In the higher reaches of the Ravi Valley, just 56 km from Dalhousie, Chamba is perched on a little plateau about 100 m above the river. The capital of an ancient kingdom, Chamba was founded in 920 AD by Raja Sahil Varma who named it after his favorite daughter Champavati. Isolated in this valley by the high ranges, Chamba developed its own style of architecture and art. Much of this heritage has been preserved and Chamba is known for the elegance of its temples and for its exquisite miniatures and handicrafts.
In a group are six ancient temples carved in stone, with tall vimanas. Dedicated to both Shiva and Vishnu, they were built around the 8th century AD. The Lakshminarayan Temple, the oldest in this group, is richly ornamented.
Lakshmi Narayan Temple is the oldest temple in the Lakshmi Narayan group of temples in Chamba district, Himachal Pradesh. There are six medieval stone temples of which three temples are consecrated to Lord Vishnu and other three to Lord Shiva. Built around 8th or 10th century by Sahil Varman, the temples resemble Shikhara style of architecture. They hone immense archaeological significance. The temple complex has several fine sculptures of deities like Lord Vishnu, Goddess Lakshmi, Narasimha (one of the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu) and Lord Krishna. Lakshmi Narayan temple can be approached from the Chamba Bus Station.
