North India · Himachal Pradesh
Kangra, Himachal Pradesh
Before you go
The Kangra valley's circuit of Shakti temples is one of North India's classic devi yatras; Dharamshala is the common base.
About Kangra
- Hills
Where it is
Kangra is a town in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, in the broad Kangra valley below the snow peaks of the Dhauladhar range, about 15 km south of Dharamshala.
History
Kangra was the seat of the Katoch rulers of the ancient kingdom of Trigarta, whose fort was among the strongest in the hills. Mahmud of Ghazni plundered its temple in 1009, the Mughals took the fort in the 1620s, and under Raja Sansar Chand in the late 18th century Kangra became home to a celebrated school of miniature painting; it passed to the Sikhs and then, in 1846, to the British.
People
Kangra's people speak Kangri, Hindi and Punjabi, and the valley's villages grow tea, rice and wheat, while Gaddi shepherds move their flocks between the plains and the Dhauladhar. Weddings and festivals are celebrated with the Kangri dham, a feast of rice and lentil dishes prepared by hereditary cooks.
Known for
- Kangra Fort
- The Brajeshwari Devi Temple
- The Jwalamukhi and Chamunda Devi temples
- Kangra miniature painting
- Kangra tea
Did you know?
At Jwalamukhi, natural gas escaping from the rock feeds small flames that burn without oil or wick and are worshipped as the goddess.
Shrines and sites
- Jwalamukhi Temple
- Chamunda Devi Temple
- Brajeshwari
- Chintpurni Temple
Traditions
- Hindu
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