Place Details:
An important stopover for pilgrims going to Kangra Valley, the beautiful town of Hamirpur is located about 100 km southeast of Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh. Located on the Shimla-Dharamsala Road, the town is famous for its rich history, cultural activities and many religious attractions. The town has Kangra to its north, Bilaspur to the south, Mandi to the east and Una in the west.
At an elevation of 2578 ft, the town gets its name from Raja Hamir Chand, the Katoch dynasty ruler, who ruled over the region from 1700 AD to 1740 AD. The main attraction of the town is the fort built by Raja Hamir Chand. Other popular places of interest in the town are the Chaura Devi Temple, Singh Maheshwari Temple, Nirankari Ashram and Kalpa Vriksha.
A chain of hills surround the town which make camping and trekking popular activities in Hamirpur. Guides are available to help explore the terrain.
According to the Ashtadyayi Panini (earliest known grammar of Sanskrit) and the Puranas (ancient Hindu Vedic texts), the town was a part of the Jallandhar – Trigarta Empire. The Panini referred to the citizens of the kingdom as fighters and warriors. The town’s residents have continued the tradition as a sizeable number of the population is employed with the Indian Army.
Hamirpur was a part of the Punjab province till November 1966 when the state was reorganized and the town along with the nearby region was merged with Himachal Pradesh.
Hamirpur is a prominent agricultural production centre and is known for its abundant yield of agricultural and horticultural products. Hamirpur and surrounding regions are popular with adventure sports enthusiasts. The town hosts many annual hang-gliding and paragliding events. Activities like mountaineering, trekking, rock-climbing and angling can be enjoyed here. Most of the trekking routes are open only from April to October.
There are a few budget hotels in Hamirpur besides guesthouses and mid-range hotels. There are no luxury accommodation options.
Restaurants in Hamirpur offer Indian as well as international cuisines. Vegetarians can go to restaurants in Hira Nagar and near Gandhi Chowk while a good variety of restaurants serving non-vegetarian dishes are found on Bhota Road.
The best time to visit Hamirpur is between September to June.
Deot Sidh Temple: Dedicated to Baba Nayak, the cave temple is located in the Dhaulagiri Hills.
BEST TIME TO VISIT KANGRA
The average minimum and maximum temperature of Kangra is as given below. The best time to visit Kangra is also specified.
| MONTH | BEST TIME | | MIN. TEMP (°C) | MAX. TEMP (°C) |
| January | | | 4 | 17 |
| February | | | 4 | 17 |
| March | Best time | | 7 | 21 |
| April | Best time | | 11 | 28 |
| May | Best time | | 15 | 27 |
| June | Best time | | 15 | 28 |
| July | | | 13 | 26 |
| August | | | 12 | 26 |
| September | | | 12 | 25 |
| October | | | 10 | 23 |
| November | | | 6 | 22 |
| December | | | 4 | 17 |
