Dharwas | |
---|---|
Village of Pangi valley of Chamba district | |
Country | India |
State | Himachal Pradesh |
District | Chamba |
Government | |
• Type | State Government |
• Body | Government of Himachal Pradesh |
Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 718 |
Languages | |
• Official | Hindi |
Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
PIN | 176323 |
Telephone code | 01897 |
Vehicle registration | HP 45 |
Dharwas is the northernmost town of the state of Himachal Pradesh in India. It is located in the Chamba District at an elevation of 8,000 ft (2,400 m) above sea level. Dharwas is the largest and most populated area in the Pangi Valley, and trekking base camps are available for those on the Dalhousie-Kishtwar trekking route.
Dharwas is famous for the Tilmili natural mineral-water spring.[2] It is believed that water from this spring was sent regularly to the Raja of Chamba.[citation needed] The Pangi Valley is the most remote valley of the Chamba district, and was described by Dr. J. Hutchison (in 1904) as follows:
The nearest railhead is at Pathankot in the state of Punjab and the nearest airport is at Gaggal. The nearest town is Killar, located in the deep, narrow gorge formed by the Chenab River;[4] in Killar there are buses and taxis available for the trip to Dharwas.
The main road through Pangi Valley is the 170 km (110 mi) road link from Chamba to Killar via Saach Pass. One can also take the famous Leh–Manali Highway, although the road is in poor condition and occasionally closed to traffic.[5] A trail leading to Sural Valley starts in Dharwas and ends in Zanskar.