Chamba's Hertiage

People and Culture

The valley of Chamba is known for its majestic snowcapped mountain ranges, lush green forests and landscape, rivers, lakes and springs, ancient temples and monuments, and amazing art and architecture. Chambyals, Bhattiyals, Churahis, Pangwals and Bharmauris are the different local communities, and the population comprises Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians.

This region comes alive during the festival seasons. An important festival held in Chamba is the Suhi Mata Mela or fair held annually for four days in March-April to commemorate the sacrifice made by the Queen of Chamba, with her life, to bring water to the town. To commemorate this event, women and children take a lead role in the festival. An image of Champavati with banners of the Rajput solar emblem are taken by them in a procession, dancing and singing, through the Chaugan to the Suhi Mata temple. Devotional singing extolling the Rani's sacrifice is part of the festival.

Of all the fairs of Chamba, Minjar fair is the most popular. Minjar fair takes place in the month of Sravana (July-August) every year. On the second Sunday of Sravana the fair starts with distribution of minjar. Theminjar is to be worn for one week, and on the third Sunday of that month it is immersed in the river Ravi. During the week, visitors begin pouring into the town and the largest numbers arrive on the third Sunday of Sravana. That day, a procession starts from Akhand Chandi Palace in the afternoon. This procession consists of decorated horses, shehnai, band banners, folk dancers, other bands, rows of khidmatgars with a patent dress, palanquin of Raghubir, playeres of local musical instruments, images of goddess and groups of singers, police personnel, other officers and the elite of the town, followed by the general public.

Built Heritage

Chamba is the capital of a culturally rich ancient hill state. It has been endowed with numerous monuments of varying antiquity. These include temples, palaces, stylish buildings of high aesthetic value and beautiful green spaces known as chowgan. The monuments like Akhand Chandi Palace, along with Zenana Palace, Lakshmi Narayan Temple, Rang Mahal and above all the majestic chowgan are valuable historical and cultural assets.

The chowgans constitutes the second of the two terraces of Chamba town, overlooking the Ravi river. They are large flat green spaces stretching north to south all along the west of the old town. These large green spaces are an outstanding feature of Chamba town and are the focal point of town.

Akhand Chandi and Zenana Mahal is visually the most dominant monument of Chamba. These two buildings have the same architectural style and are dated to roughly the same period. The commanding buildings occup the largest area of the upper terrace east of the chowgan and are can be seen from all roads on the surrounding hills leading to Chamba town. The oldest portion of the palace is the northwest corner known as Akhand Chandi, built by Raja Umed Singh sometime between 1748 and 1764. The palace was rebuilt and renovated during the reign of Raja Shyam Singh (1873–1904). The palaces are a stylistic amalgam of Mughul and British architecture.

Rang Mahal is one of the largest old monuments located in Surara Mohalla. It has streets on three sides (east, west and north), while on the fourth is the residence of Wazirs of the former ruling family and some private green space. The origin of the Rang Mahal is attributed to Raja Umed Singh (1748–1764). The Rang Mahal, formerly the residence of the Rajas, Ranis and other ladies of the harem, was tastefully decorated with finely carved wooden doors, windows, ceilings, galleries and projecting balconies. The living rooms, prayer rooms and corridors were decorated with mural paintings of exquisite workmanship in the lucid Pahari style.

Lakshmi Narayan Temple Complex in the Hatnala quarter of the town is a group of six stone temples in Nagara style, arranged in a row from north to south. Three of these temples are dedicated to Vishnu and three to Shiva. Lakshmi Narayan Temple, which is the chief temple of Chamba, is ascribed to Sahil Varman who reigned in the 10th century and brought about the shift of the capital from Bharmour to Chamba. Of the other temples in this group, the temple of Chandragupt and Trimukh Shiva was erected by Raja Sahil Varman, while Yogakar Varman (10th century) built the temple of Gauri Shankar. There are also temples of Hanumana, Kali, Bhuteshwara in the same compound.

Bansigopal Temple is a Nagara temple in stone dedicated to Lord Krishna holding a flute and accompanied by Radha. It is situated on the northeastern side of the Akhand Chandi Palace. The temple was reconstructed and was provided with a big mandapa covered with a sloping roof of slate, which has a doorway that opens directly on the junction of two streets.

Sita Ram Temple is a Nagara temple dedicated to Lord Rama and Sita. It is made of stone and stands on a raised platform at the crossroads of Mohalla Bangotu. The temple was erected during the reign of Raja Prithvi Singh (1641-1664) by Batlu Dai, the wet nurse of Prithvi Singh. The temple faces south and is preceded by a mandapa with a slate roof. By the side of the main temple on the platform stands another minor shrine, dedicated to Hanuman.

Champavati Temple stands in the heart of the town. The temple is in the Nagara style with elaborate stone carving covered on top by a slate roof (chattri). This temple houses a stone image of Durga slaying the buffalo demon (Mahisasura).

Hari Rai Temple is a Nagara stone temple of Vishnu in the northwest corner of the main chowgan, near the Delhi Gate. It houses a bronze image of Vishnu ascribed to the 9th century. The god is locally called Hari Rai. This bronze is a superb piece of art, and has a well balanced composition executed according to the canons contained in the Vishnu Dharmottra Purana formulated in Kashmir.

