Laxmi Narayan Temple

Several ancient monuments and temples are the reason for flourishing tourism in Himachal Pradesh. You will see tourists from all over the world at Laxmi Narayan Temple, one of the oldest and largest temples of Chamba. There are six temples within the premises of this temple arranged from north to south dedicated to Shiva or Vishnu. Shiva Temple of Chandragupta, Gauri Shankar Temple and Radha Krishna Temple are some of them.

The temple has been constructed in Shikhara style and is constituted of a Shikhara (Bimana), Mandapa and Garbhgriha. It has an amazing facility of reflecting the climatic condition of the place in case of a quite expected snowfall, in the form of wooden umbrellas and shell roofs on top of the temple.

The temple complex has sculptures of deities that include figures of Goddess Laxmi (Goddess of wealth), Lord Vishnu (of the Hindu tilogy), Narasimha (the form of Lord Vishnu as a lion) and Lord Krishna.

The temple remains open twice a day for the devotees in two sessions. The first session is from 6 am to 12:30 pm. The second session is from 2:30 pm to 8:30 pm. In between these two sessions the deities take rest and at night they move to the interiors of the temple to take rest.

History

Construction of Laxmi Narayan Temple dates back to the 10th century by Raja Sahil Verma. It is believed that the Raja had sent his nine sons to Vindhya Mountains in search of marble to construct an idol of Lord Vishnu. He is said to have sacrificed his sons’ lives to find rare marble from the mountains to build the idol. When his eldest son Yugkara succeeded in finding the marble, he was attacked by robbers. He then saved himself with the help of a saint. This reflects how much effort was put towards building the first idol.

Since then, the temple has been continuously renovated by different rajas during their reign. For instance the wife of Raja Jit Singh added a Radha-Krishna Temple in 1825. Shiv Temple was built by Sahil Varman and Gauri-Shankar Temple was built by Yugkar Varman. Raja Balabhadra Verma had added a metallic image of Garuda on a high pillar at the main gate of this temple, whereas Raja Chhatra Singh is known to have contributed the gilded pinnacles atop the temple in 1678. This was done in reaction to Emperor Aurangzeb’s orders to demolish the temple.

Best Time To Visit

The best season to visit the temple is in the months of April to October.

Hotels Near Laxmi Narayan Temple

Shining Start Resort

Constructed in the middle of a Deodar forest, Shining Star Resort is a great place to stay at. You can enjoy a comfortable stay in the midst of nature. The resort lies 45 meters from the bus stand at Chamba. They have a warm and courteous staff.

Hotel Ashiana Regency Chamba

Close to the center of the city, this hotel offers a comfortable and cozy stay for visitors. Restaurant at this hotels offers good food.

Aroma Palace

A comfortable place to stay, Aroma Palace is close to Laxmi Narayan Temple so you can get here conveniently.

How To Reach

By Air

Gaggal Airport in Kangra Valley is the nearest airport to the Laxmi Narayan Temple which is 185 kilometres away from Chamba, 135 kilometres away. Amritsar is 20 kilometres away from the location of the temple. A taxi ride from the airport to Chamba will cost approximately Rs. 3500.

By Rail

The nearest broad gauge railway station is in Pathankot, 122 kilometres away from Chamba town. Pathankot is connected to major cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Amritsar.

By Road

Bus services from Chamba to Dalhousie are regularly available. The distance between the two places is 56 kilometres. The bus ride costs approximately Rs. 150. There are buses from other cities to Chamba as well.

दिव्य दर्शन