About Chamba

Chamba is a small hill town that lies at the doorstep of Uttarakhand state at an altitude of 1676 meters above sea level. The region is still unexplored and unknown, offering a breath-taking view of the snow-capped Himalayan Ranges on one side and the valley on the other side. Chamba is at a distance of about 60 kms from Mussoorie.


Located amidst pine and deodar forests, Chamba is a picturesque beauty with a serene and quite environment and fresh like a daisy. People who like to explore new places can drive away for a panoramic excursion and to wash away the city blues. The place offers tranquility and exquisiteness with its celestial beauteousness. Chamba is also famous for its rich apple and apricot orchards.

Chamba is a nagar panchayat in the Tehri Garhwal district of Uttaranchal state. It is a focal point that is located at a junction of roads that connects Mussoorie and Rishikesh with the Tehri Dam reservoir and New Tehri. It is just 2 hours drive from Rishikesh.

Tourist Places near Chamba

Agarkhal, Byasi, Chandrabadni Temple, Dhanaulti, Devprayag, Ghansali, Ghuttu, Kanatal, Kaudiyala, Kirtinagar. Read More

History of Chamba

Chamba is the only city in northern India that has a well preserved history since circa 500 A.D. It has preserved its well-documented centuried old relics and inscriptions. The thousand years old temples constructed by the Rajas of Chamba are still worshipped by the local people with devotion and the grants on land law that was executed on copper plates are still valid.


Chamba was ruled by the Gorkha Kingdom previously but came under the rule of the Kings of Garhwal.
The early history of Chamba can be dated back to the time when the place was inhabited by certain Kolian tribes. Then the Khasas came in the 2nd century BC under the influence of the Audmabaras. The Audmabaras are that community of people who worshipped Lord Shiva and had a republican form of government. The Chamba region then was under the rule of the Thakurs and Rajas, who considered the tribes of Kolis and Khasa to be inferior to them. The control of the Rajas and Thakurs started from the Gupta Period, i.e., 4th century AD. In 7th century AD the Rajput Dynasty came to power. This period can be marked as the rise of the Gurjara Pratiharas.

Geography of Chamba

Located at a distance of 50kms from Mussoorie, this small hill town is known for its quiet and picturesque environment. The pleasant pine and deodar forests are worth watching. Tourists can enjoy uninterrupted view of the mighty Himalayas. It is a place that can allure everyone from everywhere.

Best Time to visit Chamba

The city hosts many wonderful unexplored and unspoilt serene beauties. The dense forests of pine and deodar tress and the apple trees are very captivating.


Tourists can explore this secluded destination all throughout the year. The weather conditions of the place are mentioned here:

Summers (March to June): Summers are quite short in Chamba. The maximum temperature of Chamba during summers is 30^oC and the minimum is 14^oC. This is the best time to visit the place. Tourists come in large number during the summers.

Monsoons (July to October): During Monsoon the valley turns dark green and tourists can enjoy beautiful serene views. It is also the period of occasional rains. Best time for a romantic getaway in the lap of nature in a secluded place.

Winters (November to February): Chamba winters are bone freezing so you need to carry heavy woolens if you are planning to visit in the winters. The minimum temperature in winters is 4^oC. Chamba also receives snowfall in the month of January and February.

Administration in Chamba

Chamba is known as a nagar panchayat in the Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand state. Elections are held every five years for the 7 wards of the city. As per the report released by Census India 2011, Chamba Nagar Panchayat has a total population of 7,771 out of which 4,149 are males and the rest 3,622 are females. 13% o the total population of Chamba is the population of children within 0-6 years age group.

• Literacy rate: 89.04%
• Male Literacy: 91.71
• Female Literacy: 85.99%

Basic amenities like water and sewerage are supplied to over 1,971 houses by the Chamba Nagar Panchayat.

Caste Factor

• Schedule Caste: 7.73% of the total population
• Schedule Tribe: 0.59% of the total population

Work Profile
2,517 of the total population are engaged in work or business activity. This can be further divided into 2,085 were males and 432 were females. Percentages of people engaged in main work were 85.78% while those engaged in Marginal Work were 14.22%.