Vajareshwari Temple is also in Nagara style and is the finest medieval monument in Chamba, with many excellent reliefs.

Chamunda Devi Temple is located on the hillock just below Shah-Madar Hill overlooking the town. The Chamunda Devi temple is one of the oldest in Chamba town, although the date of its origins is uncertain. It is said that this temple existed even before the founding of the new capital of the Brahmpura kingdom at Chamba. The Chamunda temple is the town's sole specimen of the hill type of temple, which continued to receive the patronage of the Rajas of Chamba, who without disturbing its hill character renewed it several times. The temple is covered on the top by a sliding slate roof. The mandapa is wholly covered with wooden bas-reliefs and statues depicting the scenes from Hindu mythology and winged nymphs inspired from Mughal-Rajput court art.

Suhi Mata Temple is a small dome-like shrine of Suhi Mata that is visible half way on the Shah Madar Hill. According to legend this is the spot where Rani rested for a while to see for the last time Chamba town below. A very simple rudimentary form of memorial, pindi, daubed with vermillion is known by the name of Suhi Mata.

Temples of Chauntra, Kharura and Jansali Mohallas are small Nagara temples of graceful height along the street of Chauntra, Kharura and Jansali mohallas, which give these quarters an ancient look. These temples are of little historical importance and archaeological interest, but are still part of the remnants of ancient Chamba. Most of the temples described above have been protected by the Archaeological Survey of India under National Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.

The Church of Scotland was erected by His Highness Raja Sham Singh and gifted to the Church of Scotland mission for the use of Christian community in Chamba. Its foundation was laid on 17 February 1899. The church stands on a raised plateau east of the chowgan, towards the northern end near the present zonal hospital. The church is built in stone and is decorated with buttresses and lancer arch windows with a flat-roofed belltower at the back. The rest of the church is covered with steep sloping roofs of slates, which enhance the building's beauty.

Bhuri Singh Power House is a hydel generation power house. Mian Bhuri Singh, who became the Raja of Chamba in 1904, was deeply interested in the development of the state. He realized that progress was not possible without electricity. It was a time when the concept of hydel generation was new in the country. Raja Bhuri Singh set up this hydel generation power house at Chamba. This was the first power house in the northern India. As such Chamba town had electricity even before Lahore.

Natural Heritage

Literature, Arts and Crafts

Chamba is well known for its exquisite tradition of Pahari arts, whether on wood, metal, stone or paper. The paintings of Chamba encompass both miniatures and murals. Chamba is famous for the miniature Pahari paintings, and for being the place where the Basohli style of Pahari paintings took root with Nikku, the Basohli artist who migrated from Guler to Chamba in the 18th century. Raja Udai Singh and Raja Jai Singh patronized this school of painting. During the reign of Raja Charhat Singh, this school of art got a further boost from folk art as the common people adopted the form.

Mughal influence is also discerned in these paintings. The famous artists of Chamba in this art form were Lehru, Durga and Miyan Jara Singh. The themes used in this style of painting were religious, such as legends of Radha Krishna , Shiva-Parvati, Rama Darbar, Yashoda and Krishna, Gopis, as well as love scenes, deer, birds and women, Daya Saptashati and Krishna-Sudama. Romantic ambiences of the rainy season in Chamba have also been painted in various moods and styles in Basholi colours by the artists of Pahari miniature art.

One of the most interesting crafts of Himachal Pradesh is the art of metalcraft. Chamba was the foremost centre of metal casting. The temples of Bharmour and Chamba are embellished with lifesize bronze sculptures of high-quality workmanship. The tradition of bronze casting was introduced by Kashmiri artisans, and Kashmiri influence on the Chamba bronzes is clearly discernible. The method of casting of images in Chamba is cire perdu, or the lost wax process. Some craftspersons still practise the art of metalcraft in Chamba.

There is a tradition of finely embroidered miniature painting called Chamba ruma in Chamba and the neighbouring states. In the mid-18th century, when the art of painting was at its zenith, women started embroidering the figurative motifs. In course of time this craft was developed in Chamba and flourished in the adjoining areas. These rumals are done on square-shaped pieces of fine muslin cloth with vivid silk threads. Rasamandal is the most famous subject of the rumal, but hunting, Nayika Bhed, Shiva family and Mahabharata were other popular themes.

Chamba is famous for handmade chappals. It is said that at one time Chamba had no tradition of leather shoes, and people wore crude grass shoes. Things changed when a princess of Kangra married into royal family of Chamba. The princess brought a cobbler family to Chamba as a part of her dowry, and with them came the culture of leather shoes. The craftsman of this trade use leather of sheep, goat and calf skin for the purpose. The striking feature of Chamba chappals is the embroidery done on them with silk and golden threads. The motifs usually are of lantana flower and leaves.

Also in Chamba is the Bhuri Singh Museum, known the world over for its exquisite collection of Pahari miniature paintings of different schools, especially Chamba and Guler. Apart from this, a great deal of historic inscriptions on stone, metal and papers are preserved in the museum, along with a large collection of coins, Chamba rumals, wood carving, jewellery, and armour, and decorative and anthropological objects.