Located at an altitude of 615 m, the Kangra town is around 15 km away from Dharamshala. The town was the erstwhile capital of the Chand dynasty and has been through tremendous upheaval due to its prosperity. Time and again, invaders turned their evil eyes to the accumulated wealth of the famous Brajeshwari Devi Temple. Each time the temple and the town were plundered, but recovery too was quick to take place. Few of the prominent historical personalities who laid a siege on the temple included Mahmud of Gazhni (1109 AD) and Feroz Shah Tughlaq (1360 AD). Later in the 17th century, under the rule of Mughal Emperor Jahangir, Kangra made immense progress. Afterwards, local rulers ruled the land till the time the Britishers made it their garrison. The Britishers made Kangra district ( Kangra, Lahaul Spiti, Kullu and Hamirpur) a part of the Punjab province with its headquarters at Kangra town. The headquarters was soon moved to Dharamshala, however the importance of the Kangra town itself never diminished. After the formation of Kangra district (with Hamirpur which finally separated from Kangra in 1972) in the year 1966 to the present day, Kangra town attracts a huge number of people every year.
Kangra Fort
The most important fort of the region, it is enclosed by high ramparts and its walls have a circumference of approximately 4 km. It was built about 1,000 years ago on the confluence of the Banganga and Manjhi rivers. Its various gates, shrines and remains of the old palaces are noteworthy. An earthquake destroyed the palace and the fort in 1905. The ruins still dominate the Kangra Valley.
Brajeshwari Devi Temple
The Brajeshwari Devi Temple is the prime attraction of the Kangra town or perhaps even the entire Kangra district. It was the wealth of this temple that caught the attention of the invaders again and again. The temple, it is believed was established by the divinity of the same name during Ashwamedh or horse sacrifice. Mahmud of Gazni destroyed the temple and built a mosque over the ruins, however, the temple was rebuilt and was later visited by the likes of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Mughal Emperor Akbar along with his trusted diwan, Todar Mal.
Masrur
Masrur is around 15 km away from Kangra town and is quiet well known for its Shikhara style rock cut temples. There are a total of 15 temples that trace their construction date to the 10th century. The carvings of these temples are hugely similar to that of the Ellora caves in Maharashtra, India, though they are in a need of bit of maintenance work. Moreover, as you make your way towards Masrur from Kangra, the views that will meet your eyes are simply magnificent.
Pong Lake Sanctuary
This Lake Sanctuary is around 65-km from Panthankot and 115-km from Dharamsala. The wildlife sanctuary is home to animals like Nilgai, Sambar, Barking Deer, Wild Buar, Clawless Otter, and Leopard. Water sports is also quiet a good option here.
