 The
town of Chamba, the district headquarter of Chamba district is situated in the western
Himalayas between north latitudes 32°10' and 33°13' and east longitudes 75°45' and
77°33'. The town stands on a plateau on the right bank of the Ravi river valley between
Dhauladhar and Zanskar ranges south of the inner Himalayas. This town was founded by Raja
Sahil Varman when he conquered the lower Rani valley from the petty chiefs called Ranas
and Thakurs in the beginning of 10th Century. It seems the original name of the town was
Champa as mentioned in Kalhan's Rajtarangani. In the bansauli or genealogical rolls of the
Chamba Rajas a reference occurs of place which was adorned with highly fragrant Champaka
trees and guarded by Goddess Champavati or more popularly known as Chameshni. The temple
was built by Sahil Varman in the honour of his daughter Champavati who is worshipped as a
goddess in Chamba. Champavati temple became the family temple of the ruling family.
 Chamba town
(915 m) stands on the right bank of the river Ravi. As a former princely state, it is one
of the oldest in the country and dates back to the sixth century. It is well known for its
splendid architecture and as the base for numerous excursions. It is also a district
headquarter.
Climate: In winter, the temperature gets very low because of cold winds.
It is hot in summer - upto 34 degrees C.
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