Khajjiar

Khajjiar, with its "lake", lovely turf and deodar forests. Credit: Debangsu Sengupta

A few kilometers from Dalhousie lies Khajjiar, which is one ofthe major tourist attractions in the area. Dubbed "Switzerlandof India" by tourism authorities, Khajjiar features beautifulemerald meadows surrounded by thick deodar (cedar) forests.

Located at the center of the sloping meadows is a small bog-likepond into which water from the surrounding meadows and forestsdrains. Khajjiar was probably a glacial bowl formed during thelast Himalayan ice age and left with a morainic lake thatgradually withered away.

Monal Pheasant Credit: unknown

However, this bog has been widelyadvertised as a lake by the tourism officials, which has createda steady flow of tourists that is too great for such a smallplace. Khajjiar is part of the notified Kalatop-Khajjiarsanctuary. The Monal Pheasant -- a bird which was fairly commontill recent times -- has become relatively difficult to spotnowadays.