Dalhousie

Dalhousie, India

Dalhousie, town, northwestern Himachal Pradesh state, northwestern India. It was named for a British viceroy of colonial India, Lord Dalhousie. Situated in the Himalayan foothills at an elevation of some 7,500 feet (2,300 metres), it is 26 miles (42 km) northeast of Pathankot, with which it is linked by road.

Dalhousie is a hill station and a popular summer resort, offering relief from the heat of the plain to the south. Panjab University has a vacation centre there for teachers of its affiliated colleges. Popular sites in the Dalhousie area include the Sat Dhara (“Seven Streams”), which are rich in mica and flow beneath Panjpula (“Five Bridges”), a memorial to revolutionary Bhagat Singh; Subhash Baoli, a natural spring; and Dainkund Peak, also known as Singing Hill, so called because of the sound of the wind blowing through the trees there. The cantonment of Balun is just to the north. Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary lies about 6 miles (10 km) from the town. Pop. (2001) 7,425; (2,011) 7,051.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Maren Goldberg.