Information about Khajjiar Hill Station
Location: Khajjiar
State: Himachal Pradesh
Capital: Shimla
Language: Pahari, Hindi, English
Temperature: Max 35˚C, Min 23˚C (summer), Max 20˚C, Min 8˚C (winter)
Best Season: March to May
How to Reach:
By Air :
The nearest airport from Khajjar is that of Gaggal in Kangra, situated at a distance of 180 km. Travelers can take a flight till Gaggal airport and from there, board taxis and buses available for reaching Khajjar. After the Gaggal airport, the ones in Jammu and Amritsar are the next best options, especially with their connectivity with the rest of India.
By Road :
Khajjar is well connected with most of the cities of the state with well-developed and sophisticated roads. This place is easily accessible by road and is hardly about one and a half hours driving from Dalhousie and Chamba. Himachal Road Transport Corporation operates bus services, connecting Khajjar with the major cities in and around the state.
By Train :
Pathankot is the nearest railhead for traveling to Khajjar. The place is situated at a distance of 80 km from the hill resort. Almost all the main stations of India are connected with this railway station. Buses and taxis could be boarded to reach Khajjar from Pathakot. Chandigarh and Delhi are two big cities near Khajjar, you can start your journey from.
23 kms from Dalhousie by road and 13 kms from Kalatop is the mini Switzerland of India i.e. Khajjiar, at a height of 6400 ft. Hutchison writes, “Khajjiar is a forest glade of great beauty, 6400 feet above sea level”.
Khajjiar is often reffered to as “Gulmarg of Himachal Pradesh”. The lush green meadows are surrounded by thick pine and cedar forests. Grazing herds of sheep, goats and other milch cattle present a prefect pastoral scenery. There is a small lake in the center of the saucer shaped meadow which has in it a floating island. Much of the lake has degenerated into slush because of heavy silting during rains. Still the landscape of Khajjiar is picturesque and a photographer’s delight.
A little away from the lake is the temple of Khajji Nag belonging to 12th C. AD. In the mandapa of the temple one can see the images of the Pandavas and the defeated Kaurvas hanging from the roof of the circumambulatory path. The sanctum of the temple has been beautifully carved from wood.
There is a Tourism Hotel and some Tourism cottages at Khajjiar where the tourists can stay . Besides there are two rest houses one each of P.W.D. and Forest Deptt. A couple of private hotels have also come up, which do not match the above places in terms of location and amenities. Bus service to and from Khajjiar is limited and timings change according to local demands. There used to be a golf course in Khajjiar which is not maintained. The best entertainment in Khajjiar is to walk around the lake or to go for long walks in the thick pine forests. Children enjoy this place because of the freedom of movement and the slopy terrain which permits them to roll down to the lake without getting hurt. Another attraction like any other hill station is horse riding.
On 07-07-1992, Mr. Willy t. Blazer, Vice Counselor and Head of Chancery of Switzerland in India brought Khajjiar on the world tourism map by christening it “Mini Switzerland”. He also put a sign board of a yellow Swiss hiking footpath showing Khajjiar’s distance from the Swiss capital Berne-6194 kms. Khajjiar is among the 160 locations in the world that bear topographical resemblance with Switzerland. The Counselor also took from Khajjiar a stone which will form part of a stone collage around the Swiss Parliament to remind the visitors of Khajjiar as Mini Switzerland of India.