Khajjiar

Khajjiar is a saucer-shaped meadow of about a square kilometre at 1,950 metres, entirely ringed by tall deodar forest, with a small lake near the middle that is slowly silting up and a floating island of matted vegetation on it. A Swiss diplomat visiting in 1992 compared it to his country and left a plaque and a marker giving the distance to Bern, which the tourism industry has run with ever since. The Khajji Nag temple beside the meadow, of the twelfth century, mixes Hindu and Buddhist elements with carved wooden work. Horse riding, zorbing and paragliding operate on the grass.

What you actually see

• The ringed meadow - grass enclosed entirely by deodar forest.
• The lake and floating island - the small water with its matted island.
• Khajji Nag temple - a twelfth-century shrine with carved woodwork.
• The Swiss marker - the plaque giving the distance to Bern.

When to go

March to June and September to November; the monsoon brings rain and leeches, winter occasional snow. Weekends and the May to June season are extremely crowded.

Honest expectations

The comparison to Switzerland sets expectations the place cannot meet. The meadow is small and busy with horses, stalls and activity operators. Litter is a persistent problem.

Nearby

Dalhousie lies southwest; Chamba is northeast.