Chamba Ancient Town and Lakshmi Narayan Temple Complex

Chamba town on the banks of the Ravi river is one of Himachal Pradesh's oldest continuously inhabited towns with unbroken settlement history of over a thousand years. The Chaugan (town square) with surrounding temples and historic buildings creates a unique heritage urban landscape. The Lakshmi Narayan temple complex containing six temples built between the 10th and 19th centuries represents the best preserved collection of North Indian Nagara style temples in Himachal Pradesh. Intricate stone and wooden carvings on exterior walls and interior columns demonstrate the high standard of medieval craftsmanship. The Chamunda Devi and Hari Rai temples complete the main religious heritage. The Archaeological Survey of India maintains the protected monuments while the temples remain active places of worship.