HimLocal
Sign in
The rock-cut Masrur temples with their carved spires reflected in the still water of the sacred pool
1 night · 2 daysFirst visitTemples & heritagebalanced

Two days around Jwalamukhi — Bagalamukhi, Masrur and the Kangra Fort

A two-day Jwalamukhi plan: the flame temple and Bankhandi on day one, then the rock-cut Masrur temples and the Kangra Fort on day two. Free, copyable itinerary.
1 / 2
Photo: Dhruvaeng · CC BY-SA 4.0

Two days that spread across the Kangra valley: the Jwalamukhi Temple and the shrine at Bankhandi on the first day, then the rock-cut Masrur temples and the Kangra Fort on the second. The one-day plan does the temple and the Pong lake instead.

Timing is in when to visit Jwalamukhi, and the stops are in things to do in Jwalamukhi.

Photos: Dhruvaeng (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Ms Sarah Welch (CC0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Who this is for

Anyone with two days who wants Masrur and the Kangra Fort as well as the flame temple.

Day by day

Day 1

The flame, then Bankhandi

The temple in the morning, then a short drive to the Bagalamukhi shrine at Bankhandi.

  1. 08:30
    Jwalamukhi Temple
    temple · 1 min from Jwalamukhi · 10 min walk from the road · about 1 h 15 min there
    The temple of the natural flame, with its golden dome and the small shrines around the courtyard.
  2. ↓ 35 min by road · 23 km
    11:30
    Bagalamukhi Temple, Bankhandi, HP
    temple · 34 min from Jwalamukhi · about 45 min there
    The shrine to the goddess Bagalamukhi, one of the ten Mahavidyas, 34 minutes away; busiest at Navaratri.
Day 2

Masrur and the fort

Out to the rock-cut temples first, while the light is on the spires, then the fort on the way back.

  1. 09:00
    Masroor Rock Carved Temple
    temple · 1 h 19 min from Jwalamukhi · about 1 h 30 min there
    The 8th-century rock-cut temples, 79 minutes from the town. Look at the spires in the pool, then at what was left unfinished.
  2. ↓ 1 h 28 min by road · 46 km
    13:30
    Kangra Fort
    fort · 45 min from Jwalamukhi · 13 min walk from the road · about 2 h there
    The hill fort on the way back towards Jawalamukhi.

Getting there

Jwalamukhi is about 178 km from Chandigarh, roughly 197 minutes by car on our routing. See how to reach Jwalamukhi.

Where to stay

Stay in Jawalamukhi for both nights of the plan's loop; Masrur is a long morning out and back.

Know before you go

  • We have no verified temple hours or entry fees at Jwalamukhi, Bankhandi or Masrur; ask locally before you plan around them.
  • The second day is a long drive; start at Masrur early and take the fort on the way back.

Places on this route

Kangra Fort
Kangra Fort
fort · 45 min from Jwalamukhi
Masrur (Masroor) Rock-Cut Temples, Kangra
Masrur (Masroor) Rock-Cut Temples, Kangra
temple · 1 h 19 min from Jwalamukhi
Jwalamukhi Temple, Jawalamukhi
Jwalamukhi Temple, Jawalamukhi
temple · 1 min from Jwalamukhi

Other ways to do it

All Jwalamukhi itineraries →
One day from Jwalamukhi — the flame temple and the Pong lake
Day plan · First visitTemples & heritage
One day from Jwalamukhi — the flame temple and the Pong lake
A one-day Jwalamukhi plan: the temple of the natural flame in the morning, then the Pong reservoir's birds or the Bathu temples. Free, copyable itinerary.
Best Jan–Apr · Nov–Dec
See the plan →

Questions people ask

Is two days around Jwalamukhi too long?

Not if you want Masrur. The first day covers the temple and the Bagalamukhi shrine, and Masrur is 79 minutes away, so it needs its own morning. If you only want the temple and the lake, the one-day plan is enough.

Where should you stay for this plan?

In Jawalamukhi for both nights of the loop; both days start and end in town. Dharamshala is 77 minutes away if you would rather base there, and the Masrur and Kangra Fort day then reads as a loop from the Dharamshala side.

How long is the second day's driving?

Masrur is 79 minutes from Jawalamukhi, and the Kangra Fort is 45 minutes from the town, so the day is a long drive out and back with the fort on the way. Start early, and allow about an hour and a half at Masrur.