Culture of Chamba

Chamba is a place where people still follow the land grant deeds made during the time of the Kings of Garhwal. They also worship the temples built more than thousand years ago with devotion and dedication. Thus, the culture, tradition and customs are very closely related to each other.
The languages spoken in Chamba are Hindi, English and Garhwali.

Food of Chamba

Chamba does not have many options for food and cuisines. Thus, it is advisable to carry personal arrangements for food. Its special delicacy includes Kappa which is a green curry, Sisunak Saag which is prepared by green leafy vegetables and mix of local ingredients, and Rus which is a preparation of many dals.

There are no restaurants in Chamba. One will have to go to Rishikesh which is about 25kms from Chamba.

Transport to Chamba

Situated in the Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, it is not difficult to reach this tiny hill station. It provides an excellent excursion with its densely forested pine and deodar trees. Chamba gives an opportunity to reconnect to the pristine nature.

By Air: The nearest airport is the Jolly Grant Airport. There are daily flights to Jolly Grant Airport from Delhi. Chamba is situated at a distance of 75kms from Jolly Grant Airport. One can either hire a taxi to reach Chamba.

By Train: The nearest railway station is Rishikesh and railway lines are very well connected to Rishikesh from all major cities. By travelling a distance of 8kms one can reach Chamba from Rishikesh railway station. One can easily get buses and taxis from Rishikesh to Chamba.

By Bus: One can easily get buses to Chamba from most of the Uttarakhand cities as well as many north India cities. General buses and taxis are available from ISBT Kashmiri Gate to Chamba and Tehri. The other way is to change your bus from the major cities of Uttarakhand like Mussoorie, Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri.

Emergency Services in Chamba

Chamba government has equipped the city with many emergency services for the help of the local people. Here is a list of all the emergency services in Chamba:

Police Station in Chamba

There is only one Police Station in Chamba.

Chamba Police Station

Tehri Garhwal District, Uttarakhand, India
Contact Number: 9411112841, 01376-255270
Fire Station in Chamba
The nearest fire station is the Fire Service Station (NNR).
Contact Number: 01378-227255

Utilities and Services in Chamba

Chamba is the only place in northern India that has preserved its relics and inscriptions since circa 500 AD. The valley is known for its rich culture and tradition. To maintain this, the Uttarakhand state government has come up with few utilities and services for a smooth functioning of the town. Here is a list of the utilities and services in Chamba:

Electricity in Chamba

The electricity in Chamba is supplied by Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited.
Chamba falls under the division of New Tehri.
Contact Number: 01376-255480
JE Phone Number: 09412078014
SDO Contact Number: 9412078011

Banks in Chamba

There are two banks operating in Chamba – State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank.

State Bank of India

Bank: State Bank of India
State: Uttarakhand
District: Tehri Garhwal
Branch: Chamba
IFSC Code: SBIN0006534
MICR Code: 249002020
Branch Code: 006534
City: Tehri Garhwal
Address: Dist, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India – 249145
Contact: PHONE-01376-255239, 256109

Punjab National Bank

Bank: Punjab National Bank
State: Uttarakhand
District: Chamba
Branch: Chamba Distt New Tehri
IFSC Code: PUNB0640900
Branch Code: 640900
City: Chamba
Address: Chamba Distt New Tehri, Uttarakhand
Contact: RAVINDER KR ARORA 9456375930

Gas Connection in Chamba

The gas connection available in Chamba is the Indane Gas Service.
Indane Gas Service
Chamba, Tehri Garhwal
Contact Number: 01376-255411

Hospitals in Chamba

There are no hospitals in Chamba. But recently a national NGO has come up to improve the health of rural and indigenious people through research, training and service delivery programmes.

Garhwal Community Development and Welfare Society (GCDWS)
Mussoorie road, Chamba District
Tehri Garhwal - 249145
Uttarakhand, India
Telephone: 01376-255273
Fax: 01376-255892
Mobile: 09412076273 (Dr. Rajesh Singh)