It’s a beautiful, if somewhat hair-raising 56 km trip from Dalhousie to Chamba via Khajjiar. The views down over the terraced fields are spectacular, with tiny villages clinging to the sheer slopes of the valley. Chamba lies in a valley at an altitude of 926 m quite a bit lower than Dalhousie, so it’s warmer in the summer. Perched on a ledge flanking the Ravi River, it has often been compared to a medieval Italian village and is famed for its ancient temple. For 1000 prior to independence, Chamba was the headquarters of a district of the same name, and was ruled by a single dynasty of Maharajas. The town was founded by Raja Sahil Varman, who shifted the capital here from Brahmaur and named it after his daughter, Champavati.