Yes, there is a Chamba in Uttrakhand as well! It is a
beautiful town in Tehri district of Uttrakhand. We visited Chamba and New Tehri
as part of our new years’ road trip. Details are mentioned here in my previous
blog. After spending 2 relaxed days in Kanatal, we visited Chamba just 20ish km
from Kanatal. Our main motive was to visit the Tehri Lake and Tehri Dam but
most of the tranquil hotels are in the Kanatal - Chamba route so we stayed in
Chamba. Also, it was my wish to stay and experience a quiet New Years at the
famous Classic Hilltop Resort in Chamba.
The ancient town of Tehri was submerged by the construction
of Tehri Dam; New Tehri was built to relocate the township. Tehri dam and Tehri
Lake are the key attractions of New Tehri. As we were driving towards New
Tehri, I recalled my childhood memories of this town, when it was just being
constructed. I would have never imagined what a decent place it turned out to
be.
We were momentarily speechless as we caught the first
glimpse of the Tehri Lake. ‘Wow’ was all we could say. It was a spectacular
sight. It has to the best man-made lake in India. The gigantic Tehri dam is one
of the highest dams in the world built on the Bhagirathi River. The dam is open
for public tour but we need a permit from the local authority in advance.
Without a permit it is not possible to visit the dam. I would recommend touring
the dam- it is an engineering marvel.
Tehri has emerged as an adventure destination. There are a
variety of water activities to enjoy like Jet Skiing, Kayaking, Rafting,l para
sailing etc.
My 2 Cents:
1.
If the motto is to exclusively indulge in
watersports in New Tehri, it is better to stay in New Tehri itself. We could
always go for a drive towards Chamba or Kanatal for a change.
2.
If the motto is to spend some quiet time then we
could stay either in Chamba or Kanatal. It doesn’t really matter as both these
places are just adjacent to each other and offer the same feel- only 20ish km
apart. There are many resorts and hotels in both these places, so choose a
place with the best deal. Roads are in good condition so it’s very comfortable
to drive around.
3.
For Tehri dam permit, talk to the hotel people.
They would help in arranging the permit.
