CM Office: Lohajang in Chamoli draws domestic, foreign tourists
Synopsis
The Chief Minister's Office of Uttarakhand has spotlighted Lohajang in Chamoli's Deval block as a rising destination for Indian and foreign tourists, reflecting the state's sustained push to develop off-beat Himalayan villages in its border districts.
Key Takeaways
Lohajang , a village in Deval development block, Chamoli , is now attracting domestic and international tourists.
The Chief Minister's Office of Uttarakhand made the announcement on 5 November 2026 .
Chamoli is a Himalayan border district already home to pilgrimage sites like Badrinath and adventure spots like Auli .
Uttarakhand has promoted off-beat destinations in border districts since the early 2010s to spread tourism benefits.
Local residents, homestay operators, and guides in the Deval block are the most direct beneficiaries of rising visitor numbers.
Tucked into the high ridges of Chamoli district along Uttarakhand's Himalayan frontier, the village of Lohajang is quietly transforming from a roadhead few knew into a destination travelers are actively seeking out. The Chief Minister's Office of Uttarakhand highlighted this shift on Thursday, 5 November 2026, posting that Lohajang — situated in the Deval development block of this border district — has become an attraction for tourists from across India and abroad.
The post, in Hindi, reads: 'Seemant janpad Chamoli ke Deval Vikas Khand ka Lohajang desh-videsh ke paryatakon ke aakarshan ka kendra bana' — 'Lohajang in the Deval development block of the border district of Chamoli has become a centre of attraction for domestic and international tourists.'Where exactly is Lohajang — and why it matters
Lohajang (also written Lohajung) sits at a high altitude in the Deval block of Chamoli, a district that borders Tibet and already carries the weight of pilgrimage giants like Badrinath and adventure destinations like Auli. Its emergence signals that visitor interest in Uttarakhand is spreading beyond the well-trodden pilgrimage corridors and established ski slopes into the quieter, less-infrastructure-heavy valleys of the same district.
Uttarakhand's long push into off-beat border valleys
This moment fits squarely into a strategy Uttarakhand has pursued since the early 2010s: promoting lesser-known destinations in border districts to distribute tourism revenues more evenly and generate local employment. Chamoli, as a frontier district with both security and connectivity sensitivities, has been a focal point of these efforts. Lohajang's growing profile is a small but concrete marker that the approach is producing results on the ground.
The state's broader economy leans heavily on tourism, and places like Lohajang — once reachable only by those with a specific trekking itinerary — now draw curious travelers looking beyond the obvious. Local homestay operators and guides in the Deval block stand to gain most directly as footfall grows.
What comes next — dedicated trekking route notifications, homestay scheme extensions, or road-connectivity upgrades into the valley — will determine whether Lohajang's moment of visibility converts into lasting, year-round economic activity for one of Uttarakhand's remotest corners.
Point of View
Using the state's official channel to amplify an emerging tourism story in a district that sits on a sensitive international border. It reflects Uttarakhand's consistent playbook: convert border-district visibility into economic opportunity rather than leaving remote valleys solely defined by security concerns. For the state government, each such village that enters the tourist mainstream reduces over-dependence on a handful of pilgrimage circuits and builds a more resilient tourism economy. The real test is whether infrastructure investment — roads, homestay certification, connectivity — follows the promotional attention.
NationPress
5 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Lohajang located in Uttarakhand?
Lohajang (also spelled Lohajung) is a village in the Deval development block of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand, situated in the Himalayas near the border with Tibet.
Why is Lohajang becoming a tourist destination?
Lohajang is gaining popularity as an off-beat Himalayan destination, attracting domestic and international tourists looking for alternatives to Uttarakhand's established pilgrimage and adventure circuits. The Uttarakhand government has been promoting border-district villages to spread tourism benefits more widely.
What is the Deval development block in Chamoli?
The Deval development block is a rural administrative unit within Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, responsible for local infrastructure and development activities including tourism-related work in its villages.
What other tourist places are there in Chamoli district?
Chamoli district is home to major destinations including the pilgrimage site of Badrinath and the ski resort of Auli . Lohajang is now emerging as an additional off-beat attraction in the same district.
What is Uttarakhand's policy on border-district tourism?
Since the early 2010s, Uttarakhand has pursued a policy of promoting lesser-known destinations in its border districts to generate employment, distribute tourism revenues beyond established circuits, and develop remote Himalayan valleys.
