Shaped
like a saucer, this huge bowl of 7 emerald-turfed meadows, 1.6-km long
and 0.9-km broad, lies embedded beneath a dense pine forest,
surrounded by high mountains, and fringed by gigantic deodars. Along
its fringes, amidst the thick forests above the woods and in the
centre of the glade, is a small lake fed by streams that traverse the
green carpet. Hutchinson wrote, "Khajjiar is a forest glade of
great beauty, 6,400 feet above sea level". Khajjiar is often
referred as the "Gulmarg of Himachal Pradesh".
On 07-07-1992, Mr. Willy T.
Blazer, Vice Counselor and Head of Chancery of Switzerland in India,
brought Khajjiar on the world tourism map by christening it "Mini
Switzerland". He also put a sign board of a yellow Swiss hiking
footpath showing Khajjiar's distance from the Swiss capital
Berne-6,194-kms. Khajjiar is among the 160 locations in the world that
bear topographical resemblance with Switzerland. The Counselor also
took from Khajjiar a stone, which will form part of a stone collage
around the Swiss Parliament to remind the visitors of Khajjiar as Mini
Switzerland of India. PRIME ATTRACTION
LAKES
The Lake: Set in the rolling
green turf is a small lake. The earth is 'spongy' due to dense growth
of weed called 'vacha' over which dust has formed a thick layer of
earth.
TEMPLES
Golden Devi Temple: Adding to
the charms of Khajjiar, which also hugs a golden-domed Devi temple, is
a golf course set in the midst of the idyllic surroundings. The golden
spire of the Devi's abode beckons one to the fringe of the lake.
Khajji Nag Temple: A little
away from the lake is the temple of Khajji Nag belonging to 12th
century A.D. In the mandapa of the temple one can see the images of
the Pandavas and the defeated Kaurvas hanging from the roof of the
circumambulatory path. The sanctum of the temple has been beautifully
carved from wood.
