The Chamba is situated in the Hills of the Himachal Pradesh
With Jammu and Kashmir on the north-west and west, Lahaul and Spiti in the north-east and east, district of Kangra on the south-east, district of Gurudaspur (Punjab) on the south. The territory is mountainous with attitude ranging from 2000 to 21000 feet.
It is believed that in 500 A.D. a legendry hero called Maru migrated to the hilly areas of Himachal and founded Brahmputra, today's Bharmour valley. It was one of his descendants, Sahilla Varman, who shifted the capital to Chamba, naming the valley after his daughter Champavati. Chamba is the only state in northern India to preserve a well documented history from 500 A.D.
Described as the jewel of the Himalayas, Chamba is more than 300 kms from the capital city of Shimla. Steeped in legends and guarded by the Dhauldhar, the snowy Shivalik ranges and the Pir Panjal ranges of the mid Himalayas, the Chamba valley is situated on the banks of Ravi River. The views down over the terraced fields are spectacular, with tiny villages clinging to the sheer slopes of the valley. Chamba valley is noted for the magnificence of its nature, its temples, and its handicrafts.
The isolation in the valley became a boon for the residents of the Chamba valley, as they were sheltered from the invaders of the plains and also could develop and retain their own handicrafts tradition. The temples and the inscriptions written elsewhere are well preserved in the region of Chamba and are very authentic without any foreign impression due to its geographically strategic conditions.
