South of Triund, lies the ancient town of Kangra, 17 km from Dharamsala and overlooking the gushing torrent Ban-Ganga, reached after passing
through beautiful valley that has the luxuriant and luminous quality of a Kangra painting. Former capital of the great hill state, it is the
home of the exquisite Pahari and Rajpur miniature paintings which flourished under the unstinted patronage of Raja Sansar Chand II.
Artists had started to migrate to the Himalayas after the invasion of Nadir Shah in 1739, the influx reached its peak during the reign of the
Raja who held court for 25 years, in the fortress he built for himself in the Oudh-Mughal syle of architecture. The fort is still there but
due to repeated seige, is partially in ruins. Under its shadow is the resplendent temple to the Goddess Brajreshwari, its golden dome
spreading lustre for miles around.
Brajeshwari Devi Temple : Situated in Kangra town, this temple was once filled with a legendary fortune in diamonds and pearls. Hearing the wealth of this temple.
Mahmud Ghazni plundered in the 11th century. Feroz Tughlak clearned out the restored fortune three centuries later. Final sack was carried
out by Timur the lame before Mughals who followed and restored the shrine to its glory.
Chintapurni : Chintapurni, 80 km south of Dharamsala, and Trilokpur have famous stone temples. This place is a must while visiting Kangra temples for
pilgrims and tourists alike.
Adventure Activities And Sports In Kangra Valley : Kangra valley, is an ideal country for adventure and sports activities like mountaineering, trekking, rock climbing and fishing, it is this
valley which witness annually hang gliding rally.
Hang Gliding : 3.5 km from Palampur is predominantly Buddhist town of Bir and 14 km from Bir is Billing, a beacon for Hang gliders, the world over. In the
month of May/June a tented colony is set up by Himachal Pradesh tourism to facilitate hang-gliders. At this time all the roads lead to
billing.
Trekking & Mountaineering : There are many peaks between 3,500m to 5,000 in Dhauladhar ranges. Most of the treks which start from Dharamsala, Palampur or Baijnath are of
5 to 8 days duration and ultimately terminate at Bharmaur and Chamba, over the majestic Dhauladhar ranges. Dharamsala to Chamba over
Bhimghasutri Pass, Dharamsala to Holi and then to Manimahesh over Talang Pass; Palampur to Holi over Shinghor Pass; Palampur to Dharamsala
via Indradhar Pass and Baijnath to Manali over Thamsar Pass, are some of the existing treks. Most of the treks are operational from May to
October. The regional mountaineering centre at dharamsala provides technical know-how and equipment besides organising adventure courses.
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