort in 1809. It remained within the hands of the Sikhs until 1846 once it had been remodeled to the British Government, in conjunction with the encircling hills.

A British garrison occupied the fort till it had been heavily broken in an earthquake within the year 1905.
The entrance to the fort is thru alittle curtilage enclosed  between 2 gates that were designed throughout the Sikh period, as seems from an inscription over the doorway. From here which and slender passage leads up to the highest of the fort, through the Ahani and Amiri Darwaza (gate), each attributed to nawab Saif Ali Khan, the first Mughal Governor of Kangra. concerning five hundred feet from the outer gate the passage turns spherical at a awfully sharp angle and passes through the Jehangiri Darwaza.
The Darsani Darwaza, that is currently flanked by defaced statues of stream Goddesses Ganga and Yamuna gave access to a court yard, on the South side of that stood the shrines Lakshmi-Narayana Sitala and Ambika Devi. In between these shrines may be a passage that leads up to the palace. it’s one of the foremost lovely forts in India.
The fort is Right next to Kangra city.  The fort stands on a steep rock in Purana Kangra (translates to Old Kangra) dominating the encircling valley, designed strategically at the “sangam” confluence (places Where two rivers meet) of Banganga and Majhi rivers. it’s said that Kangra belongs to one Who owns the fort.
Also around Old Kangra is that the famous Jayanti Mata temple on a hill high. The Temple was designed by the general of the Gorkha Army, Bada Kaji Amar Singh Thapa. additionally near entrance could be a little museum which exhibits the history of Kangra fort.
Adjoining the Fort is that the maharajah Sansar Chand Katoch museum run by the royal family of Kangra. The museum also provides audio guides for the fort and the museum and has a eating place.

Maa Brajeshwari Temple Kangra

BY Hotel The Grand Raj February 20, 2017

The brajeshwari temple is close to Dharamshala situated in the Old Kangra. Brajeshwari Temple in Kangra is one of famous himachal pradesh temples said to possess been designed over the charred breasts of Sati.The Shree Brajeshwari Devi Mandir is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Goddess brajeshwarii, situated within the city Nagarkot,within the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. and is eleven kilometre faraway from the closest Railway Stationof Kangra. The Kangra Fort is located nearby. Its location on a mountain close to Chamunda Devi temple.
The primary deity of the temple, brajeshwari Devi, additionally Also Vajrábái and Vajrayogini, is taken into account anincarnation of Goddess Parvati or Aadi-Maya on earth. Her name literally means that “the lady of the Vajra(thunderbolt)”. There are Two legends regarding the goddess’ origins, both associated with the Vajra.
Legend says that Indra and other devas went to goddess Parvati and requested her to assist slay the demon Kalikala.goddess Parvati assured that she would return to their aid at the correct time. Another legend says that when goddessSati sacrificed herself within the honor of Lord Shiva in her Fathers Yagya. Shiva took her body on his shoulder and began Tandav. to stop to prevent him from destroying the planet Lord Vishnu divided the body of Sati into fifty twoparts along with his Chakra. the correct breast of Sati fell at this spot, so creating it a Shakti Peeth.
The original temple was designed by the Pandavas at the time of Mahabharatha. Legend says that sooner or later future} Pandavas saw goddess Durga in their dream in which she told them that she is located in the Nagarkot village and if they need them self to be secure they must build a temple for her in this area otherwise they’re going to be destroyed. that very same night they created an impressive temple for her within the Nagarkot village. This temple was looted a number of time by the Muslim invaders. within the most area goddess brajeshwari is gift in the form of Pindi. The temple also have atiny low temple of Bhairav. before of the main temple an idol of Dhayanu Bhagat is also present. He had offered his head to the goddess at the time of Akbar. the current structure has 3 tombs in it, that is exclusive in itself.
Kangra was the capital of the nice Hill State, its famous ruler being maharajah Sansar Chand Katoch, an excellent patron of arts. it had been throughout his reign that the Miniature and Rajpur schools of hill paintings flourished. Kangra valley provides an amazing contrast in nature of places to be visited. Dharamshala is jam-packed with Buddhist air whereas ancient Hindu Temples like Brajeshwari, Baijnath, Jawalamukhi and Chamunda Devi dot the countryside

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